NO HOLDS BARRED

by Eddie Goldman

When I'm wrong, I'm wrong. Sure, I expected WBC champ Deontay Wilder to get a knockout victory Saturday night in Brooklyn over Luis "King Kong" Ortiz, but not without a little help from his friends. And yes, there was some of boxing's patented trickeration en route to Wilder's tenth-round TKO win. The New York commission's horse doctors inexplicably gave Wilder more time to rest after round seven, in which he was almost stopped near the end of that round by Ortiz. But was that extra breather decisive in allowing Wilder to avoid defeat? Probably not, as Ortiz came back to win rounds eight and nine but without scoring any knockdowns.

Then there are the judges, that merry trio who are paid, as is the norm, by the promoters. After nine rounds, they all had Wilder ahead 85-84. I had it 87-82 Ortiz, and Showtime's unofficial scorer had it 86-83 Ortiz. Ortiz would have needed a knockout to win the fight, since these judges were named Deaf, Dumb, and Blind.

But none of that gets to the basic mistake I, and several noted boxing writers who have covered and/or watched boxing for centuries, made. The premise, debunked in reality, was that Wilder could not win a clean fight against Ortiz, and thus in order to ensure the huge payday in a unification bout with Anthony Joshua, trickeration was in order.

I can only speak for myself, but there were several key miscalculations with this view. Knowing that boxing is a business first, second, and last, and has the aspects of being a sport mainly for show, was not mistaken. What was mistaken was thinking that the aging Ortiz had enough pop left in his old, injured hands to knock out the often amateurish Wilder.

Ortiz was supposed to face journeyman Derric Rossy last year in a stay busy fight, but had to withdraw because of a hand injury. At this fight's prefight press conference, Ortiz mysteriously wore black gloves. The explanation that he was cold was preposterous, as the presser was indoors and the New York temperature that day was around 60 degrees F. Whatever the case, Ortiz's steady assault on Wilder only led to sporadic moments when he had Wilder hurt.

And Ortiz had a classic and basic game plan. The lefty Ortiz circled to the righty Wilder's right, staying away from Wilder's powerful right hand, and landed effective jabs and counters to a seemingly befuddled Wilder. That changed in the fifth round, when a Wilder right dropped Ortiz, showing he could not use that strategy the entire fight. But Ortiz came back late in the sixth and then hurt Wilder badly late in the seventh.

Even with the judges, doctors, and who knows else against him, if Ortiz had knocked out Wilder, he would have won the fight. But it was Ortiz who was the one knocked out, with the finishing touch being a right uppercut by Wilder that brought back memories of Anthony Joshua's 11th-round uppercut on Wladimir Klitschko last year.

It is good and necessary to be cynical about what goes on in boxing. It is important for writers and journalists to expose the nonsense. And we are right far more than when we are wrong in doing so. But sometimes we get too exuberant, too suspicious, and make too many assumptions.

So I'm actually glad that I, and we, were wrong. What we saw was not a pretty or technically gorgeous fight, but one that was relatively unpredictable with numerous dramatic high points, and, of course, a conclusive finish.

But I'm also not upset that we warned of trickeration, because most of the mugs covering boxing these days refuse to discuss such doings. Yeah, we were wrong this time, but we have been and will be right far more times in the future. And I'd rather be occasionally wrong and honest than a dishonest shill and propagandist.

(Photo by Ryan Hafey, Premier Boxing Champions.)

Labels: boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses this coming Saturday's fight between WBC champ Deontay Wilder, 39-0 with 38 KOs, and the challenger, Luis "King Kong" Ortiz, 28-0 with 24 KOs, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky Sports, but, as is explained, may be more suitable for a series called Showtime Championship Wrestling.

(Photo of Wilder and Ortiz by Douglas DeFelice, Premier Boxing Champions.)

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: boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete and unedited audio from Tuesday's wild media conference call between unbeaten heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Luis "King Kong" Ortiz. The WBC champ Wilder, 39-0 with 38 KOs, and the challenger Ortiz, 28-0 with 24 KOs, will fight March 3 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, in a fight which will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky Sports.

As it progressed, or maybe regressed, the conference call got quite heated when Wilder started interrupting Ortiz's manager, Jay Jimenez, who was translating for Ortiz. We will have more analysis of this fight to come, but for now, here are these opening verbal shots in this fight.

(Photo of Wilder and Ortiz by Douglas DeFelice, Premier Boxing Champions.)

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: boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred

by Eddie Goldman

Do not heed the stupefying and foolish tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts, and the scribbling on the bathroom walls. They mean, to quote the Fugs, nothing, nothing, less than nothing.

Boxing is a business first, second, and third. Yes, boxing is a sport, but in this business the sporting aspects are among the most neutered and trampled upon to serve the perceived interests and, of course, profits, of the promoters, including the TV networks, soon to be joined by more and more online and mobile services.

