Monday, August 20, 2012
No Holds Barred: Jake Varner
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 2012 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at 96 kg representing the U.S., Jake Varner.
A two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion at Iowa State, he currently trains at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, Pennsylvania. The 26-year-old Jake Varner won his Olympic gold medal in his first appearance at an Olympic Games, after finishing third in the 2011 World Championships.
We spoke with Jake Varner Friday while he was in New York, just before he left for a celebration honoring U.S. Olympians in Iowa.
"Last year I got beat in a heartbreaker in the quarters and came back and took third, though," he said in this interview. "And I knew I had to make some changes, just real small things. And went back and made those adjustments. And I knew that I want to be an Olympic gold medalist, so I did whatever I needed to do to do that. And I just kept my eye on the prize and just stayed focused and just went out and wrestled."
In addition, Eddie opens with a commentary offering some preliminary thoughts on the proposed rule change in college wrestling in the U.S. which would create a national dual meet tournament system to crown a national team champion.
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.
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", by Ian Carpenter.
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.
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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/.
A two-time NCAA Div. I wrestling champion at Iowa State, he currently trains at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, Pennsylvania. The 26-year-old Jake Varner won his Olympic gold medal in his first appearance at an Olympic Games, after finishing third in the 2011 World Championships.
We spoke with Jake Varner Friday while he was in New York, just before he left for a celebration honoring U.S. Olympians in Iowa.
"Last year I got beat in a heartbreaker in the quarters and came back and took third, though," he said in this interview. "And I knew I had to make some changes, just real small things. And went back and made those adjustments. And I knew that I want to be an Olympic gold medalist, so I did whatever I needed to do to do that. And I just kept my eye on the prize and just stayed focused and just went out and wrestled."
In addition, Eddie opens with a commentary offering some preliminary thoughts on the proposed rule change in college wrestling in the U.S. which would create a national dual meet tournament system to crown a national team champion.
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.
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", by Ian Carpenter.
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: college, Eddie Goldman, freestyle, gold medalist, Iowa State, Jake Varner, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Penn State, wrestling
Sunday, August 12, 2012
No Holds Barred: Kevin Jackson on the Spectacular Wrestling at the 2012 Olympics
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with 1992 freestyle wrestling Olympic gold medalist, former MMA fighter, and current head wrestling coach for the Iowa State Cyclones, Kevin Jackson.
We spoke by phone Sunday evening just after the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics, and the eight days of wrestling at it, and both agreed that this was a great event which showcased spectacular wrestling and unparalleled athleticism.
Speaking about U.S. freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs, who won a gold medal at 74 kg, Coach Jackson noted the "electricity that surrounds him and the technical skills and the athletic ability and the energy in which he wrestled with, of scoring points and not going to one clinch." Burroughs wrestling this way on the first day of freestyle competition "set the tone" for other wrestlers in other weight classes, he added.
On the issue of world-class wrestlers, particularly some Americans, leaving international competition to go into MMA, Coach Jackson commented, "Most wrestlers want to wrestle. If they're still in a position, in a situation to be the best in the world, that's what they want to do. But some choose not to. They choose to go into the MMA for the financial gain, as opposed to the fame or the challenge."
We also discussed the success of 96 kg freestyle wrestling gold medalist Jake Varner of the U.S., who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State and wrestled in his senior year under Coach Jackson. We discussed many of the great accomplishments at the 2012 Olympics in wrestling, including three wrestlers winning their third straight Olympic gold medals: Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho of Japan in women's freestyle, and Artur Taimazov of Uzbekistan in men's freestyle. We discussed how the collegiate wrestling programs in the U.S. have helped prepare wrestlers for international competition, what are the prospects for Iowa State in this coming season, 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.
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", by Ian Carpenter.
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/.
We spoke by phone Sunday evening just after the conclusion of the 2012 London Olympics, and the eight days of wrestling at it, and both agreed that this was a great event which showcased spectacular wrestling and unparalleled athleticism.
Speaking about U.S. freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs, who won a gold medal at 74 kg, Coach Jackson noted the "electricity that surrounds him and the technical skills and the athletic ability and the energy in which he wrestled with, of scoring points and not going to one clinch." Burroughs wrestling this way on the first day of freestyle competition "set the tone" for other wrestlers in other weight classes, he added.
On the issue of world-class wrestlers, particularly some Americans, leaving international competition to go into MMA, Coach Jackson commented, "Most wrestlers want to wrestle. If they're still in a position, in a situation to be the best in the world, that's what they want to do. But some choose not to. They choose to go into the MMA for the financial gain, as opposed to the fame or the challenge."
We also discussed the success of 96 kg freestyle wrestling gold medalist Jake Varner of the U.S., who was a two-time NCAA champion at Iowa State and wrestled in his senior year under Coach Jackson. We discussed many of the great accomplishments at the 2012 Olympics in wrestling, including three wrestlers winning their third straight Olympic gold medals: Saori Yoshida and Kaori Icho of Japan in women's freestyle, and Artur Taimazov of Uzbekistan in men's freestyle. We discussed how the collegiate wrestling programs in the U.S. have helped prepare wrestlers for international competition, what are the prospects for Iowa State in this coming season, 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.
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", by Ian Carpenter.
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: 2012, Eddie Goldman, Iowa State, Jake Varner, Jordan Burroughs, Kevin Jackson, London Olympics, No Holds Barred, wrestling
