NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our correspondent Chris Baldwin.

She was at this past Monday's press conference in Los Angeles for the rematch between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs). Their first fight, in Dec. 2018, ended in a controversial split draw, with most observers saying that Fury deserved the win. The rematch is scheduled to take place Feb. 22, 2020, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. In the U.S., it will be shown on a pay-per-view being jointly put on by FOX Sports and ESPN.

We spoke with Chris Baldwin by phone Friday.

"This was a really interesting presser. It was way smaller than the last presser, where they actually had a little fight on stage," she said, referring to the press conferences on the media tour for their first fight.

"Fury walked out on the stage as his name was called. No one clapped. That was one of the first things I noticed, and he seemed a bit taken aback by that, because he got no love. But then again, like I said, it was a small, media-only event. There were no fans present like the last time," she continued.

"And then when Wilder walked out, he had the WBC strap across his shoulders, and he did get a little bit of a round of applause. And then they faced off, and that's when the smack-talking began."

We discussed what we learned from this press conference, why this is an important fight for all boxing as well as the heavyweight division, how each fighter might win or lose this fight, the WWE-style bombast from Fury who recently performed in WWE, the poor media analysis of this press conference and the fight itself, the dismal prospects for the pay-per-view, what might be next for other top heavyweights including Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr., and much, much more.

(Photo of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury by Chris Baldwin.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available at Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

Skullz Combat Sports Equipment, creator of the patented Skullz Double-End Bag, is 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 Combat Sports Equipment - Advancing combat sports equipment for the next generation of fighters. For more information, go to https://instagram.com/skullzcombatsports and https://facebook.com/skullzcombatsports.

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Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Chris Baldwin, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight boxing, No Holds Barred, Tyson Fury

They are both available now! Ringside Seat 9 has my article on the Joshua-Ruiz 2 fight. The Feb.-March 2020 Black Belt has my article on the African Warriors Fighting Championship. For No Holds Barred combat sports journalism, get them both!

Labels: African Warriors Fighting Championship, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Black Belt, boxing, Dambe, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Ringside Seat, wrestling

Coming out very shortly: Ringside Seat 9 with my article on Joshua-Ruiz 2, and the Feb./March 2020 issue of Black Belt with my article on the African Warriors Fighting Championship. Subscribe to each -- the perfect gifts for a family which fights!

Labels: African Warriors Fighting Championship, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Black Belt, boxing, Dambe, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Ringside Seat, wrestling

by Eddie Goldman

It looks like we will indeed have a heavyweight title fight this Saturday.

Both Andy Ruiz Jr. of the U.S. and Anthony Joshua of the U.K. have arrived in Saudi Arabia for their December 7 rematch and have started their fight week activities.

On June 1 of this year, Ruiz defeated Joshua by seventh-round TKO after Joshua had been dropped four times. Ruiz thus captured the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight belts, and handed Joshua his first loss as a pro. Now the rematch is upon us, placed controversially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

While Ruiz's victory was considered a major upset at the time and Joshua is still a betting favorite for the rematch, this is a fight for which a rational argument can be made for either fighter to win, and either by knockout or decision. There are still many unanswered questions as to why Ruiz was able to pull off this upset, and of course whether or not he can defeat Joshua again.

To preview this fight, I've asked several people with whom I regularly communicate about the combat sports -- the No Holds Barred All-Stars -- to make their predictions for this fight.

As the old line goes, it is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future. But we shall try.


Charles Farrell, noted boxing writer and former fight fixer:

"I'm usually happy to make predictions, but I'm stumped this time. Too many things are going on that are happening outside the view of all but a few. I am no longer as sure about how good Joshua was as I had been (I didn't listen to his detractors). I think Ruiz is pretty much exactly the fighter I thought he was (and I thought he was good, even before the first fight, but not in any way special). I still believe that what happened the first time around was that Joshua, certain he was on the verge of scoring a kayo, didn't recognize that he was being hit with good shots even after one of them essentially knocked him out. He fought the rest of the fight unconscious. So maybe what happened was an anomaly. Maybe Joshua doesn't have a good chin. Maybe Ruiz has his number. Maybe things are going business-wise that will temper what happens in the fight. Maybe Ruiz likes being rich too much, and will come in under-prepared. Maybe Joshua's refusal to get a technically sound trainer will cost him again. Or maybe he just knocks Ruiz out and things revert to normal. That's too many maybes for me. No prediction."

