NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman.

It is now 100 years since the passing of Frank Gotch of Humboldt, Iowa, who was the professional wrestling heavyweight champion of the world from 1908 to 1913, at a time when pro wrestling was largely a real sport. His style was known as catch-as-catch-can wrestling, or simply catch wrestling, where matches were won by pin or submission. But along with his death, real professional wrestling died soon after.

We spoke with Mike Chapman by phone Tuesday.

"He died December 16, 1917, just a few weeks shy of his fortieth birthday, so he was 39 years old," he said. "And it marked a monumental turning point, I think, in Iowa history and in wrestling, because Frank Gotch was gone. In his place came Joe Stecher and Earl Caddock and Ed 'Strangler' Lewis and people like that. And the sport changed.

"I maintain it was largely a true athletic contest in his era. Not 100 percent, there were some worked matches. But I maintain Frank didn't work matches, and I can spend an hour explaining why I firmly believe that.

"But after he passed away, the regional territories developed and wrestling just went a completely different direction. So his passing, December 16, 1917, marked a huge changing in wrestling in America."

We discussed why Gotch's death was a "seminal moment in wrestling history"; why Gotch was "the father of wrestling in America"; the circumstances of his death and the context of what was the average life expectancy in his era; modern attempts at rebuilding catch wrestling; his latest book entitled "A Journey: Reflections on 50 Years of Writing, Wrestling, Weightlifting and Heroes"; why Mike's first sporting love was baseball; and much more.

(Photo of Mike Chapman wearing Frank Gotch's favorite derby hat by Brad Wilder.)

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

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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

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

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

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

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

Labels: catch, catch-as-catch-can, centenary, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Iowa, Mike Chapman, No Holds Barred, pro, wrestling

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

Our main topic was the update to the format of the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This event, which had its inaugural edition last year, has emerged as the biggest and most important tournament in the world in catch wrestling.

This year's edition will take place Saturday, July 15, at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa. Humboldt is the hometown of the legendary wrestler Frank Gotch, who was world heavyweight champion in the early 1900s when professional wrestling was still a real sport.

Unlike last year's event, this year there will be one open-weight bracket for all male wrestlers. This will also be a double-elimination tournament.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Thursday.

"We were getting a lot of interest from heavier weights," he said. "So, since last year we had four-man divisions, and because of the demand for the heavier weights, so then we just opened it up. So we want to try to let more people in, and since we're also getting most of the champions back from last year, they're all really tough guys, so we figured even a lighter weight champion would be willing to go up against a larger man.

"So we're turning the format into a double-elimination, weightless division. It's like an absolute division. So we're going to have a champion of all the different -- regardless of weight."

As of now, 13 wrestlers have signed up to compete, and have been divided up into two groups. The top bracket has six wrestlers while the bottom bracket has seven wrestlers.

The top bracket has two opening round matches, with the winners each facing opponents who have been given byes to the next round. The first opening round match is Ned Morales vs. Jake Lahniers. The winner will take on last year's champion and a favorite to win this year, Travis Wiuff. The second opening round match will have James Bunn vs. Nicholas "The Giant" Caggia, with the winner facing Chris Morales.

The lower bracket has three opening round matches. Wil Bunn will face Mark Benge in one, while Curran Jacobs, another of this year's favorites, will face Joshua Hightower, with the winners of these two opening round matches wrestling each other next. The third opening round match will have Sean Duckworth vs. Kody Konicki, with the winner facing Anthony Pacheck.

We discussed who these wrestlers are and the matchups, more on the format of this tournament, plans for regional qualifying tournaments, plans for more seminars and educational work about catch wrestling, the worldwide growth of interest in catch wrestling in many places including Asia and Europe, plans to livestream this event on YouTube, and much, 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 through iTunes.

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

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

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament. On Saturday, July 15, 2017, 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 (CWA) and co-sponsored by City of Humboldt Chamber of Commerce, Sprout Living (official protein powder of the CWA), and Ultima Replenisher (official electrolyte drink of the CWA), the event will take place at Humboldt High School. 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.

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: catch wrestling, double elimination bracket, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, tournament

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the captain of the 2011 Michigan State University wrestling team and current catch wrestler, Curran Jacobs.

His next competition will be at the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament.

He will be wrestling in the men's 199-pound division and, if he wins that, also in the absolute division.

This event, which had its inaugural edition last year, has emerged as the biggest and most important tournament in the world in catch wrestling.

