Friday, December 31, 2021
No Holds Barred: The First Annual You Don't Know Shit About Boxing Awards 2021, on The WAAR Room with Chris Baldwin and Malissa Smith
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleagues Chris Baldwin of the WAAR Room and Malissa Smith of Girlboxing on the WAAR Room. A video of this discussion has also been posted on the WAAR Sports YouTube page.
We spoke with them Monday, December 27.
It's been a long, hard, interesting year for boxing. We wrap some of it up with our First Annual You Don't Know Shit About Boxing Awards 2021, to find out the winner of the Worst Promoter, Worst Boxing Commission, Worst Corner Advice, Worst Promotion of an Elite Fighter, Epic Ali Genealogy Fail, and more!
All this is part of our in-depth coverage of the corrupt world of boxing and sports governance in general.
Please also subscribe to the No Holds Barred page on Patreon for much more exclusive premium No Holds Barred content.
Now you can also support our independent, No Holds Barred journalism by purchasing items such as T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, mugs, pillows, masks, and even mini-skirts at the new No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman shop on Redbubble. (It has also been recommended to me that people choose sizes on the large side, as some items may run small.) You can browse all the items for sale and then place an order here.
You can play or download No Holds Barred on Anchor, Podomatic, Patreon, and the Internet Archive. If one link does not work, please try another.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.
Monday, December 27, 2021
"Is Yoelvis 'La Joya' Gomez Boxing's Next Jewel?" on No Holds Barred Patreon Page
My latest piece, "Is Yoelvis 'La Joya' Gomez Boxing's Next Jewel?", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.
A subscription is required to read it, so subscribe today to support independent journalism.
The article is at https://www.patreon.com/posts/is-yoelvis-la-60377044.
Labels: boxing, Charles Farrell, Cuba, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Yoelvis Gomez
Friday, December 24, 2021
No Holds Barred: Estrada, Parker, Zurdo, Morrell, Esparza, and Serrano Highlight Busy Weekend, on The WAAR Room with Chris Baldwin and Malissa Smith
We spoke with them Monday, December 20.
It was a busy boxing weekend, from Artur Beterbiev's knockout win over Marcus Browne in Montreal, Quebec, on December 17, to the clown show on Showtime's pay-per-view on December 18. It did not go unnoticed that in the U.S., the only boxing non-streaming or pay-per-view broadcast of the many fights on December 18 was the PBC card on Fox in Minneapolis, Minnesota, featuring the David Morrell Jr. vs. Alantez Fox super middleweight, curious towel-throwing finish, fight, for Morrell's TKO win.
Governance was also called into question during Marie-Eve Dicaire's IBF super welterweight title fight, also in Montreal, against a clearly unskilled opponent who had no business in a championship fight. On the positive side, the Golden Boy-DAZN collaboration in San Antonio, Texas, brought an outstanding card to include two female title defenses. WBC flyweight champion Marlen Esparza has truly elevated her game and set herself up for possible unification battles, after her excellent display against veteran and former champion Anabel Ortiz.
The fight of the weekend, however, belonged to Seniesa Estrada, who showed flash and aggressiveness as she scored a knockout win over Maria Santizo on that San Antonio card that will certainly be on everyone's 2021 highlight reel, to retain her WBA minimumweight title. She, too, has set herself up for possible unification battles, with a long-term possibility of meeting her Golden Boy teammate, Marlen Esparza.
Amanda Serrano also popped up to lightweight to fight Miriam Gutierrez in Tampa, Florida, taking the bout by unanimous decision and setting herself up for her a potential showdown with the undisputed lightweight champion, Katie Taylor, in the spring of 2022 at Madison Square Garden.
Other fights of note were the rematch between Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora, a heavyweight slugfest of epic proportions from DAZN's Manchester, U.K., card, which Parker won by unanimous decision, and the Gilberto (Zurdo) Ramirez-Yunieski Gonzalez light heavyweight fight, which was the main event on the Golden Boy-DAZN card from San Antonio, and another heart-in-your-mouth epic battle.
Plus, we discussed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and how boxing and the sports world in general are dealing, and not dealing, with it.
All this is part of our in-depth coverage of the corrupt world of boxing and sports governance in general.
Please also subscribe to the No Holds Barred page on Patreon for much more exclusive premium No Holds Barred content.
Now you can also support our independent, No Holds Barred journalism by purchasing items such as T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, mugs, pillows, masks, and even mini-skirts at the new No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman shop on Redbubble. (It has also been recommended to me that people choose sizes on the large side, as some items may run small.) You can browse all the items for sale and then place an order here.
You can play or download No Holds Barred on Anchor, Podomatic, Patreon, and the Internet Archive. If one link does not work, please try another.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.
No Holds Barred is sponsored by:
LenneHardt.com, the home of Lenne Hardt, the legendary MMA and sports announcer, voice actor, singer, actress, and comedienne. Lenne is also known for her jazz vocals with her Lenne Hardt Jazz Cabaret Band. For more information, to book her, or to order a custom message from her, go to LenneHardt.com.