Chris Jackson-Baldwin, Fight Fit LA, Boxing/MMA conditioning coach:

"If Andy doesn't knock Joshua clean out then he is coming back to Cali with a fat paycheck and zero belts. But I don't see Joshua losing this fight."

Steve Nelson, founder of Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) promotion, and retired wrestler, MMA fighter, and shootfighter:

"I really like Andy as a competitor. I wish his management never let him take a fight in Saudi Arabia. Ho could write his own ticket here, I don't understand it. They want him to drop that belt. I hope he gets all the money promised to him."

Bob Carson, host of Carson's Corner podcast:

"The recent weight loss of Ruiz is suggestive of someone who is in the zone mentally. I'm not sure if Joshua has rekindled the fire he once had, although it is impossible to tell. I believe Ruiz wins this fight via eighth round TKO."

Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred:

"While there remain numerous unanswered questions about their first fight, with perhaps the answers being unknowable for most of us at this time, there is one thing that seems certain: The Ruiz-Joshua rematch will take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with makeshift regulation and governance. Yes, apparently neutral and experienced officials have been chosen for it and the drug-testing is being done by VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, which is the world's best such body. But funny things happen all the time in boxing in places with established commissions and regulatory bodies, almost always to the benefit of the house fighter. On this show, the house fighter is Anthony Joshua. So I expect Joshua to regain his belts one way or another, either deservedly so or not."

(Photos of Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.)

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Saudi Arabia

by Eddie Goldman

You hear it all the time, one of those empty boxing cliches that is casually ignored by anyone who has seen a few fights before. Anything can happen in boxing, especially with the big heavyweights, we are assured before each fight. But most of those same fights are the result of careful matchmaking which virtually guarantees who will win, without formally fixing them. Then what is expected and planned for usually happens, with the talking heads extolling the prowess of the all-but-predetermined victor. Already this year we have had blowout wins for Andy Ruiz over Alexander Dimitrenko, Deontay Wilder over Dominic Breazeale, and Tyson Fury over Tom Schwarz.

But it is still somewhat of a sport and not completely scripted like the fake "wrestling". At times, then, the best laid plans of mice and their two-legged cousins, the boxing promoters, go awry. Again just this year, Anthony Joshua was scheduled to fight Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller, who, after an exceptionally nasty press conference at Madison Square Garden, infamously failed three drug tests and was pulled from the fight. His late replacement, the rotund Ruiz, then on June 1, as we know, dispatched an untypically unenthusiastic and bewildered Joshua in seven rounds to capture his collection of heavyweight titles. Their scheduled December 7 rematch was also placed in a novel and highly controversial venue, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, right outside the capital city of Riyadh -- assuming that the many bombings of that country by those fighting the Saudis in Yemen don't land too close to the Saudi fight site, or that a full-scale war doesn't break out.

This past Saturday, September 14, we had what was supposed to be an easy sparring-like session for Tyson Fury against the unbeaten but little-known Otto Wallin. This was a step in Fury's rehabilitation since his two-and-a-half year hiatus due to drugs, drink, and depression, followed by two warmup bouts and then a tough fight last December with Deontay Wilder, a split draw which most fair and unbought people thought Fury had won. The plan was for Fury to breeze through some rounds here, sing songs in the ring after winning, and have one more gimme fight in December before facing Wilder in a rematch February 22 of next year. Wilder is also said to be facing Luis "King Kong" Ortiz in a rematch sometime in November, or maybe not, as this bout still has not been officially announced just two months out.

The buildup to the Fury-Wallin fight was designed, to a degree, to heighten awareness of Fury in America. It was set in Las Vegas on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day, with Fury sporting the colors of the Mexican flag, donning at press events a lucha libre mask like those used by Mexican pro wrestlers, and during his endless ring walk wearing a sombrero, albeit backwards, while live Mexican music was played.

While the intent was to build Fury's American profile, this fight was shown in the U.S. not on the ESPN TV network, but on its newer and far less popular ESPN+ app, which at most only has a few million subscribers in total. This allowed for a field day for people who were posting illegal streams online, even as the ESPN police played whack-a-mole to try to get them taken down while others cropped up like flowers in a spring rain.

Despite all the theatrics before the fight and focus on Fury and his antics, Wallin, who almost exclusively had previously fought in Europe, was not intimidated. In fact, he trains in New York with former world champion Joey Gamache so was not a newbie to the strange ways of the Americans. Sure, he had nothing on his resume to suggest that he would be anything other than an opponent for Fury, and was way short on experience, having had an eight-round fight only last year and never facing even a top ten fighter before. The odds were long in Fury's favor, and sensibly so.