This year's edition will take place Saturday, July 15, at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa. Humboldt is the hometown of the legendary wrestler Frank Gotch, who was world heavyweight champion in the early 1900s when professional wrestling was still a real sport.

We spoke with Curran Jacobs by phone Monday.

Catch wrestling, where you win by pin or submission, is an art making a comeback. It can appeal to wrestlers and grapplers from every style, discipline, and ruleset.

"I encourage everybody to learn all aspects of grappling, whether it's catch, whether it's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, judo. It doesn't matter. If you want to be a well-rounded grappler, I encourage everyone to learn it all," said Curran Jacobs.

"However, catch wrestling has a specific ruleset. So for all these Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu guys complaining about the rulesets, the pinning rule, listen, if you don't like it, you don't have to compete in catch wrestling. There are BJJ tournaments out there."

But the potential of catch wrestling has largely been squandered since professional catch wrestling turned completely fake almost a century ago.

"Catch wrestling has the potential to be THE most exciting style of wrestling in the world," he said.

"It's important to me, it's important to everyone involved with the Catch Wrestling Alliance that we bring it back, and we create an NFL for collegiate, high school wrestlers alike, after they graduate, who don't have Olympic aspirations or who don't want to go through with the MMA scene.

"I think catch wrestling is the best outlet for wrestlers."

We also discussed his match at last year's Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament where he defeated Travis Newaza, the role of both pins and submissions in this style of wrestling, why top-level college wrestlers are better suited for catch than MMA, how the best catch wrestlers in the U.S. will be in this tournament, Jon Strickland's online catch wrestling program, plans for the Catch Wrestling Alliance to hold regional tournaments, the need for drug testing in catch wrestling, keeping greed and the antics seen in other combat sports out of catch, the drama and art of catch wrestling, and much, 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 through iTunes.

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

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

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament. On Saturday, July 15, 2017, 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 (CWA) and co-sponsored by City of Humboldt Chamber of Commerce, Sprout Living (official protein powder of the CWA), and Ultima Replenisher (official electrolyte drink of the CWA), the event will take place at Humboldt High School. 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.

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: catch wrestling, Curran Jacobs, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Iowa, No Holds Barred, tournament

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

Our main topic was the 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This event, which had its inaugural edition last year, has emerged as the biggest and most important tournament in the world in catch wrestling.

This year's edition will take place Saturday, July 15, at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa. Humboldt is the hometown of the legendary wrestler Frank Gotch, who was world heavyweight champion in the early 1900s when professional wrestling was still a real sport.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Wednesday.

This event will feature "authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling, like the way it was done in the 1800s and early 1900s. You can go back and see the old rulebooks," he said. "Basically there are no points, and you can win by pin or submission."

Competition is planned for five men's weight classes and a women's division whose format will be determined depending on how many women sign up for the event.

In addition, this year there will be an absolute division open to the winners in each men's weight class. The winner of the absolute division will take home a $500 cash prize.

Matches will be one fall each with a 20-minute time limit. If time expires before there is a pin or submission, to keep the tournaments going, a winner will be chosen by officials based on who was the most dominant wrestler.

Among the wrestlers so far slated to compete are Curran Jacobs, Travis Wiuff, Christopher Morales, Nicholas "The Giant" Caggia, and Qin Yunquan.

We discussed the development of this event, the differences and similarities between catch wrestling and other styles like American folkstyle and freestyle, plans to live stream and record the video of this event, how more schools and wrestlers are training in catch wrestling than previously, the need to revive real professional wrestling with catch rules, his teaching catch wrestling to many grapplers and wrestlers in Singapore, the involvement of many members of the wrestling community in Iowa in this event, the need for drug testing in catch wrestling, 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 through iTunes.

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

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

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The 2017 Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament. On Saturday, July 15, 2017, 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 (CWA) and co-sponsored by City of Humboldt Chamber of Commerce, Sprout Living (official protein powder of the CWA), and Ultima Replenisher (official electrolyte drink of the CWA), the event will take place at Humboldt High School. 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.

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: catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, tournament

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the captain of the 2011 Michigan State University wrestling team and current catch wrestler, Curran Jacobs.

He will next be competing in what is shaping up to be an historic event in the 21st century revival of catch wrestling: The Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This event will take place Sunday, July 3, at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa, the hometown of the legendary world champion wrestler Frank Gotch.

We spoke with Curran Jacobs by phone Wednesday.