It's a business, and who fights whom next only has to do with what the fans want and plead for to the degree that they can be convinced and/or tricked into parting with their cash. Fights have to be "built up", we are told, by endless mismatches, showcase fights, obscure mandatory challenges, and plainly fixed encounters. That is why there is such organizational chaos and confusion in boxing, with a governance structure easier to manipulate than peeling a banana.

Of late, every day it seems there has been an unending piss stream of challenges, taunts, insults, accusations, and denials. The forcible removal of Wladimir Klitschko from atop the heavyweight division by Tyson Fury in 2015 reignited interest, along with disorder, in it. That order has only been partially restored with Anthony Joshua's dispatching of Klitschko in April of this year to add the WBA "super" title to his IBF strap, followed by the retirement of the 41-year-old former champion.

Yes, Joshua is generally regarded as the best heavyweight today and holds two major belts. But there are holes in his game, seen by his inability to put away Klitschko after a brutal fifth-round knockdown, only to be knocked down hard himself in the sixth almost to the point of losing the fight. Joshua's brilliant comeback and subsequent 11th-round TKO of Klitschko showed his vulnerabilities may not be fatal to his title reign, but they are there to be watched and exploited.

And despite dominating and winning by a tenth-round TKO victory over Carlos Takam in his next fight on October 28, many regarded the ending as being a fast stoppage, and virtually everyone noted that it was a less-than-stellar performance by Joshua.

Joshua, however, remains not only the top heavyweight, but by far its biggest attraction. 90,000 people saw him beat Klitschko in Wembley Stadium in London, and about 78,000 watched him against Takam in Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Sky Sports in the U.K. shows all his fights on pay-per-view, while he is currently contracted to Showtime in the U.S., with HBO waiting to pursue him.

So fighting Joshua, who at 28 years old still has an unblemished record of 20-0 with 20 KOs, even if one loses, would be an enormous payday, perhaps the most in a challenger's professional boxing career.

The idea of heavyweight unification is also an appealing one, both to fans and some of the money guys. But it also involves numerous risks. For example, on two successive weekends Showtime aired the Joshua-Takam fight and the Deontay Wilder-Bermane Stiverne WBC title rematch, billing both as being for THE heavyweight championship of the world. Fewer title holders means fewer title fights, however inflated or bogus those titles may be.

And in the rare instances where unification is achieved, the demands by the rival sanctioning bodies that the champ immediately face their number one mandatory challenger leads to un-unification, as the champion relinquishes one or more belts, as Terence Crawford did after becoming undisputed 140-pound champion, or more belt-stripping than you'll see in a weekend in Las Vegas.

So yes, many of us would love to see Joshua's next series of fights be to unify his WBA "super" and IBF titles with those of WBC champ Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) and WBO champ Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs). But the end game here for Joshua is thus not unification, since it probably won't last long anyway, but raking in the most money for the longest possible period of time while still being able to remain on top.

And that means, despite all the rubbish, basura, and Scheiße being flung around between the top heavyweights and their flacks, it does not necessarily make business sense for Joshua and his team for those to be his next two fights, with Wilder and Parker.

While Joshua fulfilled his obligation for a mandatory defense of his IBF belt by beating Takam, a late replacement for the injured Kubrat Pulev, Pulev is still the highest ranked contender by the IBF, at number two, as they have no one at number one. At some point Joshua may need to face Pulev to retain the original title he first won in 2016.

Then there is the WBA, which has a "super" champion, meaning a belt holder who has or had more than one of these things, and a "regular" champion, whom they sometimes claim is next in line for the "super" champion. This past weekend Manuel Charr, now 31-4 with 17 KOs, captured the then-vacant WBA "regular" heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over 40-year-old Russian and now-former WBA number one contender Alexander Ustinov (34-2, 25 KOs). The 33-year-old Charr scored what many felt was an upset win based on his record, which included knockout losses to Alexander Povetkin and Mairis Briedis, who usually fights at cruiserweight and is presently the unbeaten WBC cruiserweight champion.

Charr was next ordered by the WBA to negotiate a fight with Fres Oquendo, who has been inactive snce 2014 but who won a lawsuit against the WBA for failing to give him another title shot. Charr is based in Germany where he usually fights, so perhaps the network there, Sky Sports in Germany, which showed his fight with Ustinov, would televise such a rather farcical bout. Or perhaps Oquendo will find one more reason not to take this fight, opening the door for Charr to face Joshua sometime soon in 2018.

Joshua would be a massive favorite to knock out Charr, but such a fight would be good business, besides fulfilling his need to face a WBA mandatory. While Charr is based in Germany and has a following there, he was born in Lebanon but went to Germany as a refugee at age five. He reportedly vowed to give his belt to Turkish president Erdogan. His victory over Ustinov and winning this belt, although derided in boxing circles, was hailed by some in the Arab world.

