NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bob Carson, the host of Carson's Corner.

We spoke with him by phone Sunday.

This past Friday, February 19, Bellator MMA not only put on a show featuring some of the worst fights in the history of the world, but also at least one fight which almost ended up in the death on live TV of one of the participants.

In the co-main event at Bellator 149 in Houston, Texas, street fighters Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson and Dhafir "Dada 5000" Harris both gassed out early in their fight. Somehow these two, who both lacked professional technique and conditioning, made it into the third round, where basically Harris collapsed to the mat while Ferguson could barely stand up by himself. There was no knockout blow or submission, but only an ending because Harris was a bit more exhausted than the exhausted Ferguson.

After the fight, Harris was carried out of the cage on a stretcher, and hospitalized. Several news reports said that he had suffered kidney failure and that his heart had stopped beating. He was revived by medical personnel, but almost had died from this horrid fight. Reports also indicated that Harris had a major and fast weight cut to get down to the 265-pound heavyweight limit. Harris is reportedly recovering.

Both Ferguson and Harris are African-American, and it was not lost on everyone that this freakshow spectacle involved two Black fighters fulfilling the stereotypical role of lumpen thugs.

"It's marketed in a way to really depict African-Americans in a certain light," said Bob Carson. "And Kimbo, if you look at, if you had a checklist for a menacing, what would be considered an enemy, what would be considered a menace to society from the standpoint of the white bourgeois community, it would be Kimbo Slice. And the fact that they're showing him fighting these people in street fights, and his demeanor, and him and Dada going back and forth, it really, really had a racial aspect to it."

The other main event was just a shade less shady. While it featured two MMA legends, Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, both are almost two decades past their primes. This was billed as their third fight, but their first two took place in 1993 and 1995. Gracie is now 49 years old and had not fought since 2007. Shamrock is now 52 years old, fighting once in 2015 (a knockout loss to Kimbo Slice) and then not since 2010.

This fight was over in the first round, when Shamrock went down from an unintentional knee to the groin by Gracie, which the referee did not see. The fight was stopped and Gracie awarded a TKO victory. It was another disgrace all around, and, along with the previous fight, has led some people to vow never to watch Bellator again.

This double disaster in Houston and the reaction it received are in some ways reminiscent of what happened in another fight in the same city of Houston, and the repercussions boxing faced from it: the November 26, 1982, brutal mismatch between WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes, then 40-0, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. As this completely one-sided beatdown continued and the referee did not stop it, Howard Cosell, calling the fight on ABC, said on the live telecast in the 14th round: "I wonder if that referee understands that he is constructing an advertisement for the abolition of the very sport that he's a part of?"

We discussed why this "complete spectacle" was "terrible all the way around," the potential repercussions of this show, why aging fighters like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock need to fight (follow the money, or lack thereof), what this says about the future of MMA, why young people deciding to fight in MMA would be an "irrational act," and much, 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 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 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: Bellator, Bob Carson, Dada 5000, disaster, Eddie Goldman, Ken Shamrock, Kimbo Slice, No Holds Barred, Royce Gracie MMA

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with MMA pioneer and legend Ken Shamrock.

A veteran of the early days of MMA, the first King of Pancrase, and known especially for his skill with submissions, Ken Shamrock, now 50 years old, is embarking on yet another pioneering venture: to become a champion in bare-knuckle boxing.

His debut fight is slated to take place this April in the U.K. against bare-knuckle boxing legend James Quinn, at a date and location to be announced. It is also planned for this fight to be shown on pay-per-view, with details forthcoming.

We spoke with Ken Shamrock by phone Tuesday.

Just like he articulately defended MMA in its formative days against various detractors, Ken Shamrock is defending this latest incarnation of bare-knuckle boxing, both for its relative safety and as an art form.

Gloves in both boxing and MMA were introduced, he said, "under the same myth that I believe, is to try and make it safer. And I thought to myself, 'Safer for who?'"

He explained, "It's really not to protect the guy getting punched. It's really to protect the guy that's doing the punching and make it more exciting for the fans to get more knockouts and be able to have the fighters sustain their career longer without breaking their hands and having to retire."

Bare-knuckle boxing, he said, makes "fighters become more articulate and more accurate and more cautious about letting their hands fly, holding back some of the power that they may have, to be able to land strikes that are going to be perfect and not miss their target. Because if they do, the consequences are whether they could lose the fight because they broke their hand."

Similarly, he argued that when gloves were brought into MMA, "They took away the purity of submissions," and made it harder to win by submission.

We also discussed how he feels "rejuvenated" and "better than I have in the last 15 years", how bare-knuckle boxing is legal in the U.K. although unregulated, the development of the rules for this 21st century version of bare-knuckle boxing, why MMA today only has an "edge" in safety over gloved boxing, why history shows that bare-knuckle boxing is safer than gloved boxing, why bare-knuckle boxing will be "more exciting" than MMA, his views on the potential of submission wrestling and catch wrestling, his plans for training for this fight, and much more.

In addition, we commented on the passing of another MMA pioneer, Phyllis Lee, who was known as the "First Lady of NHB".

