NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with catch wrestlers Luis Ojeda, Anthony Sansonetti, and Thomas Velasquez, coach Ray Karakas, and Bob Carson of Carson's Corner, at the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This event took place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

In the main event, Luis Ojeda and Anthony Sansonetti had an epic catch wrestling match, with Luis Ojeda finally winning by pin in 55 minutes and 10 seconds. The match had to go into a fourth, overtime period, with no pins or submissions having been scored until then. By winning, Luis Ojeda was crowned American heavyweight catch wrestling champion, the first such holder of this title in real catch wrestling since the early 1900s.

The big winner of the tournaments was Thomas Velasquez, who captured championships in both the heavyweight and absolute divisions. By winning the absolute, he also won this event's Frank Gotch Award.

"My coach over here was telling me that it wasn't going to be easy," said the new champ, Luis Ojeda. "I didn't know what was going to happen. You never know in these things."

He added, "It was a great match. It could have went either way, and I hope we can do it again."

We also discussed the strategy for both wrestlers in this match, how they implemented it, what their plans are, and more.

With Thomas Velasquez and his coach Ray Karakas, we discussed his background, how he got involved with catch wrestling, his plans, and more.

With Bob Carson, we discussed this current new era in catch wrestling, how this style is fan-friendly and has great potential, and more.

A photo gallery from this event can also be seen here.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at http://defensesoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, Bob Carson, Eddie Goldman, King Catch Wrestling Tournament, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, No Holds Barred, Primal Gym, Ray Karakas, Thomas Velasquez

Here are some photos from the the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, which took place Saturday, August 30, at the Primal Gym in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

in the main event, Luis Ojeda and Anthony Sansonetti had an epic catch wrestling match, with Luis Ojeda finally winning by pin in 55 minutes and 10 seconds. The match had to go into a fourth, overtime period, with no pins or submissions having been scored until then.

By winning, Luis Ojeda was crowned American heavyweight catch wrestling champion, the first such holder of this title in real catch wrestling since the early 1900s.

The big winner of the tournaments was Thomas Velasquez, who captured championships in both the heavyweight and absolute divisions.


Dan Kanagie, Eddie Goldman, Thomas Velasquez, and Ray Karakas. Thomas Velasquez wins Frank Gotch Award.


Anthony Sansonetti (L) and Luis Ojeda (R) lock up in the corner in the first round of their match. Referee Joel Bane watches closely.


Luis Ojeda riding Anthony Sansonetti, as he did much of the match.


Luis Ojeda gets up right after pinning Anthony Sansonetti.


The winner, and the new American heavyweight catch wrestling champion, Luis Ojeda.


Both Luis Ojeda and Anthony Sansonetti are champs.


Luis Ojeda with championship belt, and Dan Kanagie of North American Catch Wrestling Association, which presented this event along with Scientific Wrestling.


Luis Ojeda, Dan Kanagie, and Anthony Sansonetti.


Eddie Goldman and Luis Ojeda.


Eddie Goldman interviewing Luis Ojeda and Anthony Sansonetti after their match.


Eddie Goldman and Bob Carson, who both covered this event.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, Dan Kanagie, Eddie Goldman, King Catch Wrestling Tournament, Lawrenceville, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, New Jersey, Primal Gym, Thomas Velasquez

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with San Diego, California-based catch wrestler Luis Ojeda.

On Saturday, August 30, he will wrestling in the main event of the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This match will be for the American heavyweight catch wrestling championship.

In this match, Luis Ojeda, the two-time King of Catch Wrestling heavyweight champion, will face Anthony Sansonetti, the 2013 King of Catch Wrestling USA absolute division champion.

This match will be best two-out-of-three falls, with each fall having a 15-minute time limit, and take place in a ring.

Presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling, the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. At it, there will be an amateur tournament as well as this main event. In all these matches, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points or judges.

We spoke with Luis Ojeda by phone Monday.

With an extensive background in numerous grappling disciplines including freestyle and American folkstyle wrestling, judo, sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the Swiss folkstyle wrestling called Schwingen, Luis Ojeda was well-prepared when he finally started training and competing in catch wrestling.

"There was a match that I was supposed to do against an MMA fighter, and we were going to do a grappling match, but we couldn't decide on the rules," he recalled. "He was about 280 pounds, and I said, 'Hey, why don't we add pins? Let's add pins to this.' And he didn't really like that. He said, 'Ahh, I'm afraid you're going to pin me because I spend time on my back.'"

He continued, "That's when I was looking on the Internet and I was lucky to find Jake [Shannon] and Scientific Wrestling."

He was invited to train with them, and said, "I felt lucky, because I got to train with some of the best -- Dick Cardinal, and then later with the late Billy Robinson."

We thus discussed his accomplishments in this recently-revived sport, including winning the heavyweight championship in 2007 and 2012 at the King of Catch Wrestling USA tournaments.