An ironically cliched headline in the "Arab News", Saudi Arabia's first English-language newspaper, read: "Refugee 'Rocky' becomes first Arab heavyweight champ".

Note that Joshua has stated his desire to gain popularity and fight in many countries and regions, including in the Middle East, and often spends his holiday time in Dubai. A fight with Charr should not only be a decisive win in the ring, but also outside the ring in establishing his presence in Germany and the Arab world.

In several Arab countries there has been growing and serious interest in hosting boxing events as of late. The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight finals are scheduled to take place next year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The semifinals have four unbeaten champion fighters, with WBA champion Yunier Dorticos (22-0, 21 KOs) taking on IBF champion Murat Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) in one semi-final, and WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) facing the aforementioned WBC champ Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs) in the other. So whoever is matched up in the finals, it is bound to be a major world boxing event in Saudi Arabia.

And perhaps of lesser significance for now, the launch of KHK Boxing was just announced in Bahrain. This is being sponsored by the 28-year-old Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a leading sports organizer who already has an MMA promotion there, and is a member of the ruling family in this monarchy. So the time is right for Anthony Joshua to venture into the Arab world.

And what was the urgency of Joshua fighting Wilder and Parker right away again?

Many fans, particularly in America, may end up being disappointed by the opponents chosen by Joshua in 2018, especially if he does not take these two consecutive unification fights. There is no urgency for Joshua to face Wilder, who does not draw that well either in arenas or on TV in the U.S., or Parker, now based in the U.K., but whose last fight, against Hughie Fury, was a YouTube pay-per-view. Wilder and Parker need Joshua far, far more than he needs them, if he needs them at all.

Wilder may want to fight Joshua next year, a possibility which should not be entirely ruled out, but if it doesn't happen, expect him to remain protected and face someone eminently beatable like WBC number two Dominic Breazeale. The WBC number one contender is Dillian Whyte, but Wilder's handlers know too much to risk a mega-payday with Joshua, whenever it may come, by facing someone like Whyte, who himself may get a shot at some belt or another.

Parker also has his WBO duties to fulfill, and his next mandatory may become an interesting one. The current WBO number one challenger is Christian Hammer, but he has a stiff test when he faces Alexander Povetkin, back from his drug suspensions, December 15 in Russia for the WBO international title, and, more importantly, their number one ranking. If Povetkin wins and becomes the WBO mandatory for Parker, and if Parker fails to get that big payday versus Joshua, he may have to face Povetkin this year, in a fight where Povetkin will surely be heavily favored unless he keeps testing dirty. And if Povetkin wins, a Joshua-Povetkin unification fight would be far more lucrative that a Joshua-Parker fight, and could open up even more doors for Joshua around the world.

But Parker, who turns 26 in January and is the youngest of these heavyweight belt holders, has other perhaps more appealing options than facing Joshua or the Hammer-Povetkin winner. Parker is from New Zealand and is predominantly of Samoan descent. The 38-year-old Lucas Browne, still unbeaten at 25-0 with 22 KOs, is from Australia, and is back in action following his own drug test problems. A Parker-Browne fight would be a smash hit in their region of the world as well as one which is far less dangerous for Parker than a clash with Joshua. Browne has also reportedly been in talks to fight Dillian Whyte in February, so where the dominoes fall for next year's heavyweight lineup should be known soon.

For the U.K., a mega-fight for Joshua would be with Tyson Fury, who supposedly will finally have his long-delayed hearing with U.K. Anti-Doping in December. It is absurd that this body has taken so long to adjudicate Fury's failed drug tests from 2015 and 2016. Fury remains suspended and unlicensed, and has not fought for two years, although his own well-documented physical and mental problems have been key to his departure from the ring as well. And Fury also has been charged with throwing out the dope testers when they came to collect a sample from him last year.

There has been the threat of a lawsuit by Fury for these delays and his not being allowed to fight without even a hearing for so long, which potentially could bankrupt the hapless U.K. Anti-Doping if he wins it. But expect some sort of compromise, where everyone agrees that his suspension has been fulfilled by time served, or maybe with just a short extension, while he tries to get in shape to fight once more. If Fury can shed some of his 300-plus-pounds, and stay sober and clean long enough to climb into the ring, it would make far more business sense for Joshua to face him in 2018 than either Wilder or Parker. Such a fight could easily smash U.K. pay-per-view and attendance records, even if Joshua ends up smashing the obese and inactive Fury in the ring.

Plus, it was announced just a few days ago that Fury had signed an advisory deal with the fast-growing management company MTK Global, which already works with his pal, WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, and the popular Carl Frampton. This indeed is another sign that Tyson Fury is very likely coming back soon.

