NO HOLDS BARRED

by Eddie Goldman

Another day, another fiasco for boxing, UK Anti-Doping, and the New York State Athletic Commission.

On May 22, 2018, UKAD announced that, after a tribunal hearing of the National Anti-Doping Panel, American heavyweight fighter Eric Molina had received a two-year ban for taking Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid which is a banned substance. The positive test came from a urine sample collected right after Molina's fight with Anthony Joshua in Manchester in the U.K. But that fight was on December 10, 2016.

It thus took a year-and-a-half to adjudicate this case, not dissimilar to the length of time it took to adjudicate the cases of Tyson Fury and Hughie Fury.

Molina had been "provisionally suspended since 27 October 2017" according to UKAD, in other words, about ten months after his fight with Joshua. But then, even though he had been "provisionally suspended", Molina fought again on November 4, 2017, in Brooklyn, New York, against Dominic Breazeale, and was stopped at the end of the eighth round.

So why did the New York commission allow a fighter who had been "provisionally suspended" by UKAD to fight? Was there no communication between the bureaucrats of the New York and U.K. commissions? Did nobody bother to check, or did no one care? Or does the New York commission not recognize a provisional suspension from UKAD?

Because of the delay in this case, the start date of Molina's suspension was backdated to October 28, 2017, and runs through October 27, 2019. Molina had been scheduled to fight Mariusz Wach this Friday, May 25, in Warsaw, Poland, on a card that was scheduled to be televised there. That card was, according to BoxRec, sanctioned by the Polish Professional Boxing Department, which also was set to allow a boxer under provisional suspension to fight. Now that fight looks like it will not happen.

Last but not least, this is the same UK Anti-Doping which had been enlisted to bring RUSADA, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, back into compliance with the WADA code following the exposure of Russia's state-sponsored doping program. RUSADA still remains out of compliance.

While the case of Russia may be the most egregious example of current known attempts to thwart anti-doping protocols, the breakdown of anti-doping procedures extends far beyond their borders.

The full judgment of the tribunal which heard the Eric Molina case can be read at:
https://www.ukad.org.uk/anti-doping-rule-violations/download-decision/a/10421.

(Photo of Eric Molina from Matchroom Boxing.)

Labels: boxing, doping, Eddie Goldman, Eric Molina, No Holds Barred, UKAD

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.

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

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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.

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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

(Photograph of Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina by Bob Mayeri)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews this Saturday's Andre Ward-Paul Smith, Shawn Porter-Adrien Broner, and Errol Spence Jr.-Roberto Garcia fights, and reviews with our correspondent Bob Mayeri this past Saturday's Deontay Wilder-Eric Molina fight.

The 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward, with a spotless record of 27-0 and 14 KOs, and still holding a super middleweight title, will be returning to the ring after an absence of 19 months, due to injuries and legal battles. His opponent in what he refuses to call a tune-up fight is British fighter and TV commentator Paul Smith (35-5, 20 KOs), who is coming off two consecutive close losses to slugger Arthur Abraham. This fight will take place at a catch weight of 172 pounds.

The Andre Ward-Paul Smith fight headlines a Throne Boxing card, presented by Roc Nation Sports, this Saturday, June 20, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. It will be televised live in the U.S. on BET and streamed globally on Tidal.com at 10:00 PM ET/7:00 PM PT, as well as shown in the U.K. on Sky Sports.

Earlier the same day, former world champion Shawn Porter (25-1-1, 16 KOs) will face another former world champion, Adrien Broner (30-1, 22 KOs), in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions on NBC (PBC on NBC) card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fight, also at a catch weight, will be at a limit of 144 pounds. The co-feature will have unbeaten prospect Errol Spence Jr. (16-0, 13 KOs) facing veteran Roberto Garcia (37-3, 23 KOs) in a ten-round welterweight bout.

The PBC on NBC telecast, this Saturday, June 20, begins in the U.S. at 8:30 PM ET/5:30 PM PT, and will also be shown in the U.K. on Sky Sports.

We spoke with Andre Ward, Paul Smith, Shawn Porter, and Errol Spence Jr. on Monday's media conference calls.

In his comments, Andre Ward discussed what needs to happen for him to become a mega-star like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Paul Smith explained why he is inspired to do his best in this fight, even though the card is aimed at showcasing the return of Andre Ward.

Shawn Porter discussed what he has learned in his career and why he believes he will defeat Adrien Broner. Broner no-showed the conference call. Also, Errol Spence Jr. discussed why Roberto Garcia is the most experienced and one of the toughest fighters he will face. Garcia was unavailable for the conference call.

In addition, we spoke about the ninth-round knockout win by WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder (34-0, 33 KOs) over journeyman Eric Molina (23-3, 17 KOs) this past Saturday, June 13, in Birmingham, Alabama, with Bob Mayeri, who was covering and photographing that fight live in the Bartow Arena. We also discussed what might be next for Wilder, how he might fare against the top heavyweight Wladimir Klitschko, and what might be learned by those running the sport of wrestling from the promotion of this fight.

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:

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.

Labels: Andre Ward, BET, Bob Mayeri, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, Eric Molina, Errol Spence Jr., NBC, No Holds Barred, Paul Smith, PBC, Shawn Porter, Sky Sports

(Wilder Photo Credit: Bill Hoffman)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with heavyweight boxers Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina. Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs), who holds the WBC heavyweight belt, will face the huge underdog Molina (23-2, 17 KOs) in Birmingham, Alabama, headlining a card which will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime.

We spoke with Deontay Wilder and Eric Molina on a media conference call last Wednesday.

While Molina is given almost no chance of defeating Wilder and this fight has been criticized by many, we discuss why these types of fights are typical in boxing, where there is no central governing body. We also discuss the future of the heavyweight division, including the top champion Wladimir Klitschko, undefeated fighters like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, and what appear to be plans to develop Wilder into a major star. We also discuss the resurgence of interest in boxing this year, how several recent televised mismatches have nonetheless drawn good TV ratings in the U.S., why major premium TV networks are essentially acting as promoters, 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:

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.

Labels: boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, Eric Molina, heavyweights, No Holds Barred, Showtime