NO HOLDS BARRED

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

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Anthony Joshua, Wladimir Klitschko, Eddie Hearn, Kristal Hart, and Bob Carson at the January 31 press conference at Madison Square Garden for the April 29 fight between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko.

The 27-year-old Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs), who holds the IBF heavyweight belt, will face the veteran former champion Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs), who will be 41 at the time of the fight, at the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium in London. This fight, which is also for a WBA title, will be shown live in the U.K. on Sky Sports Box Office and in Germany on RTL, with record viewership likely on each. As of now, both Showtime and HBO are vying for the U.S. TV rights.

As part of a world tour to promote this fight, both Joshua and Klitschko held this New York press conference January 31, along with Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, and Bernd Boente of KMG Management Group. The press conference was hosted by announcer Adam Smith of Sky Sports.

Some photos from the press conference can be seen here.

In addition to speaking with Joshua, Klitschko, and Hearn, we spoke with two media members who were covering this press conference. First was Kristal Hart of "The Kristal Hart Show" on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Next was Bob Carson of "Carson's Corner" on BlogTalkRadio. Besides the fight itself and its boxing context, we discussed why this is the biggest fight in the world this year, and if Anthony Joshua can become the next Muhammad Ali.

(Photo of Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua, Wladimir Klitschko, and Bernd Boente by Ed Mulholland, Matchroom Boxing, K2 Promotions, KMG Management Group.)

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:

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.

USA Combat Wrestling, the official U.S. governing body for combat wrestling and U.S. delegate of the International Combat Wrestling Federation (FICW), which was founded by the legendary wrestler Noriaki Kiguchi of Japan. For more information, go to CombatWrestling.us.

Labels: Anthony Joshua, Bob Carson, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Eddie Hearn, Kristal Hart, Muhammad Ali, No Holds Barred, Wladimir Klitschko

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

This is another in a series of discussions celebrating the tenth anniversary of this No Holds Barred podcast, which began in March 2006. These interviews will focus both on the legacy and issues raised over the years on this show, as well as contemporary issues and the future of the combat sports and martial arts.

We spoke with him by phone Wednesday.

While we both have been covering mixed martial arts for a long time, the direction it has gone in is not what we expected when we first started. MMA is closer to pro "wrestling" than anything else, with the exception that its fights are usually real.

"I cover it for a love of the athlete, a love of the fighter," he said. "But the sport has really dissolved into a spectacle."

On top of that, there is heightened awareness of the dangers of head trauma and brain injuries in MMA, as striking is given precedence over grappling by promoters and networks. As a result, the future of MMA is far from secure.

"You can sort of liken it to smoking in America. Now it's almost become socially unacceptable to smoke," he said, with MMA in danger of declining in a similar fashion.

We discussed numerous issues facing MMA and other sports, including how the so-called MMA "media" covers it; comparisons of the structure of MMA and boxing and their treatment of fighters; the absurd talk of a boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor; how world sport is in crisis, including the mounting Olympic corruption and doping scandals; how MMA fans should ask what they are watching and why; the lack of art in today's MMA; what a possible sale of UFC might or might not mean; the role of grappling and wrestling events of various styles; 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 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 free to listen to and is sponsored by:

The Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament. On Sunday, July 3, 2016, catch wrestlers from all around the world will compete in Humboldt, Iowa, the hometown of the legendary world champion wrestler Frank Gotch. Organized by the Catch Wrestling Alliance and co-sponsored by IAWrestle, the Frank Gotch Statue Committee, and the Frank Gotch Kids Wrestling Club, the event will take place at Humboldt High School. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.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.

BJJ Eastern Europe, for the latest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu news, articles, interviews, competition calendar, European belt rankings, academy directory, and more. For more information, go to BJJEE.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Bob Carson, boxing, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, spectacle, UFC

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

We spoke with him by phone Sunday.

This past Friday, February 19, Bellator MMA not only put on a show featuring some of the worst fights in the history of the world, but also at least one fight which almost ended up in the death on live TV of one of the participants.