And then the fight started. Opinions are divided on who won the first two relatively uneventful rounds, with a few folks even giving them both to Wallin. Fury was largely inactive, unexpectedly not jabbing or going to the body that much, and giving up his height advantage. But feeling out rounds are common in boxing and often set the stage for the expected winners to cruise to victory or crush their foes.

And then round three commenced. In the final minute of that round, while the ESPN+ announcers were chatting about Deontay Wilder and such, the southpaw Wallin landed a left hand around Fury's right eye, on the eyebrow, and what would soon become a gruesome cut opened up. A little later the announcers finally noticed it, as Fury began pawing at it. A few rounds later Fury suffered yet another cut, this time on the right eyelid.

These cuts would change the entire trajectory of the fight. The sages of the Nevada State Athletic Commission ruled that the first and worst cut was caused by a punch, and not a clash of heads. But later when asked on the telecast about it, Fury's trainer Ben Davison said that the cut came from a head clash, meaning that the commission had informed the ESPN announcers of their ruling but not Fury and his corner.

The significance of this, of course, is what the verdict would have been if the fight had to be stopped because of the cuts. If a fight is stopped by a cut from a punch, it is a TKO victory for the fighter who threw the punch over the cut fighter, regardless of the scores at that point. But if it is stopped because of a cut caused by a head clash or another foul, then the scorecards come into play if the fight has gone past four rounds, in most jurisdictions. The partial round is scored and the winner is whoever is ahead on the cards. If fewer than four rounds had been completed, then it is a no decision and nobody wins or loses, except of course the fans and gamblers who lose.

Fury was able to soldier on, but for a few rounds looked rather listless. In the sixth round, with Fury's blood flowing more freely all over his face, Wallin, and referee Tony Weeks, the round was halted midway for the ringside doctor to check the cuts. After a brief visit, the doctor told the referee that the fight could continue, and it did. At this point, the scorecards were all over the place, but some had the determined underdog Wallin even with Fury or even ahead on points.

Suddenly with round seven Fury began to unleash his hands. Though he was still fighting a bit stooped over as he often does, he realized that this was no gimme fight and he had to change his gameplan to do his best impression of what a slugfest would look like. Fury would dominate rounds seven through 11, although he failed to drop Wallin.

The cuts were still grotesque, though, as ESPN curiously avoided showing a camera angle which displayed Fury's very bloody right side. Wallin rallied in the final round, but for most observers it was too late for him to capture a decision win.

The final tallies were of course mostly way too wide in favor of the house fighter and money maker Fury, who won unanimously by scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112, with only the latter one resembling what happened in the ring.

While Fury performed his act in the in-ring, post-fight interview, calling out the "bum" and "big dosser" Wilder, he did admit the cuts played a major role. He said that for the majority of the fight he could not see out of the left eye, although it was around the right one where he was cut and the blood drenched that side of his face. He probably meant to say the right eye, but even if it was an inadvertent slip after an unexpectedly tough 12-round fight, he never told the referee or any official that his vision was impaired at all. Had he done so, the fight would very likely have been stopped, as is more or less protocol.

Fury did not attend the post-fight press conference, as he was in the hospital getting a reported 47 stitches from a plastic surgeon. His trainer Ben Davison, called "Dan" by promoter Bob Arum, was though, and he admitted the same thing as Fury had. After the fight Davison was quoted as saying, "Obviously he was struggling to see, but he had to make it look like he wasn't struggling to see."

Of course, it is debatable whether or not the cuts should have led to this fight being stopped. Fury saw well enough to dominate the second half of the fight. While hideous in appearance, the main cut was on the brow, and may have looked worse than it actually was as the blood and sweat mixed as they dripped down Fury's face. And this is big stakes, professional heavyweight boxing. But the lack of sustained interest by the ringside doctors in checking the cuts and Fury's ability to see is worth noting.

Also after the fight, John Fury, Tyson's father and former trainer, ripped into his current trainer Davison and the preparation for this fight. The elder Fury was watching on the BT Sport Box Office broadcast in the U.K., since he is barred from entering the U.S. following a 2011 conviction for gouging another man's eye out and serving four years in prison for it. John Fury said his son looked weak as a kitten, looked out of shape and weight-drained, had no snap on his punches and no movement or timing, and was very lucky to emerge with a win. He implied that this was the result of major problems in the training camp for this fight, again only three months after the Tom Schwarz two-round blowout. And he called for his son to fire Ben Davison. Some of this may be professional jealousy between trainers, but even these charges, however exaggerated, have grains of truth.