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: bare-knuckle, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Ken Shamrock, MMA, No Holds Barred

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary mixed martial arts fighter Frank Shamrock.

Frank has just revamped his web site, FrankShamrock.com, and added numerous user-friendly, social networking features, where one can sign up for free as a member.

We had a wide-ranging discussion beginning with the web site, and covering his view of his fight with Cung Le this past March, what his next fight may be, the prospects of a mixed martial arts fight with his brother Ken Shamrock, what has happened to EliteXC, his role in that company, the state of mixed martial arts, the need for a fighters' union in MMA, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here or 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: CBS, Cung Le, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Frank Shamrock, grappling, Ken Shamrock, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Pro Elite, Showtime, UFC, ultimate fighting

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman takes on the world, and discusses the world of combat sports, around the world.

Among the many international topics broached in this no holds barred presentation are: the latest news in the case of Swedish Olympic wrestler Ara Abrahamian against those who allegedly denied him the opportunity to wrestle for a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics; the continuing vulgarization of mixed martial arts and particularly the UFC in America; the successful title defense this past Saturday in Argentina by WBO flyweight champion Omar Narvaez; the junior middleweight fight coming up this Saturday, Sept. 27, between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga; and the Oct. 4 mixed martial arts fight between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock. We also hear questions and answers with Mosley and Mayorga, and Kimbo and Shamrock, from recent media conference calls.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here or here. You can also download it 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:

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.

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.

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

Labels: Ara Abrahamian, boxing, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Greco-Roman, Ken Shamrock, Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Omar Narvaez, Ricardo Mayorga, Shane Mosley, UFC, wrestling

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the announcement Tuesday that Bob Meyrowitz, the former CEO of Semaphore Entertainment Group, which produced the original, classic UFC events from 1993 to 2001, is returning to mixed martial arts. His new league is called YAMMA Pit Fighting (YPF), and will be debuting Friday, April 11, 2008, at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a pay-per-view show.

In the main part of this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, we speak with mixed martial arts legend Frank Shamrock.

In a lengthy interview, Frank discusses why he has not signed and will not sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); the need for fighters to defend their rights, embrace their own brands, and be built as stars; how mixed martial arts is regressing in technique; art and professional athleticism in MMA; how good a fighter he believes he is today; his upcoming fight with Cung Le March 29; the likelihood of a fight with his older brother, Ken Shamrock; the future of the latest wave of MMA companies; the possibility of a rematch with Tito Ortiz once his contract with UFC is over; Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Willie Nelson, and country music; and more.

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: Bob Meyrowitz, boxing, Cung Le, Eddie Goldman, EliteXC, Frank Shamrock, IFL, Ken Shamrock, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Strikeforce, Tito Ortiz, UFC, ultimate fighting, YAMMA

NO HOLDS BARRED: Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock, Guy Mezger, Ryan Schultz, Wagnney Fabiano, Jay Hieron, Matt Horwich, Vladimir Matyushenko, Tim Kennedy, Trace Adkins, Leo Khorolinsky, IFL Grand Prix

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman reviews the Dec. 29 IFL Grand Prix Finals, which was held Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

We spoke with five of the IFL individual champions about their victorious fights and what their plans are: lightweight (155 lbs.) champion Ryan Schultz, featherweight (145 lbs.) champion Wagnney Fabiano, welterweight (170 lbs.) champion Jay Hieron, middleweight (185 lbs.) champion Matt Horwich, and light heavyweight (205 lbs.) champion Vladimir Matyushenko. We also spoke with middleweight Tim Kennedy, who was victorious on this card.

At this event, we once again spoke with "The Natural," Randy Couture, the now-former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion who recently resigned from that promotion. Randy told us which former wrestling champion has said that he would like to compete against him in a grappling match. He also updated us on what his other plans were and the latest in his dispute with the UFC promoters.

We spoke with mixed martial arts legend Ken Shamrock at this event. He discussed his plans for next year as a coach in the IFL, commented on the historical role of the original Lion’s Den in MMA, told us about his coaching a victorious MMA team in Manila, revealed whom he may fight next in MMA, and explained the need for non-exclusive contracts and a fighters' union in MMA.

We also spoke with Guy Mezger, president and matchmaker for the HDNet Fights promotion. HDNet telecast the IFL Grand Prix live in the U.S. on their television network. We discussed with Guy when and where the next HDNet Fights show is likely to take place, who might fight on it, how HDNet Fights is working with other promotions as partners, how HDNet Fights has become the primary sporting event on HDNet, and how HDNet Fights differs from the UFC.

In addition, we spoke with country music star Trace Adkins, who attended this event. And we spoke with Leo Khorolinsky, the manager of former UFC heavyweight champion and current top contender Andrei Arlovski about what is next for his fighter.

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.

If you want to leave a comment on the show, you can do so 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. 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: Eddie Goldman, Guy Mezger, IFL Grand Prix, Jay Hieron, Ken Shamrock, Matt Horwich, No Holds Barred, Randy Couture, Ryan Schultz, Tim Kennedy, Trace Adkins, UFC, Vladimir Matyushenko, Wagnney Fabiano