In the co-main event at Bellator 149 in Houston, Texas, street fighters Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Dhafir "Dada 5000" Harris both gassed out early in their fight. Somehow these two, who both lacked professional technique and conditioning, made it into the third round, where basically Harris collapsed to the mat while Ferguson could barely stand up by himself. There was no knockout blow or submission, but only an ending because Harris was a bit more exhausted than the exhausted Ferguson.

After the fight, Harris was carried out of the cage on a stretcher, and hospitalized. Several news reports said that he had suffered kidney failure and that his heart had stopped beating. He was revived by medical personnel, but almost had died from this horrid fight. Reports also indicated that Harris had a major and fast weight cut to get down to the 265-pound heavyweight limit. Harris is reportedly recovering.

Both Ferguson and Harris are African-American, and it was not lost on everyone that this freakshow spectacle involved two Black fighters fulfilling the stereotypical role of lumpen thugs.

"It's marketed in a way to really depict African-Americans in a certain light," said Bob Carson. "And Kimbo, if you look at, if you had a checklist for a menacing, what would be considered an enemy, what would be considered a menace to society from the standpoint of the white bourgeois community, it would be Kimbo Slice. And the fact that they're showing him fighting these people in street fights, and his demeanor, and him and Dada going back and forth, it really, really had a racial aspect to it."

The other main event was just a shade less shady. While it featured two MMA legends, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, both are almost two decades past their primes. This was billed as their third fight, but their first two took place in 1993 and 1995. Gracie is now 49 years old and had not fought since 2007. Shamrock is now 52 years old, fighting once in 2015 (a knockout loss to Kimbo Slice) and then not since 2010.

This fight was over in the first round, when Shamrock went down from an unintentional knee to the groin by Gracie, which the referee did not see. The fight was stopped and Gracie awarded a TKO victory. It was another disgrace all around, and, along with the previous fight, has led some people to vow never to watch Bellator again.

This double disaster in Houston and the reaction it received are in some ways reminiscent of what happened in another fight in the same city of Houston, and the repercussions boxing faced from it: the November 26, 1982, brutal mismatch between WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, then 40-0, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. As this completely one-sided beatdown continued and the referee did not stop it, Howard Cosell, calling the fight on ABC, said on the live telecast in the 14th round: "I wonder if that referee understands that he is constructing an advertisement for the abolition of the very sport that he's a part of?"

We discussed why this "complete spectacle" was "terrible all the way around," the potential repercussions of this show, why aging fighters like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock need to fight (follow the money, or lack thereof), what this says about the future of MMA, why young people deciding to fight in MMA would be an "irrational act," and much, much more.

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

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 free to listen to and is sponsored by:

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.

BJJ Eastern Europe, for the latest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu news, articles, interviews, competition calendar, European belt rankings, academy directory, and more. For more information, go to BJJEE.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Bellator, Bob Carson, Dada 5000, disaster, Eddie Goldman, Ken Shamrock, Kimbo Slice, No Holds Barred, Royce Gracie MMA

(Photo of Manny Yarbrough courtesy of Beatrice Davis of Sassy B Worldwide Productions.)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

Our topic was the life and legacy of the sumo wrestler and martial artist Manny Yarbrough, who passed away at age 51 a few days ago.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise funds to transport his body from Virginia, where he lived, to New Jersey, where his mother lives, and to assist his family. The page is here.

We spoke with Bob Carson by Skype Wednesday.

Much of what has been written about Manny Yarbrough has come from people who didn't know him or, worse, care about him, and included numerous factual inaccuracies. The people who did know him know that he was not only a giant of a man in stature and size, standing six-foot, eight-inches tall and often weighing over 600 pounds, but he was also a giant of a person, multi-talented, caring, thoughtful.

We discussed how he was a product of the historically Black college Morgan State in Baltimore, where he played football and wrestled, becoming an All-American in both sports, and how his size and talent led him to a career as an athlete. But it also prevented him from being accepted as an athlete and not just a huge guy, and had him kicked out of wrestling because weight limits were put into international and college wrestling during his career.