"This is going to be outrageous," he said. "I just spoke with Mike Chapman [the wrestling historian and author who inspired this event], and he said that in Iowa it's just blowing up. There are flyers everywhere."

When Curran Jacobs booked his hotel for this event by phone, the woman with whom he spoke "freaked out and treated me like I was LeBron James," saying that her whole family was going to go to it.

"There are a lot of people excited about this event. It's going to be pretty huge. And there are some serious competitors that are showing up to compete in it, so it's going to be quite the day."

He will be competing in the 180-200 lbs. weight class. On the other side of the four-man bracket will be Travis Newaza, who won the heavyweight division of the West Coast King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, has competed in numerous tournaments in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling, and trains with Josh Barnett and Erik Paulson. If both Travis Newaza and Curran Jacobs advance to the finals, they will finally meet in a highly-anticipated match, and we discussed how they match up.

One of the issues which has been discussed at length in catch wrestling circles is the need for unity among the various organizations.

While he works with the Catch Wrestling Alliance, which is the main organizer of the Frank Gotch Catch Wrestling Tournament, he had a clear message to the entire catch wrestling community:

"To every catch wrestling organization out there, I think it's important that we start supporting each other and that we unify under one banner and that we agree to team up. We're very small in the grappling world right now. If we want to grow and succeed, then we're going to have to team up."

We also discussed his training with two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion Gabe Dean, the need to bring more college wrestlers into catch wrestling, how wrestling is like a "sledgehammer" while BJJ is like "water", 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: catch wrestling, Curran Jacobs, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Iowa, No Holds Barred, tournament

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

Our topic was what is shaping up to be an historic event in the 21st century revival of catch wrestling: The Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This event will take place Sunday, July 3, at Humboldt High School in Humboldt, Iowa, the hometown of the legendary world champion wrestler Frank Gotch.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Monday.

The tournament will include five weight classes for men with four contestants per weight class, and one open-weight division for women.

"We're definitely gong to have two wrestling mats going at once," said Raul Ramirez, since the "goal is to have everything done in one day."

He added, "Each division will be run as a tournament of its own."

Every match has a 20-minute time limit. Victory in each match comes with a three-second pin or submission. While there are no points, if there is no pin or submission before the time expires, a winner will be chosen based on factors such as aggression and control.

Among the contestants signed up to date are:

Curran Jacobs, captain of the 2011 Michigan State University wrestling team, who has won two previous catch tournaments and was given the Frank Gotch Award as the outstanding competitor in the 2014 catch tournament in Los Angeles. He also scored a 29-second knockout in a recent MMA fight.

Nick Caggia, called by some "Nick the Giant", who is a 300-plus pounder with numerous titles in many combat sports and martial arts. At the 2014 Catch Wrestling World Championship, which took place at the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, he won the overall championship belt after defeating four opponents without surrendering a fall.

Travis Newaza, who won the heavyweight division of the West Coast King of Catch Wrestling Tournament held in San Diego and was named the outstanding competitor, winning all his matches by submissions. Besides competing in numerous tournaments in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling, Newaza trains in catch wrestling with former UFC champion Josh Barnett.

Adam DeHart of North Carolina, who has an overall (amateur and pro) record of 17-10 in MMA. He is a student of the late catch wrestling legend Billy Wicks, whose lineage goes back to Farmer Burns and Tom Connors.

Travis Wiuff of Rochester, Minnesota, with an overall record of 73-20 in MMA. He was also an All-American wrestler at Minnesota State University-Mankato (2001) and RCTC - Rochester Community and Technical College (1998 and 1999).

Bruce Wilson of Waterloo, Iowa, a former state wrestling champion from Dan Gable's high school. He is also a black belt in karate and a very respected tough guy who knows a lot of hooking moves.

Ned and Christopher Morales, a father-and-son catch wrestling duo who train at Catch Wrestling Los Angeles under Raul Ramirez.

Also competing in the women's open division:

MMA fighter and pro wrestler Shayna Baszler, who trained under the late Billy Robinson and currently under Josh Barnett, and is part of MMA's "Four Horsewomen".

Laura Anderson, who is a world and U.S. grappling champion.

Two-time NCAA All-American gymnast and catch wrestler Wendy Minch, who also trained under the late catch wrestling legend Billy Wicks.