So now what? Clearly scratched is any plan for Fury to fight another tuneup in December before facing Wilder on February 22. While his promoters assured the world that Fury will be all healed up and ready to train for this rematch with Wilder, no one should be surprised if the cuts or other problems cause this fight to be postponed again. It was originally planned for this past May, but right before signing for this fight Fury signed a lucrative deal with ESPN and Top Rank as his co-promoter, reported to be for about $100 million, and instead scheduled a series of these tuneups rather than facing Wilder next after their December 2018 battle. Now with his face all chopped up, another delay would hardly shock anyone. And that doesn't even take into account the unwieldy plan of having the rematch shown in the U.S. as a joint pay-per-view of rival networks ESPN and Fox.

Wilder's plans also appear to be in flux. We have been told for months that his next fight will be a rematch with Luis "King Kong" Ortiz. This is also a potentially dangerous fight against the aging Ortiz, who almost stopped Wilder in their first encounter last year. Even if Wilder wins, as we saw with the victorious Fury, heavyweights cut and get cut, creating chaos for long-term scheduling of fights. Whatever factors have led to the delay in formally announcing this fight, perhaps involving once again rival TV networks like Showtime and Fox, now there is yet one more reason not to have it at all. Ironically, though, a delay for Fury-Wilder 2 could actually improve the chances of it occurring, since if it takes place in November there will be more than three months for Wilder to return to face Fury. But it also was mentioned on the BBC that there were whispers this week in Las Vegas that Wilder-Ortiz 2 will not take place at all, so we shall see.

As a standalone fight, the Fury-Wallin fight was indeed dramatic and compelling. It made for entertaining viewing for the fans whether in the arena or watching on TV or via streams. Wallin certainly proved he had been severely underrated, and quite likely earned himself some more big fights and paydays. All night the fight was the top trending topic on Twitter in the U.S., although it has not been revealed how many people actually saw it legally in the U.S. on ESPN+.

But the reported attendance at Las Vegas' 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena was only 8,249, and we have seen before that these early and unofficial numbers have been inflated by the promoters. That same Saturday night, a larger crowd of 17,760 saw the Detroit Tigers, last place in the American League Central, defeat the Baltimore Orioles, last place in the American League East, by a score of 8-4 in 12 innings, and each already with 100 or more losses.

With the winning teams in baseball still in heated races to get to the playoffs and World Series in October, and with the NFL and college football gobbling up the sports TV ratings in America, what is next in the top tier of boxing's heavyweight division is unclear, unsettled, and unknown. The promoters and fighters are trying to fill this void by intensifying their trash talk about one another, but those are not the kind of fights the fans pay for.

With all this chaos and uncertainty, the goal of crowning an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world is as remote as ever. The promoters and networks will declare with straight faces that all their fights are great. But an historical opportunity to have one world heavyweight champion is slipping away, and as it does, so might the interest of the paying public.

(Photo of Tyson Fury by Mikey Williams/Top Rank.)

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, No Holds Barred, Otto Wallin, Tyson Fury

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson. We attended this past Thursday's Ruiz-Joshua 2 press conference in New York, and had a lengthy discussion right after it about the fight itself, the media, the controversy about staging the fight in Saudi Arabia, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available at Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Bob Carson, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Eddie Hearn, No Holds Barred, Saudi Arabia

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Ruiz-Joshua 2: Assholery in Arabia

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, doping, Eddie Goldman, Eddie Hearn, human rights, No Holds Barred, Saudi Arabia

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Waiting For The Heavyweights

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Eddie Goldman, heavyweights, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the upcoming June 15 fight between heavyweights Tyson Fury of the U.K. (27-0-1, 19 KOs) and Tom Schwarz of Germany (24-0, 16 KOs). This fight headlines a card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be shown live in the U.S. on the ESPN+ app and in the U.K. on pay-per-view on BT Sport Box Office. Among the topics are why this fight is happening now, how it reflects the needs and plans of ESPN and Fury's co-promoter Top Rank, the ongoing soap opera in the quest to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, and much, much more. We also got some comments from Tyson Fury, Tom Schwarz, and promoter Bob Arum on Monday's media conference call.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, heavyweights, No Holds Barred, Tom Schwarz, Top Rank, Tyson Fury

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the upset TKO victory by Andy Ruiz Jr. over Anthony Joshua Saturday, June 1, at Madison Square Garden, to capture three of the four major heavyweight belts. Many mysteries remain as to why this upset occurred, and these as well as what may happen next and what this means for the future of the heavyweight division are explored, plus much more.

(Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweights, mysteries, No Holds Barred, Tyson Fury

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman busts up the many myths being peddled in the media about how Deontay Wilder's knockout performance against the hapless Dominic Breazeale this past Saturday, May 18, made him into some type of major star. Also discussed is the future of the heavyweight division, the upcoming fight on June 1 of unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua against Andy Ruiz Jr., and much more.

(Photo of Deontay Wilder vs. Dominic Breazeale from Ryan Hafey, Premier Boxing Champions.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Dominic Breazeale, Eddie Goldman, heavyweights, myths, No Holds Barred, Tyson Fury

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our correspondent Chris Baldwin.

Our subject was the main fights of Super Duper Saturday, December 10.

In a fight for the vacant WBO heavyweight belt, Joseph Parker (22-0, 18 KOs) won a majority decision over previously unbeaten Andy Ruiz Jr. (29-1, 19 KOs). This fight took place in Auckland, New Zealand.

Unbeaten IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) kept his record perfect by knocking out Eric Molina (25-4, 19 KOs) in the third round of a fight headlining a card in Manchester, England.

Abner Mares (30-2-1, 15 KOs) won the WBA featherweight belt with a split decision over defending champion Jesus Cuellar (28-2, 21 KOs). This fight took place at the Galen Center on the campus of USC in Los Angeles.

On that same card, in a battle of two unbeaten young fighters, Jermall Charlo (25-0, 19 KOs) retained his IBF junior middleweight belt with a fifth-round knockout over Julian "J-Rock" Williams (22-1-1, 14 KOs).

We spoke with Chris Baldwin, who covered the card in Los Angeles, by phone Wednesday.

We discussed these fights and their significance, especially for the turbulent and intriguing heavyweight division.

This coming Saturday, December 17, one of boxing's greats will have what he says will be his final fight. The 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2, 32 KOs) will face Joe Smith Jr. (22-1, 18 KOs) at The Forum in Inglewood, California. We spoke with Bernard Hopkins and Joe Smith Jr. on a recent media conference call.

(Photos of Abner Mares and Jesus Cuellar, and Jermall Charlo and Julian Williams, from Stephanie Trapp/Showtime. Photo of Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko from Lawrence Lustig. Photo of Bernard Hopkins and Joe Smith Jr. from Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

Labels: Abner Mares, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, Bernard Hopkins, boxing, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Jermall Charlo, Jesus Cuellar, Joe Smith, Joseph Parker, Julian Williams, No Holds Barred, Wladimir Klitschko

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the main title fights which will take place on Boxing's Super Duper Saturday, December 10.

The action starts in Auckland, New Zealand, as two undefeated heavyweights meet for the vacant WBO heavyweight title. Mexican-American Andy Ruiz Jr. (29-0, 19 KOs) will face Joseph Parker of New Zealand (21-0, 18 KOs) at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. This fight will be shown live in New Zealand on Sky Arena, in the U.K. on BoxNation, and in the U.S. in Spanish on UniMas, and on tape-delay in the U.S. on HBO.

A second major heavyweight belt will be on the line that day, this time in the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Unbeaten IBF champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) will face veteran Eric Molina (25-3, 19 KOs). This will headline a card shown live in the U.K. on Sky Sports Box Office, with the Joshua-Molina fight also being shown live in the U.S. on Showtime.

That evening in the U.S. there will also be a championship doubleheader at the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles, which is part of the PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) series of TV shows. In a match postponed from June, WBA featherweight champion Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) will face former three-division champion Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs), and IBF super welterweight champion Jermall Charlo (24-0, 18 KOs) will fight undefeated contender Julian "J-Rock" Williams (22-0-1, 14 KOs). This will be shown live in the U.S. on Showtime and in Mexico on Televisa.

We spoke with Jesus Cuellar, Abner Mares, Jermall Charlo, and Julian Williams on media conference calls. We also run a short interview with promoter Richard Schaefer conducted by our colleague Chris Baldwin. And we explain how and why the idiot mainstream and boxing media are mainly ignoring the significance of all these fights on Super Duper Saturday, why HBO's latest mismatch is not included as part of Super Duper Saturday, and much more.

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Labels: Abner Mares, Andy Ruiz, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Eric Molina, Jermall Charlo, Jesus Cuellar, Joseph Parker, Julian Williams, No Holds Barred