Manny became an amateur sumo world champion in 1995, but outside of the closely-guarded and often controversial pro sumo in Japan, no one was able to create a successful pro sumo circuit anywhere else, and he was thus unable to capitalize much on his talent in that sport. He fought a few times in MMA, including his famous or infamous loss in 1994 in UFC 3 to Keith Hackney. He got some small parts as an actor, where he showed his talents, but was there mainly because of his size and appearance, and was again stereotyped as just a huge Black guy.

Yet when news of his passing spread online, there was an outpouring of love, grief, and sympathy from many different types of people whom he had touched, including many who had known him at different stages of his life and didn't know each other.

"Manny Yarbrough's legacy and what he's done for wrestling, sumo wrestling, and for anyone out there that potentially is unusual, should be something that is commended and should be something that is appreciated for a long time to come," said Bob Carson.

"We can all become better people, I think, by really looking at Manny and how he acted and how he really conducted himself."

We also discussed much more about Manny's athletic career, how he seemed never to get his due from the sports organizations with which he worked, the issues related to what has been cited as his "food addiction", why it is another disgrace on our social system that funds have to be raised for such a talented athlete and individual as he was, how the lessons of his life must include the necessity for athletes to organize for the mutual aid and benefit of themselves and other athletes, and much more.

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

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, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free 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 free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.
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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 DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, Emanuel, Manny Yarbrough, MMA, No Holds Barred, sumo, Tiny, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

To mark the ninth anniversary of the No Holds Barred podcast this week, we did not have cake or drink beer, but had a lengthy and wide-ranging discussion on the state of MMA and the combat sports in general.

We spoke with Bob Carson by Skype Wednesday.

Speaking of the state of MMA today, he minced no words.

"What you have is basically a spectacle that I don't think is on a solid foundation anymore," he said.

"I think that this is a sport now unfortunately that is one scandal away, one mishap away from extinction."

We discussed these myriad scandals plaguing MMA and whether or not it could survive in the long-term. We also discussed the lessons and implications of these scandals for re-emerging sports like catch wrestling and combat wrestling, the pathetic role played by virtually all of those who masquerade as the MMA "media", the current revival of boxing, 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 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 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: Bob Carson, boxing, Carson's Corner, catch, combat, Eddie Goldman, grappling, media, MMA, No Holds Barred, sports, wrestling

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

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Team Lloyd Irvin grappler and fighter DJ "The Kimura Kid" Jackson, and radio host and MMA journalist Bob Carson of Carson's Corner.

We were all at the ADCC New York Nationals 2014, which took place Sunday, April 6, in the Fitzgerald Gymnasium at Queens College in Flushing, New York. We spoke with both DJ Jackson and Bob Carson at this event.

It was a big day for DJ Jackson, as he went 5-0 on the day in this grappling competition, including getting two wins by submission. In doing so, he captured both the superfight and the gold medal in the absolute division. He defeated Garry Tonon of Brunswick BJJ in the superfight by a score of 2 to -1. It turned out that both DJ Jackson and Garry Tonon advanced to the absolute finals, setting up a rematch of the day's earlier action. DJ Jackson won again, but this match was closer, with him edging out Garry Tonon by a score of 0 to -1.

"It went as I expected, because Garry's a tough competitor," DJ Jackson said right after his superfight victory. "The goal is always to get a submission, but getting a submission on a top-level competitor is always hard."

Right after his win in the absolute finals, he said, "Garry played it a lot smarter. After points [started, after five minutes], he never came up again, so there was never an opportunity for me to get a takedown for two points. That was real smart."

We also discussed what he learned from these matches and has to work on, his plans for fighting in amateur MMA and eventually professional MMA, and more.

Bob Carson left this event with an excellent impression.

"I was really, really impressed," he said shortly after leaving the gymnasium. "I was impressed with the level of grappling that we saw." He also noted that the ADCC rules made for a top-notch tournament.