Skullz Fight Shop, home of the Skullz Double-End Bag, the perfect punching bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve speed, distance, and timing skills. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. Skullz Fight Shop - Advancing combat sports equipment for the next generation of fighters. For more information, go to https://skullzfightshop.com.
Adolphina Studios. Original art prints and handcrafted fine jewelry. For more information, go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/AdolphinaStudios.
Labels: Amanda Serrano, boxing, Chris Baldwin, David Morrell Jr., Eddie Goldman, Gilberto Zurdo Ramirez, Girlboxing, Joseph Parker, Malissa Smith, Marlen Esparza, No Holds Barred, Seneisa Estrada, WAAR Room, WAAR Sports
Monday, December 20, 2021
"Richard McLaren, Umar Kremlev, and the IOC on the Crisis in Olympic Boxing" on No Holds Barred Patreon Page
A subscription is required to read it, so subscribe today to support independent journalism.
The article is at https://www.patreon.com/posts/richard-mclaren-60147403.
Labels: AIBA, boxing, corruption, Eddie Goldman, Gazprom, IBA, International Boxing Association, International Olympic Committee, IOC, No Holds Barred, Olympic, Richard McLaren, Thomas Bach, Umar Kremlev
Thursday, December 16, 2021
"Waiting For The Heavyweights, December 2021 Edition" on No Holds Barred Patreon Page
My latest piece, "Waiting For The Heavyweights, December 2021 Edition", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.
A subscription is required to read it, so subscribe today to support independent journalism.
The article is at https://www.patreon.com/posts/waiting-for-2021-60010277.
Labels: Anthony Joshua, boxing, Dillian Whyte, Eddie Goldman, heavyweights, No Holds Barred, Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
No Holds Barred: Probellum Problems, Olympic Boxing Reform, Katie Taylor's Close Win, on The WAAR Room with Chris Baldwin and Malissa Smith
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleagues Chris Baldwin of the WAAR Room and Malissa Smith of Girlboxing on the WAAR Room. A video of this discussion has also been posted on the WAAR Sports YouTube page.
We spoke with them Sunday, December 12.
This past week saw major developments in the attempt by the Olympic boxing federation -- formerly AIBA and now renamed as the International Boxing Association (IBA) -- to regain its place on the Olympic program.
On December 9, IOC president Thomas Bach said in a press conference that AIBA, along with the International Weightlifting Federation, were the IOC's "problem children". AIBA would remain suspended from the IOC until at least 2023, and needs to correct ongoing problems in governance, financial transparency and sustainability, and the integrity of their refereeing and judging processes. Boxing also was not included on the list of sports set for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, although it was not ruled out that it could be added back if AIBA demonstrated that it had corrected these problems to the IOC's satisfaction.
On December 10, another report was released about corruption in AIBA by the team led by Professor Richard McLaren. This report, issued at AIBA's behest, concluded that the corruption in the officiating at AIBA events did not end with the 2016 Rio Olympics, but has continued through this year. The report noted that "the people are the problem, even when the rules and regulations are of the highest quality. The sport will need to ensure that it cultivates individuals with integrity to run the organisation." It did also praise the efforts of current AIBA president Umar Kremlev and his associates to end this corruption, stating, "a genuine attempt at reform and progress has been made under Kremlev's leadership." McLaren then discussed this report on an international online press conference.
On December 12, before we were able to discuss it, AIBA held its "Extraordinary Congress" and adopted all the extensive reforms which had been proposed by the Governance Reform Group, which was led by Professor Ulrich Haas. These reforms included the establishment of an independent Boxing Integrity Unit. AIBA also officially changed its name to IBA at this congress. And on December 13, IBA president Umar Kremlev also held an international online press conference. We will discuss these developments on our upcoming shows.
Besides the crisis in Olympic boxing, we discussed the debut show of the new Probellum promotion, which took place December 11 in Dubai in the UAE. This show was plagued by numerous major governance problems, and we discussed the significance of these and the lack of proper regulation.
Also on December 11, there were several major boxing cards around the world. We mainly focused on the Matchroom/DAZN card in Liverpool in the U.K., and in particular on the successful defense of her lightweight belts by Katie Taylor against Firuza Sharipova. Taylor clearly won a decision, but this fight was closer than many had anticipated. We discussed what this means, what is next for Taylor, and the latest news in women's boxing.
All this is part of our in-depth coverage of the corrupt world of boxing and sports governance in general.
(Photo of Prof. McLaren from screenshot of press conference. Probellum logo. Photo of Katie Taylor vs. Firuza Sharipova from WBC.)
Please also subscribe to the No Holds Barred page on Patreon for much more exclusive premium No Holds Barred content.
Now you can also support our independent, No Holds Barred journalism by purchasing items such as T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, mugs, pillows, masks, and even mini-skirts at the new No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman shop on Redbubble. (It has also been recommended to me that people choose sizes on the large side, as some items may run small.) You can browse all the items for sale and then place an order here.
You can play or download No Holds Barred on Anchor, Podomatic, Patreon, and the Internet Archive. If one link does not work, please try another.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.