Among the many other topics we also discussed was the July 2 catch wrestling seminar with Roy Wood, the coach and owner of the legendary Snake Pit wrestling club in Wigan, England, and Raul Ramirez. This will take place in Humboldt's Bicknell Park, where Frank Gotch trained for his epic 1911 match with George Hackenschmidt, and where a statue of Gotch now stands.

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: catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, Humboldt, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, tournament

(Photo of Mike Chapman wearing Frank Gotch's favorite derby hat by Brad Wilder.)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman.

Our discussion focused on a new event, the Frank Gotch World Catch Championships. This catch wrestling event will be held Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Gotch's hometown, Humboldt, Iowa. It will be organized by the Catch Wrestling Alliance and co-sponsored by the Gotch Statue Committee and the Frank Gotch Kids Wrestling Club. It will take place at the Humboldt High School, 1500 Wildcat Road, Humboldt, Iowa 50548.

We spoke with Mike Chapman by phone Monday.

"The exciting thing about it," he said, "it is in the hometown of Frank Gotch, who many people would consider the greatest catch wrestler of all-time, or at least the best-known catch wrestler of all-time. He was heavyweight champion of the world from 1908 to 1915. His matches with the great George Hackenschmidt in Chicago are a part of wrestling folklore and legend. His second match in 1911 drew 31,000 people to Comiskey Park."

But Gotch's legacy still lives on a century later.

"Gotch in the state of Iowa is responsible, in my opinion," he said, "for the state's long-lasting love affair with the sport."

While this event is "still in the development stage," we discussed Gotch's importance for wrestling, the basic rules of catch wrestling where you win by pin or submission, the importance of holding this inaugural event in Gotch's hometown, activities planned around this event, information about Humboldt for those planning to travel there, 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.

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

Labels: Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch World Catch Championships, Humboldt, Iowa, Mike Chapman, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our long-time colleague and wrestling correspondent, Bob Mayeri.

In our discussion, we previewed the 2015 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

The 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships run from Thursday, March 19, through Saturday, March 21, in St. Louis's Scottrade Center, and in the U.S., powerhouse telecaster ESPN is slated to show all the action. The finals Saturday night, along with the often epic semifinals Friday night, will both be shown live in prime time on ESPN. The other four sessions will be shown live on their college sports-oriented network, ESPNU.

In addition, all the action will be available live online on ESPN3, which will offer a multi-mat, simultaneous viewing format showing up to four different mats at one time. And both the TV and ESPN3 content will be available on their WatchESPN app.

Here is the TV schedule, with all times EDT:

2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship Television Schedule

Date Time Session Network

Thursday, March 19
Noon - 3:30 p.m. 1st Round ESPNU & ESPN3
7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. 2nd Round ESPNU & ESPN3

Friday, March 20
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Quarterfinals ESPNU & ESPN3
8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Semifinals ESPN & ESPN3

Saturday, March 21
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Medal Round ESPNU & ESPN3
8:00 p.m. - 11 p.m. Championship Finals ESPN & ESPN3

For more information on ESPN's TV and online coverage, go here.

We spoke with Bob Mayeri by phone Tuesday.

"I think the team race seems to have piqued everybody's curiosity, because when I look at it I see at least five teams that have a possibility of winning this whole thing, although three of them seem to have the main focus," he said.

"Iowa, Ohio State, Missouri -- those are the main three, with considerations got to be given to Minnesota and Cornell also in the team race."

With team points being earned both in the regular tournament matches and the wrestlebacks, "It will have everybody waiting to see how it turns out," he said.

We also discussed the favorites for winners in each of the ten weight classes, the quest by Ohio State's Logan Stieber to win his fourth straight NCAA title, what team victories by upstart teams like Missouri or Ohio State would mean for college 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.

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: 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Bob Mayeri, college, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, Iowa, Missouri, No Holds Barred, Ohio State

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and three-time NCAA Div. I national champion wrestler Tom Brands, who is the current head wrestling coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

Although the Iowa Hawkeyes have won 23 NCAA Div. I wrestling championships, they have not finished first since the 2009-10 season. This season, however, the early polls put their team atop the rankings, as they hope to end the four-year reign of Penn State.

We spoke with Coach Brands, now in his ninth season as head coach, by phone Tuesday.

As for these early season rankings, he said, "I think that you keep it in context like anything, and we have to do a lot of work before we get there in the end."

He continued, "There's a lot of parity out there, at least that's what people are excited about, fans and pundits are excited about. And I've never been a fan of parity. And what we do is the same whether we're ranked number one or number three. What we have to do is, we have to continue to get better every day in such a way that we widen the gap. There's no automatic, but there's also no reason why this team can't be the champion at the end."