"I was really impressed with the camaraderie among competitors. Very, very good sportsmanship," he added. "The individuals running this event made sure we could see all the action."

He did also emphasize, "The big take home story is, of course, DJ Jackson." And we discussed more about the ADCC New York Nationals 2014, grappling and MMA, and much more.

There is a photo gallery from this event on the ADCC News 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:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: ADCC, BJJ, Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, DJ Jackson, Eddie Goldman, grappling, jiu-jitsu, Kimura Kid, New York Nationals, No Holds Barred, no-gi, wrestling

Labels: Bob Carson, Eddie Goldman, Fedor, MMA, No Holds Barred, Werdum

(Photo: Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman had a late night discussion with two of our correspondents, Keisha Morrisey and Bob Carson, about the fight festivities from Saturday night, May 15. Right after these shows concluded, we spoke about the Strikeforce card from St. Louis shown on Showtime, the HBO boxing card from New York headlined by the Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi fight, and the cancellation of the Shine Fights mixed martial arts card which was supposed to feature former champion boxer Ricardo Mayorga against mixed martial arts veteran Din Thomas.

Who is chiefly to blame for the cancellation of the Shine Fights card following an injunction granted to Don King against this card because of a claim that his company has exclusive rights to promote the fights of Mayorga? Which card was better between the Strikeforce-Showtime card and the HBO boxing card? Will Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem, who stopped Brett Rogers in the first round of their fight Saturday, ever fight top heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko? Should fighters in mixed martial arts and boxing insist on drug testing based on the protocols of the World Anti-Doping Agency? What do we think of the various athletic commissions, which use different tests if any at all? Are fighters with steroid-laden bodies effective or even sexy? What is next for Strikeforce? How impressive was Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu great Roger Gracie, who submitted Kevin Randleman in the second round of their fight with a rear naked choke, in his Strikeforce and American debut? Why is the promotion of boxing to the public so awful?

These and other key questions are answered in our discussion, which is almost like hanging out after the fights and chatting with our trio of combat sports aficionados.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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/.

Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Bob Carson, Eddie Goldman, Keisha Morrisey, No Holds Barred, Strikeforce

Labels: Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, Malaak Shabazz, Malcolm X

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of Carson's Corner. We preview the Strikeforce: Miami mixed martial arts card, which takes place this Saturday, January 30, at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, near Miami. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime.

In our lengthy discussion, we break down the strengths and weaknesses of the main fighters on this card, which features two title fights.

The main event has Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Nick Diaz facing the Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis for the Strikeforce welterweight title. The Strikeforce women's 145-pound champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos of the legendary Chute Boxe team from Curitiba, Brazil, defends her belt against the versatile Marloes Coenen of Deventer, Holland.

Also on the televised card, Robbie Lawler returns to Strikeforce against Melvin Manhoef (24-6-1) in a middleweight fight which is expected to be a slugfest. Former NAIA college wrestling champion Bobby Lashley makes his Strikeforce debut against veteran Wes Sims. And in a controversial bout, 47-year-old former football star Herschel Walker makes his MMA debut against Greg Nagy of Phoenix, Arizona.

Also on the card, former IFL welterweight champion Jay Hieron takes on veteran Joe Riggs. That fight will be streamed live and for free on the EA Sports MMA web site at http://www.easportsmma.com.

As usual, we hold nothing back in analyzing what to expect on this overall worthwhile card, which we do recommend people view. We highlight the expected good and the bad of this card, including the potential perils of the fighting debut of the 47-year-old Walker. We also discuss the pros and cons of the build-up for this card, including a weak use of the Internet and social networking by Strikeforce and Showtime. And we also comment upon the business state of mixed martial arts, as well as the preposterous and largely unchallenged claim by UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar that he was recently cured of an illness by a "miracle".

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Bob Carson, Eddie Goldman, Herschel Walker, No Holds Barred, Strikeforce

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of Carson's Corner.