No Holds Barred is sponsored by:
LenneHardt.com, the home of Lenne Hardt, the legendary MMA and sports announcer, voice actor, singer, actress, and comedienne. Lenne is also known for her jazz vocals with her Lenne Hardt Jazz Cabaret Band. For more information, to book her, or to order a custom message from her, go to LenneHardt.com.
Skullz Fight Shop, home of the Skullz Double-End Bag, the perfect punching bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve speed, distance, and timing skills. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. Skullz Fight Shop - Advancing combat sports equipment for the next generation of fighters. For more information, go to https://skullzfightshop.com.
Adolphina Studios. Original art prints and handcrafted fine jewelry. For more information, go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/AdolphinaStudios.
Labels: AIBA, boxing, Chris Baldwin, Eddie Goldman, Girlboxing, IBA, IOC, Katie Taylor, Malissa Smith, No Holds Barred, Olympic boxing, Probellum, Richard McLaren, Thomas Bach, Umar Kremlev, WAAR Room, WAAR Sports
Tuesday, December 07, 2021
Not Crazy Eddie, but New Designs on the No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman Shop on Redbubble
One of the new designs featured is a remake of the original classic red design. All the items with this design are here.
There are also two brand-new designs featuring a new logo and a boxing glove. They come in both black and red, and also include the WAAR Sports online address.
All the items with these designs are here and here.
The original design is also still available here.
I am doing this to supplement the small income I am earning from my media work. Independent, No Holds Barred journalism, which is not beholden to promoters, networks, sports oligarchs, and the like, is hardly a way to get rich. Hence, this Redbubble project, which also gives my media a bit of publicity.
It has also been recommended to me that people choose sizes on the large side, as some items may run small. Please let me know how the ordering process goes, and when you receive the items you bought, the quality of them.
Thanks, Eddie Goldman
Labels: Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Redbubble
Sunday, December 05, 2021
"Can Anybody Clean Up Pro or Olympic Boxing?" on No Holds Barred Patreon Page
A subscription is required to read it, so subscribe today to support independent journalism.
The article is at https://www.patreon.com/posts/can-anybody-up-59565073.
Labels: AIBA, boxing, corruption, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Olympic
Friday, December 03, 2021
No Holds Barred: Fulton-Figueroa and Kambosos-Lopez Controversies, on The WAAR Room with Chris Baldwin and Malissa Smith
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleagues Chris Baldwin of the WAAR Room and Malissa Smith of Girlboxing on the WAAR Room. A video of this discussion has also been posted on the WAAR Sports YouTube page.
We spoke with them Sunday, November 28.
Our main focus was on two major title unification fights this past weekend, and the accompanying controversies in each of them.
In a major upset, George Kambosos Jr. captured the WBA, IBF, and WBO lightweight belts from previously unbeaten Teofimo Lopez by split decision. Almost all observers had Kambosos clearly winning this fight.
In a fight to unify the WBC and WBO 122-pound belts, Stephen Fulton Jr. defeated Brandon Figueroa by majority decision. Even though this was a close fight, many people thought that Figueroa had done enough to win, or at least it should have been scored a draw.
Besides discussing the rest of these cards, we raised the issue of judging and officiating in boxing, as there are highly controversial and even bizarre scores just about every week. Unlike most other professional sports, boxing's purposely fragmented governance means that there is nothing remotely like an independent Boxing Integrity Unit. We see the results of the absence of even a semblance of proper governance on almost every boxing card.
Malissa Smith also once more kept us up-to-date with the latest news in women's boxing.
All this is part of our in-depth coverage of the corrupt world of boxing and sports governance in general.
(Photo of Figueroa vs Fulton from Esther Lin/Showtime. Photo of Kambosos vs. Lopez from Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.)
Please also subscribe to the No Holds Barred page on Patreon for much more exclusive premium No Holds Barred content.
Now you can also support our independent, No Holds Barred journalism by purchasing items such as T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, mugs, pillows, masks, and even mini-skirts at the new No Holds Barred with Eddie Goldman shop on Redbubble. (It has also been recommended to me that people choose sizes on the large side, as some items may run small.) You can browse all the items for sale and then place an order here.
You can play or download No Holds Barred on Anchor, Podomatic, Patreon, and the Internet Archive. If one link does not work, please try another.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.
No Holds Barred is sponsored by:
LenneHardt.com, the home of Lenne Hardt, the legendary MMA and sports announcer, voice actor, singer, actress, and comedienne. Lenne is also known for her jazz vocals with her Lenne Hardt Jazz Cabaret Band. For more information, to book her, or to order a custom message from her, go to LenneHardt.com.
Skullz Fight Shop, home of the Skullz Double-End Bag, the perfect punching bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve speed, distance, and timing skills. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. Skullz Fight Shop - Advancing combat sports equipment for the next generation of fighters. For more information, go to https://skullzfightshop.com.
Adolphina Studios. Original art prints and handcrafted fine jewelry. For more information, go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/AdolphinaStudios.
Labels: boxing, Brandon Figueroa, Chris Baldwin, Eddie Goldman, George Kambosos Jr., Girlboxing, Integrity Unit, Malissa Smith, No Holds Barred, Stephen Fulton Jr., Teofimo Lopez, WAAR Room, WAAR Sports