Interestingly, he did note that while the team is ranked number one, no individual Iowa wrestler has a number one ranking now, nor are there any returning national champions on the team. But he does believe that this team has a number of wrestlers who could win national titles, including: heavyweight senior and two-time All-American Bobby Telford, 133-pound sophomore and returning All-American Cody Clark, 174-pound senior and two-time All-American Mike Evans, 125-pound sophomore and bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 2014 junior world championships Thomas Gilman, and several others.

We also discussed the importance of wrestling freestyle for college wrestlers and how the team encourages that, why college wrestling needs a "more entertaining style" to appeal to fans, why the 1982 NCAA 177-pound finals between future Olympic champions Mark Schultz of Oklahoma and Ed Banach of Iowa is still one of his favorite matches to watch, the effect the court ruling which mandates that some colleges compensate some college athletes will have on Olympic sports in college like wrestling, why "entertainment will bring in fans", this Saturday's in-state showdown with longtime rival Iowa State, 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.

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.

Payleg.com, which gives you the tools to develop a full-time income by building a home-based business. Teaching success in the home-based business industry since 1988, Payleg.com is available in 190 countries. For more information, go to Payleg.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: college, Eddie Goldman, freestyle, Hawkeyes, Iowa, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Tom Brands, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our long-time colleague and wrestling correspondent, Bob Mayeri.

In our discussion, we previewed the 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships.

This event will take place Thursday, March 20, through Saturday, March 22, at the Chesapeake Energy Arena at 100 West Reno Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102.

There will be extensive live coverage of all six sessions in the U.S. both online and on television on the ESPN networks and web site, including a live telecast on ESPN of the finals on Saturday, March 22.

Here is the complete schedule for ESPN live coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships:

Date Time (ET) Session Number of Mats Network

Thu, March 20

Noon – 3:30 p.m. First Session Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Second Session Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

Fri, March 21

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Third Session – Quarterfinals Eight Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

8 p.m. – 11 p.m. Fourth Session – Semifinals Six Mats ESPN/ESPN3

Sat, March 22

11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fifth Session – Medal Round Three Mats ESPNU/ESPN3

8:00 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sixth Session – Championship Finals One Mat ESPN/ESPN3

For more information on ESPN's coverage, including direct links to the webcasts, go here.

We spoke with Bob Mayeri by phone Sunday.

We discussed the favorites in each of the ten weight classes as well as the team race, where Penn State is the favorite to capture their fourth straight team title.

"I think that goes without saying. Penn State is the favorite," he said. He even cited Tom Brands, head coach of Iowa, which finished second in the Big Ten Conference championships to Penn State, as saying at a press conference about two or three months ago, "They're in a league of their own."

However, the winners will be, as usual, decided in one place -- on the mat. And that is where the seeding and matchups come into play.

"That doesn't mean Iowa can't upset them. And here's where the seeding may really work to Iowa's benefit," he noted.

"Penn State's got six wrestlers ranked from one to five. Five of those six wrestlers, everyone except [unbeaten and top-ranked 165-pounder] David Taylor, in order for them to make the finals, they have to defeat someone -- this is, if the seeds hold up, of course -- they would have to defeat someone that has beaten them during the year."

We also discussed why this tournament has such great appeal year after year and is the largest wrestling event in the U.S., why the individual seeding this year has been widely criticized, what upsets are likeliest, 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:

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: 2014 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, Bob Mayeri, college, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Penn State

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and three-time NCAA Div. I national champion wrestler Tom Brands, who is the current head wrestling coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

Before the 2013-14 regular college wrestling season starts, Coach Brands will be bringing two of his top wrestlers to compete in the 2013 edition of the NWCA All-Star Classic.

This event takes place this Saturday, November 2, at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, on the campus of George Mason University. It will be streamed live on Flowrestling, and televised in about two weeks on Fox College Sports in the U.S. at a date to be announced.

Representing the Iowa Hawkeyes will be defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Derek St. John, who will be facing Nestor Taffur of Boston University at 157 pounds, and Tony Ramos, who is top-ranked at 133 pounds, but will be wrestling at 141 at this event against Devin Carter of Virginia Tech.

We spoke with Coach Brands by phone Thursday.