Our subject is grappling, a sport which is growing phenomenally. But with all the great grappling events around the world, can this sport ever become a mass, spectator sport? That is what we discuss, right here on No Holds Barred.

If you would like to support No Holds Barred financially, you can send a gift through our PayPal account. Just click the "DONATE" button on the No Holds Barred pages at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com or http://nhbnews.podomatic.com. Any size gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Bob Carson, Eddie Goldman, grappling, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman focuses on the need for fighters in sports like boxing and mixed martial arts to unite and struggle together to protect and expand their rights.

We open discussing story about a lawsuit filed by the sports licensing group Fighters Inc., alleging that Electronic Arts (EA) used the names and likenesses of various professional boxers in a video game in violation of a group licensing program which Fighters Inc. claims to have established. We then go on to discuss how various attempts to organize boxers in a union over the past decade have failed, and how the media covering combat sports has generally reflected the views of the promoters and not the fighters.

We next go on to hear an important excerpt of a discussion we had with Stewart Acuff, AFL-CIO Director of Organizing, and Bob Carson. We spoke about the need to organize fighters in sports like boxing and mixed martial arts, and what role the AFL-CIO might play in that. You can also hear the entire interview, which focused on the current direction and tasks of the labor movement in America, on the Carson's Corner political show.

Next, we continued our series of media appearances as a guest Sunday on The Boxing Truth Radio. We ripped HBO for how it presented the issue of fighter Juan Manuel Marquez drinking his own urine on their Mayweather-Marquez 24/7 infomercial, lambasted the obsolete pay-per-view business model, and more. You can also hear the entire September 6 edition of The Boxing Truth Radio here.

Last but not least, we discuss the mismanagement of televised boxing cards this past weekend and next, as the networks and promoters stubbornly persist in business models which provide the least exposure and income for most fighters, while lining the pockets of the shrinking group of executives at networks which still telecast boxing. We discuss the replay of the Roy Jones Jr.-Jeff Lacy fight and the bout between 19-year-old phenom Marvin Sonsona and Jose Lopez last weekend, as well as the glut of premium and pay-per-view fights all scheduled for the same time this coming Saturday, September 12.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

You can also order tickets for the 2009 ADCC World Championship, which will be held September 26-27 in Barcelona, Spain, through Ticketmaster.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

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/.

MMA WORLD EXPO, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA WORLD EXPO takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: AFL-CIO, Bob Carson, boxing, Boxing Truth Radio, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, HBO, Juan Manuel Marquez, Labor Day, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Stewart Acuff, UFC, urine drinking

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the August 15 Strikeforce mixed martial arts card in separate interviews with Strikeforce founder and CEO Scott Coker, and with our colleague and correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

In the main event of a thrilling card, and the most important fight in the history of women's mixed martial arts, Cris "Cyborg" Santos scored a brutal TKO over Gina Carano at 4:59 of the first round before a packed, enthusiastic crowd of 13,524 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and shown in the U.S. on Showtime. Cyborg thus won the new Strikeforce women's 145-pound belt. Also on that card, Gegard Mousasi, in his U.S. debut, won his 13th consecutive fight and the Strikeforce light heavyweight title by destroying defending champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral at just 1:00 of the first round by a TKO.

We discussed with Scott Coker what at this early stage we can expect the next moves of Strikeforce to be with their star fighters, including Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gegard Mousasi, and the top heavyweight and pound-for-pound mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko.

We next analyzed with Bob Carson the fights on this card, and explained why Strikeforce does such a good job as a mixed martial arts promotion. We also criticized the coverage of the August 15 Strikeforce card by much of the so-called mixed martial arts "media", which approached it largely like it was a version of the fake pro "wrestling" or some type of beauty pageant involving female fighters Cris "Cyborg" Santos and Gina Carano. And we emphasized that despite more limited resources than some others, Strikeforce now has the top men's mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko, the top women's mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Cris "Cyborg" Santos, and the top rising star mixed martial arts fighter in the world, Gegard Mousasi.

