NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews one of the most innovative and welcome developments in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a round-robin, six-fighter tournament in the super middleweight division featuring the best fighters in the world at that weight.

Competing in this tournament are the unbeaten WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (25-0, 20 KOs) of England, the WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler (41-1, 31 KOs) of Denmark, the former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs) of Little Rock, Ark., the now-former and still-unbeaten IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (30-0, 24 KOs) of Germany, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten WBC number one contender Andre Ward (19-0, 12 KOs) of Oakland, Calif., and the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist and unbeaten WBC number two contender Andre Dirrell (18-0, 13 KOs) of Flint, Mich.

The winner of this tournament is certain to be regarded as the true super middleweight champion of the world.

The opening round will have three fights, beginning this fall, on dates and at locations to be announced. Carl Froch will face Andre Dirrell, Mikkel Kessler will face Andre Ward, and Arthur Abraham will face Jermain Taylor.

At the kickoff news conference at Madison Square Garden in New York this Monday for this history-making event, we had a chance to speak with fighters Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, and Andre Dirrell about this tournament and their fights. We also spoke with promoters Lou DiBella and Dan Goossen, with boxing writer and television analyst Steve Farhood, and with Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, which is the key force behind this tournament and will televise it in the U.S.

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: Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham, boxing, Carl Froch, Dan Goossen, Eddie Goldman, Jermain Taylor, Ken Hershman, Lou DiBella, Mikkel Kessler, No Holds Barred, Showtime, Steve Farhood, World Boxing Classic

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman focuses on the top fighters in boxing in the UK today. We compare where the careers of Joe Calzaghe, Junior Witter, Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton, David Haye, and Carl Froch were one year ago with where they are today. And we comment on the thrilling come-from-behind 12th-round TKO victory Carl Froch scored over Jermain Taylor this past Saturday night, April 25.

Ricky Hatton, of course, will be facing Manny Pacquiao, regarded by most as the current pound-for-pound king, this coming Saturday night, May 2, in Las Vegas. This fight will take place at 140 pounds, where Hatton is presently regarded as the best fighter in the world. We spoke with a confident Ricky Hatton on a media conference call this past week to get his take on this fight.

David Haye, the former cruiserweight champion who relinquished his belts in that division to move up to heavyweight, will get his wish for a crack at a heavyweight title when he faces the top fighter in that weight class, Wladimir Klitschko, June 20 in Germany. David Haye was in New York this past week for a news conference, and we caught up with him there for some very poignant comments.

It is free to listen to or download SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Labels: Amir Khan, boxing, British boxing, Carl Froch, David Haye, Eddie Goldman, Jermain Taylor, Joe Calzaghe, Junior Witter, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, SecondsOut Radio, Wladimir Klitschko

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins by reviewing some important fights of the past week. Discussed are the successful defense by Holly Holm of her IFBA welterweight title over Belinda Laracuente, the entertaining draw between Chevelle Hallback and Melissa Hernandez for the still-vacant IFBA lightweight title, and the surprising upset by Carlos Quintana over the previously-unbeaten Paul Williams by unanimous decision to capture his WBO welterweight title.

We next focus on a highly-anticipated rematch coming up this Saturday, February 16, in Las Vegas. When Jermain Taylor, then undefeated and the middleweight champion of the world, first fought Kelly Pavlik last Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, he was a clear favorite going into that bout. Taylor hurt and dropped Pavlik in the second round of that fight, but could not finish him. Pavlik regrouped and went on to drop, and stop, Taylor in the seventh round, winning the fight and the title with a thunderous TKO.

Now the rematch is at hand, although it will be at a catch weight of 166 pounds and not for the middleweight title. Still, the legacy of both men is on the line, and the future of their careers will be in large part determined by the outcome of this fight, as they each vow to be the decisive winner this time out.

At a prefight news conference in New York, we spoke with the middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) about this rematch. We spoke with Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) on a media teleconference call about his approach to this fight. And we spoke with Taylor's trainer, Ozell Nelson, about what changes their team plans to make in this rematch with Pavlik, and about Taylor's engaging manner. This fight will be telecast in the U.S. on HBO Pay-Per-View.

It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Labels: Belinda Laracuente, boxing, Carlos Quintana, Chevelle Hallback, Eddie Goldman, HBO, Holly Holm, Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, Melissa Hernandez, Ozell Nelson, Paul Williams, SecondsOut Radio

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the award-winning boxing writer, and our correspondent on this show, Charles Farrell.

Our main subject in this lengthy discussion is the bountiful schedule for boxing over the next few months.

Among the fights we discuss are the February 9 welterweight fight between Paul Williams and Carlos Quintana; the February 16 rematch between Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor, plus the junior bantamweight fights of Fernando Montiel vs. Martin Castillo and Cristian Mijares vs. Jose Navarro; the February 23 heavyweight unification fight between IBF champ Wladimir Klitschko and WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov; the March 1 rubber match between junior featherweights Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, whose two battles last year are leading candidates for 2007 fight of the year; the March 8 card featuring the long-delayed WBC heavyweight title fight between Oleg Maskaev and Samuel Peter, along with lightweight champ Juan Diaz vs. Nate Campbell and heavyweights John Ruiz and Jameel McCline; the March 8 cruiserweight title fight between David Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli; the March 15 rematch between super featherweights Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez; the March 22 fight between lightweights Joel Casamayor and Michael Katsidis; the April 12 rematch between welterweights Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron; the April 19 fight between Joe Calzaghe and Bernard Hopkins; and more.

Towards the end of this discussion, we also take aim at the less-than-mediocre quality of boxing journalism, especially in the U.S.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also download it by scrolling down that page and clicking on the download link (right-click to save it).