We also discussed why he believes that watching catch wrestling is "more exciting than watching a UFC fight", why he actually finds Schwingen wrestling to be the "most challenging style", his continuing training in many styles of grappling, his coaching high school wrestling, the potential for catch wrestling to re-emerge as a major professional sport, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

The Liberty Bell Classic / King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling. In this tournament, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points. It all takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. For more information, go to KingOfCatchWrestling.com.

Scientific Wrestling, igniting a revolution in grappling based on the pursuit of traditional Catch-As-Catch-Can wrestling. Our people are legitimate Scientific Wrestling practitioners united around training, competition, innovation, grueling physical conditioning, camaraderie, and the sharing of reliable resources. For more information, go to ScientificWrestling.com.

Snake Pit U.S.A., whose primary mission is to breathe new life into real catch-as-catch-can wrestling and help lead the catch wrestling revolution for martial artists and those pursuing recreational training and fitness alike. For more information, go to SnakePitUSA.com.

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, a catch wrestling promotion that works with the highest level catch wrestlers from around the world with the goal of reviving the great sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance organizes catch wrestling sporting events, and its primary organizer is Dr. Raul Ramirez. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, BJJ, catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, folkstyle, freestyle, grappling, judo, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, No Holds Barred, sambo, Schwingen

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Anthony Sansonetti.

On Saturday, August 30, he will wrestling in the main event of the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This match will be for the American heavyweight catch wrestling championship.

In this match, Anthony Sansonetti, the 2013 King of Catch Wrestling USA absolute division champion, will face the two-time King of Catch Wrestling heavyweight champion, Luis Ojeda of San Diego, California. This match will be best two-out-of-three falls, with each fall having a 15-minute time limit.

Presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling, the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. At it, there will be an amateur tournament as well as this main event. In all these matches, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points or judges.

We spoke with Anthony Sansonetti by phone Friday.

The founder and head coach at Team Renegade NY, and the owner of Tiger Martial Arts in Levittown, New York, he noted, "I've been doing martial arts my whole life."

His preparation for competing in this newly-revived sport of catch wrestling is extensive.

"The grappling portion of it, my father, my uncle were into wrestling, and they taught me how to wrestle growing up. One of my great-uncles was a judo instructor. So we grew up in a wrestling family," he said.

"Later on I did more judo. I did some shoot wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and then sambo. I've been doing sambo for the last ten years or so. So I feel like I've done all of the major grappling styles."

He has already competed in catch wrestling events in the U.S. and Canada, and thus comes into this championship match with a relatively high degree of experience in catch wrestling.

We also discussed his preparation for what could be a lengthy match, how catch wrestling could become as or more popular than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how it is more exciting than Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the future of catch wrestling, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

The Liberty Bell Classic / King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling. In this tournament, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points. It all takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. For more information, go to KingOfCatchWrestling.com.

Scientific Wrestling, igniting a revolution in grappling based on the pursuit of traditional Catch-As-Catch-Can wrestling. Our people are legitimate Scientific Wrestling practitioners united around training, competition, innovation, grueling physical conditioning, camaraderie, and the sharing of reliable resources. For more information, go to ScientificWrestling.com.

Snake Pit U.S.A., whose primary mission is to breathe new life into real catch-as-catch-can wrestling and help lead the catch wrestling revolution for martial artists and those pursuing recreational training and fitness alike. For more information, go to SnakePitUSA.com.

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, a catch wrestling promotion that works with the highest level catch wrestlers from around the world with the goal of reviving the great sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance organizes catch wrestling sporting events, and its primary organizer is Dr. Raul Ramirez. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, No Holds Barred, sambo

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Dan Kanagie of the North American Catch Wrestling Association about the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

Presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling, this year's tournament takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. In it, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points or judges.

We spoke with Dan Kanagie by phone Wednesday.

"We're having the amateur tournament, and then we're having the superfight main event directly afterwards," he said.

The superfight "is going to be crowning the first American heavyweight champion in about 100 years."

This important match will pit the two-time King of Catch Wrestling heavyweight champion Luis Ojeda of San Diego, California, against the 2013 King of Catch Wrestling USA absolute division champion Anthony Sansonetti of Williston Park, New York.

We discussed how this championship bout may become a matchup of styles, the best-of-three falls format of the matches in this event, why catch wrestling rules are more open than the rules in other styles of wrestling and grappling, the current rise and rebirth of catch wrestling, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The Liberty Bell Classic / King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling. In this tournament, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points. It all takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. For more information, go to kingofcatchwrestling.com.

Snake Pit U.S.A., whose primary mission is to breathe new life into real catch-as-catch-can wrestling and help lead the catch wrestling revolution for martial artists and those pursuing recreational training and fitness alike. For more information, go to SnakePitUSA.com.

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, a catch wrestling promotion that works with the highest level catch wrestlers from around the world with the goal of reviving the great sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance organizes catch wrestling sporting events, and its primary organizer is Dr. Raul Ramirez. For more information, go to catchwrestlingalliance.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to http://takedownradio.com.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, Dan Kanagie, Eddie Goldman, King Catch Wrestling, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, No Holds Barred