Both these interviews are candid and direct, and you do not want to miss them.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Cris Cyborg Santos, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, Gegard Mousasi, Gina Carano, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Scott Coker, Strikeforce, women fighters

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Bob Carson. Bob is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

In a lengthy discussion, we focus on the cancellation of the August 1 Affliction mixed martial arts pay-per-view, the subsequent collapse of the Affliction mixed martial arts promotion, the renewal of an Affliction Clothing-UFC deal, and the implications of these developments. As usual, we stand up for the rights of the fighters, and take a highly critical view of the machinations of these promotions and the direction they have taken mixed martial arts in America.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

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/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Affliction, Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Tom Atencio, UFC

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Bob Carson, who is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

Bob had the misfortune of having viewed the latest Zuffa spectacle, UFC 100, this past Saturday night, July 11. The atmosphere and the direct imitation of the fake pro "wrestling" left him and many others, as he put it, "outraged." He requested to be come on No Holds Barred to explain just why, and we were more than willing to oblige him.

So sit back and listen to UFC 100 be deconstructed, to hear how and why the Zuffa owners are treating their fans like marks, and to learn why we advise people not to watch or report about their events anymore.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

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/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Art of War, Bellator, Bob Carson, boxing, Brock Lesnar, Carson's Corner, Dream, Eddie Goldman, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pride, roller derby, Sengoku, Strikeforce, UFC, UFC 100, Zuffa

Labels: Bob Carson, Bronc, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, Iran, Iran Election, Neda, rebellion, revolution, Rider University, WRRC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our newest correspondent, Bob Carson, about the present state of mixed martial arts. Bob is also the host of the Carson's Corner podcast.

We had an animated and lengthy discussion about the degeneration of mixed martial arts in the era of Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC. We discussed the recent controversy stemming from the Anderson Silva- Thales Leites fight at UFC 97, which many fans booed. We explained how the Zuffa bosses prefer their fights to be brawls, and how this is related to the overall decline of technique in UFC, as well as its positioning by Zuffa as a vulgar spectacle similar to the fake pro "wrestling" but with real fights. We confirmed the importance of supporting the efforts of the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, and also opposing and exposing those Zuffa shills and wannabe shills in what laughingly calls itself the mixed martial arts media. We discussed the prospects for several other mixed martial arts promotions around the world, and why fans of combat sports should watch the many great fights taking place in the king of combat sports, boxing. You will not want to miss this discussion.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Fair Deal for Atlantic City Dealers, a campaign organized by an alliance of casino workers and unions in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to fight for justice in the gaming industry and achieve a fair deal for all casino workers.

Labels: Anderson Silva, Bob Carson, boxing, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our Internet radio and podcasting colleague, Bob Carson, host of Carson's Corner.

In a lengthy conversation, we offer a highly critical analysis of the latest UFC show and UFC in general, and why and how this company, under its current ownership, is presenting a version of mixed martial arts which is a disgusting and vulgar product modeled after the fake pro "wrestling". We discuss the state of mixed martial arts and the major promotional companies in America and the world, and go after the many UFC shills in the media. We also comment on how the boxing industry has completely blown an opportunity to attract younger fans who are now watching MMA. We discuss other events and sports which are emerging, such as roller derby and XARM, which tries to combine arm wrestling with kickboxing and jiu-jitsu. And, as expected, we hold nothing back.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here or here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by musician Ian Carpenter.

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

Gladiator Magazine, for in-depth coverage of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, submission grappling, and MMA, as well as lifestyle articles on surfing, cars, movies, and more. Gladiator Magazine is available at any major bookstore and online at BJJMart.com or Jiu Jitsu Pro Gear.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Wrestling 411, providing coverage of the sport of wrestling on TV, the Internet, and radio. Wrestling 411 is produced by Media Sports Productions, whose sole mission is the marketing and promotion of the sport of wrestling.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

Labels: Affliction, arm wrestling, Bob Carson, Carson's Corner, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, IFL, jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, podcasting, Podomatic, Strikeforce, UFC, wrestling, XARM