"I think it's a good thing when you have guys that are willing to put things on the line where there's probably what I would say, there's a lot of ego at stake and it's not just 'give me the matchup that serves me the best'. These are real matchups, I think four or five of them in the lineup, where it could go to either guy, looking at it on paper," he said.

"When you have that type of event, I think you're going to have the potential to do what maybe the All-Star meet is supposed to do, and that's really bring a lot of attention to it and really fire people up and get people onboard for the season and even internationally. There's going to be some future matchups there as well. So a lot going on."

The complete and loaded lineup for the 2013 NWCA All-Star Classic is:

125: Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) vs. Nashon Garrett (Cornell)
133: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) vs. Mason Beckman (Lehigh)
141: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) vs. Tony Ramos (Iowa)
149: Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) vs. Logan Stieber (Ohio State)
157: Derek St. John (Iowa) vs. Nestor Taffur (Boston U.)
165: David Taylor (Penn State) vs. Michael Moreno (Iowa State)
174: Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) vs. Matt Brown (Penn State)
184: Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) vs. Jake Swartz (Boise State)
197: Taylor Meeks (Oregon State) vs. Scott Schiller (Minnesota)
HWT: Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. Mike McMullan (Northwestern)

There will also be several exhibition feature matches.

We also discussed how he views the Iowa Hawkeyes and their potential to win another national title this season, why wrestling needs to improve the way the sport is promoted and "at least we appear like we're big budget", why wrestling needs "to get the right people in the right place" to promote and market the 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:

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.

GrappleGnostic, sponsored by Defense Soap. Where the will to win meets the power of knowledge. Features, interviews, analysis, health tips, and information on wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and all the grappling arts, written by some of the best writers and experts in the world. Check out their web site, a http://defensesoap.com/grapplegnostic.

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.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

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: college, Eddie Goldman, freestyle, Hawkeyes, Iowa, NCAA, No Holds Barred, NWCA All-Star Classic, Tom Brands, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, the tables were turned as host Eddie Goldman was interviewed by Scott Casber, host of Takedown Wrestling Radio.

This discussion, which was recorded Wednesday, covered the major controversies and the latest developments in the world of wrestling, including international and catch wrestling.

Here is the description of the show by Scott Casber:

Eddie Goldman Brings It in a Candid Interview with Takedown Wrestling Radio

No Holds Barred founder and host Eddie Goldman has covered it all: boxing, wrestling, MMA, etc. Today he opens up as only the Godfather of MMA will do. The Conscience of Wrestling tells it the way he sees it. You may be surprised at some of the things he says. Join Eddie and me for our new monthly conversation on the condition of wrestling!

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.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

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, Eddie Goldman, FILA, folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman, IOC, Iowa, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Scott Casber, Takedown Radio, wrestling

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with wrestling legend Kevin Jackson, who has just been named the head wrestling coach for the Iowa State Cyclones. Kevin Jackson has been an Olympic and world champion wrestler, as well as a mixed martial arts fighter in UFC and Extreme Fighting.

We had a lengthy and in-depth discussion about his new position as well as many issues facing the sport of wrestling. Among the topics were the importance to him of returning to coach at Iowa State, where Kevin was an All-American wrestler and a member of the 1987 team, the last time Iowa State won an NCAA team championship; the storied rivalry between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones; what Iowa State can do to recapture an NCAA title; the ongoing support of wrestling from the Iowa State fans and supporters, known as Cyclone Nation; Cyclone wrestling history and culture; the plans to enhance the training of college wrestlers in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling; some of the problems with the ever-changing rules of international wrestling; why many college wrestlers have been turning to mixed martial arts; how college wrestling can better market and promote itself; the important role of African-American wrestling coaches; and much more.

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: Cael Sanderson, college wrestling, Cyclones, Dan Gable, Eddie Goldman, freestyle wrestling, Hawkeyes, Iowa, Iowa State, Kevin Jackson, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Penn State, Terry Brands, Tom Brands

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague Jason Bryant of Wrestling 411. Jason is co-host with Kyle Klingman of the Wrestling 411 Internet radio show and a major contributor to all aspects of their web site.

In a lengthy interview, we discuss what is going on in the most popular form of wrestling in America, college wrestling. We discuss what has been happening in the early part of the 2008-09 season, the availability of live wrestling coverage on television and online and the need for more of that coverage, the upcoming National Duals tournament, and much more.

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 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: college wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Iowa, Iowa State, Jason Bryant, Midlands, Minnesota, National Duals, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Oklahoma State, Wrestling 411