You can also listen to it through the player on this blog and the NO HOLDS BARRED MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes.

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:

Art of War, the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com.

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

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

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.

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

Labels: boxing, Charles Farrell, Eddie Goldman, Ibragimov, Israel Vazquez, Jermain Taylor, Juan Manuel Marquez, Klitschko, Manny Pacquiao, No Holds Barred, Oleg Maskaev, Pavlik, Rafael Marquez, Samuel Peter

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins with a review of yet another of 2007's stellar fights: the stunning seventh-round stoppage by Kelly Pavlik (32-0, 29 KOs) of Jermain Taylor (27-1-1, 17 KOs) to capture the middleweight championship of the world. Pavlik won that title from Taylor Saturday, September 29, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

We spoke with a victorious Kelly Pavlik right after the postfight news conference to get his analysis of the fight itself and its significance. We also got a comment from promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank about what this fight means for boxing.

This coming Saturday, October 6, the super featherweight rematch between Manny Pacquiao (44-3-2, 35 KOs) and Marco Antonio Barrera (63-5, 42 KOs) also promises to be another memorable battle. This fight takes place at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and will be shown in the US on HBO Pay-Per-View.

We spoke with Marco Antonio Barrera on a media teleconference call about what to expect in what he has vowed will be the final fight of his storied career. We also spoke with Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions and Bob Arum about this fight and how boxing can better use the Internet.

We close with a comment about another important fight this Saturday when the newly-crowned WBC interim heavyweight champ Samuel Peter (28-1, 22 KOs) faces Jameel McCline (38-7-3, 23 KOs). This fight takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and will be shown in the US on Showtime.

It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Labels: Bob Arum, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Jameel McCline, Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, Samuel Peter, SecondsOut Radio

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, the second this week, host Eddie Goldman speaks with some of the most important people in mixed martial arts and boxing.

We begin by previewing the middleweight world championship fight between the undefeated, legitimate champion, Jermain Taylor (27-0-1, 17 KOs), and the undefeated top challenger, Kelly Pavlik (31-0, 28 KOs). They will fight this Saturday, September 29, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and live in the US on HBO.

We spoke with both Jermain Taylor and Kelly Pavlik at the final prefight news conference Wednesday in New York. We also spoke with the undefeated 24-year-old rising star Andre Berto (19-0, 16 KOs), who faces veteran David Estrada (21-3, 12 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight fight in the co-feature.

We next go to a lengthy discussion with mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Renzo Gracie. The team in the International Fight League (IFL) he coaches, the New York Pitbulls, just completed an undefeated season and captured the 2007 world team championships September 20. We discuss this event with Renzo as well as his plans for the Pitbulls, how he sees the IFL developing, and whether he wants to fight in mixed martial arts again.

We also had a chance to speak with Kurt Otto, the co-founder and commissioner of the IFL. This week it was announced that MyNetworkTV will present a live broadcast of the IFL World Grand Prix semi-finals from the Sears Centre, near Chicago, on Saturday, November 3, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. This is the first time a mixed martial arts fight will be carried live in prime time on American broadcast television. We spoke with Kurt Otto about this new development and about what else we can expect from the IFL in the coming months and in the 2008 season.

To listen to NO HOLDS BARRED, click here or here and just press the play button on the player.

You can also listen to it through this blog and my MySpace page, also by pressing the play button on the player.

Also, NO HOLDS BARRED is available through iTunes.

The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

If you want to leave a comment on the show, you can do so at on this blog.

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:

Art of War, the undisputed arena fighting championship, promoted by SUN Sports and Entertainment, producing world class mixed martial arts events. For more information, check out their web site, ArtOfWarLive.com.

IFL, the International Fight League, the world's first professional mixed martial arts league. Make sure to check out their regular TV shows on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the U.S. and to check your local listings for dates and times. You can also catch IFL Battleground on MyNetworkTV. Check out the IFL web site, ifl.tv, for a listing of IFL live events and their TV schedule.

Gladiator Challenge, shaking up the mixed martial arts world since 1999, and now with 30 shows per year. For more news and info, check out their web site, GladiatorChallenge.com.

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

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.

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

Labels: Andre Berto, boxing, Eddie Goldman, IFL, International Fight League, Jermain Taylor, jiu-jitsu, Kelly Pavlik, Kurt Otto, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Renzo Gracie, UFC, ultimate fighting

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins by discussing this past Saturday's fight between Israel Vazquez (42-4, 32 KOs) and Rafael Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs) at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, and shown live in the US on Showtime.

In this fight, a rematch from their first battle in March of this year won by Marquez by TKO after seven rounds, Vazquez avenged that defeat by stopping Marquez in the sixth round, and recapturing the WBC super bantamweight title. The nonstop action and brutally accurate punching of both men make this a certain fight of the year candidate.

We next preview the fight between the reigning middleweight world champion, Jermain Taylor (27-0-1, 17 KOs), and the undefeated top challenger, Kelly Pavlik (31-0, 28 KOs), which will be held Saturday, September 29, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and shown in the US on HBO.

We spoke about this upcoming bout with both Taylor and Pavlik this past week at a New York news conference. We also got comments on what to expect from Iran Barkley, the former middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight world champion, and Emanuel Steward, who trains Taylor.

It is free to listen to SecondsOut Radio, but you must register to gain access to it. Just click here, and listen, learn, and enjoy.

Labels: boxing, Eddie Goldman, Emanuel Steward, Iran Barkley, Israel Vazquez, Jermain Taylor, Kelly Pavlik, Rafael Marquez, SecondsOut Radio