NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance and host Eddie Goldman were interviewed by Scott Casber, the host of Takedown Wrestling Radio.

This discussion took place on Takedown Wrestling Radio and was recorded Monday.

The main topic of our discussion was the revival of catch wrestling and the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This event will be held Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

Our discussion also included consideration of what structure and models catch wrestling should and should not use as it develops and strives to have good, clean governance.

Here is the press release announcing the June 7 event:

CWA Holds First International Invitational Catch Wrestling Event, June 7, in Los Angeles

Witness the rebirth of the sport of Catch Wrestling

Los Angeles, February 5, 2014: On Saturday, June 7, the Catch Wrestling Alliance will be holding their first catch wrestling event, an international invitational entitled "Rebirth." It will take place in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the UCLA campus, 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095.

This event will be held under traditional catch wrestling rules, where you can win by submission or pin. There are no points, no politics, and no sandbagging. A team of American Catch Wrestlers will take on a team of international Catch Wrestlers in USA vs the World matches.

Catch wrestlers with extensive wrestling and grappling backgrounds from around the world, including Europe, North America, and Asia, are confirmed to compete. Men's and women's matches will be held.

"I am looking forward to showing the world high level catch wrestling," said Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance. "It is every catch wrestler’s dream to see catch wrestling in the spotlight again. We can achieve this goal if we work together."

Currently eight matches are planned for this event. Two women's matches and six men's matches are currently scheduled. No points will be scored, as matches are based on a win-lose format. All kinds of submissions are allowed, except groin attacks, fish hooking, spitting, biting, hair grabbing, intentional striking, and kicking. The winner of each match will win an award in honor of an important person in wrestling history.

Tickets will go on sale soon.

About CWA and Catch Wrestling:The CWA (Catch Wrestling Alliance) is an American organization that promotes and hosts international catch-as-catch-can wrestling events. The Catch Wrestling Alliance was started by Raul Ramirez in association with catch wrestling schools around the world with a goal of reinstating legitimate catch wrestling competition globally.

Catch wrestling is a classical, hybrid grappling type of wrestling developed in 1870. It was later popularized by carnival wrestlers who refined new submission holds and hooks to be more effective against opponents.

Web: http://www.catchwrestlingalliance.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/catchwrestlingalliance

Twitter: @CatchAlliance

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: Catch Wrestling Alliance, Eddie Goldman, International Invitational, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Rebirth, Scott Casber, Takedown Radio, UCLA

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our correspondent Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

The date and place are now set for their first event, the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. It will be held Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

This invitational event will feature catch wrestling, where you can only win by pin or submission.

Among the athletes who have so far been confirmed to compete in the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth, are:

Christopher Crossan of the U.K. He won a gold medal at the 2004 European BJJ tournament in Lisbon, gold at the 2005 Gracie European tournament, and was the Alan Woos and Ernie Riley Trophy Winner at the 2013 International Catch Tournament in Wigan, England.

Ian Jones of the U.K. He is a professional MMA fighter with 20 years of competitive martial arts experience. He holds a BJJ brown belt, is a three-time British Thai boxing champion, and has 13 years of grappling experience. He is also a catch wrestler and has wrestled out of the Snake Pit Wigan.

Luis Ojeda of the U.S. He is a Level 3 Scientific Wrestling Certified Catch Wrestler under Billy Robinson, a two-time King of Catch heavyweight champion, and has competed and trained in numerous disciplines including judo.

Jon Strickland of the U.S. A longtime catch wrestler, coach, and martial artist, he is now also building the Billy Wicks Foundation, named for the catch wrestling legend under whom he has trained.

Qin Yunquan of Singapore. She is a martial artist, catch wrestler, and freestyle wrestler, as well as an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore.

Many more athletes will be confirmed shortly.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Monday.

"Within the past few years, people have been really training hard in catch wrestling, all around the world. So this is basically going to be a big showcase for some of the people who have doing some higher level catch wrestling," he said.

"They're going to be coming from all around the world, straight here to the Wooden Center at UCLA. We're basically going to put on a really, really great show for people to see what higher level catch wrestling is."

We discussed the rules of this event, the difference between catch wrestling and other styles of grappling and wrestling, how catch wrestling was once a major and legitimate professional sport, how this event is open to all styles and all groups, and much more.

"We've got to get the politics out of it," he said. Otherwise, referencing what had happened to catch wrestling a century ago, it will become "extinct."

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: BJJ, Catch Wrestling Alliance, Eddie Goldman, grappling, International Invitational, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Rebirth, Snake Pit Wigan, submission, UCLA