So don't be shocked if in 2018 Joshua faces Charr, Fury, and/or Pulev. Unification can always come later.

Also do not expect Joshua to take a risky fight with the unbeaten Luis Ortiz, assuming he even is going to fight at a high level again. But if one or more of these belts becomes available, Ortiz just might get a title shot somewhere, and just might win, before preparing to pass the torch to someone two decades younger than him.

While Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller has worked his way into the mix, being rated number 5 by the IBF, 3 by the WBO, and 7 by the WBA, he will still need to raise his profile to get a major title shot. His listless win over Mariusz Wach in his HBO debut November 11 did not help his cause, as this entire show, headlined by Daniel Jacobs, was also a dud both in the TV ratings and at the box office.

Of course, you can just toss the boxing rankings in the trash when the money is right for an important and highly profitable fight. But it usually does help with the hype, marketing, and trickeration to build up such a fight if some more-than-unknown belt is on the line.

So whom will Anthony Joshua face in 2018, between his choices of Manuel Charr, Kubrat Pulev, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, Tyson Fury, and maybe someone else? Whomever brings in the most pounds, dollars, euros, and rubles, that's who.

(Photo credits: Anthony Joshua and Robert Joshua, Esther Lin/Showtime. Deontay Wilder-Bermane Stiverne 2, Tom Casino/Showtime. Tyson Fury, MTK. Joseph Parker, Hennessy Sports. Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua, Lawrence Lustig/Matchroom Boxing. Manuel Charr, WBA. Luis Ortiz, Eddie Goldman/No Holds Barred.)

Labels: Alexander Povetkin, Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Joseph Parker, Luis Ortiz, Manuel Charr, No Holds Barred, Tyson Fury

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the latest trickeration and treats in boxing, including theories why the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz fight was never meant to take place, and how the rematch between Wilder and Bermane Stiverne, whom Wilder defeated in 2015, was the plan all along. Also examined are the many misconceptions and mountain of misinformation and disinformation which had been spread about anti-doping procedures and why Ortiz was legitimately facing sanctions for taking two substances banned by all anti-doping organizations that were in his blood pressure medicine.

On October 14, the PBC returns with a split doubleheader full of title fights, but of planned, different levels of competitiveness. First up, live on Fox and Fox Deportes in the U.S., and taking place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, there are two featherweight title fights. Leo Santa Cruz will face Chris Avalos, and Abner Mares will fight Andres Gutierrez, both of which are designed as showcase fights to set up a much more anticipated Santa Cruz-Mares rematch following their 2015 fight, won by split decision by Santa Cruz.

Then on Showtime in the U.S, and taking place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, there will be a tripleheader of 154-pound title fights. WBA super champion Erislandy Lara, considered by many to be the best in the world in that division, will fight unbeaten Terrell Gausha. WBC champ Jermell Charlo will have a stiff test against undefeated Erickson Lubin. And IBF champ Jarrett Hurd will make the first defense of his belt against veteran former champion Austin Trout.

We discuss what is behind these fights, which may eventually lead to title unification fights, and get comments from Jarrett Hurd, Austin Trout, and Erickson Lubin from this past week's media conference call.

(Photo of Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder by Esther Lin/SHOWTIME.)

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: boxing, Charlo, deception, Deontay Wilder, doping, Eddie Goldman, Gausha, heavyweight, Hurd, Lara, Lubin, Luis Ortiz, Mares, matchmaking, No Holds Barred, Santa Cruz, Stiverne, trickeration, Trout

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the long wait for the next moves of boxing's top heavyweights, including Anthony Joshua, Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker, and Luis Ortiz.

(Photo of James Corden, Anthony Joshua, and Russell Brand on "The Late Late Show" courtesy of CBS.)

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.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Labels: Anthony Joshua, boxing, Deontay Wilder, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, Joseph Parker, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with the unbeaten heavyweight who is the most avoided fighter in that division, Luis "King Kong" Ortiz.

With a record of 27-0 and 23 KOs, his next fight will be April 22 when he faces journeyman Derric Rossy (31-12, 15 KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn as part of the card headlined by the Shawn Porter vs. Andre Berto fight. Exact TV details will be announced soon, but it will either be shown on Showtime or Showtime Extreme in the U.S.

We spoke with Luis Ortiz at a press conference in New York on March 30. He had just days before signed with advisor/manager Al Haymon and was still working out his plans, although he did repeatedly challenge the various heavyweight beltholders including Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, and Joseph Parker.

We open with an analysis of why Luis Ortiz has been so avoided over his career including the stagnated state of the heavyweight division, how the promoters he has previously worked with have failed to market him and move him to a title fight, his sparring with MMA fighter "King" Mo Lawal, the surreal atmosphere at this New York press conference, and more.

(Photo of Luis Ortiz and Bryant Jennings by Alex Menendez - HoganPhotos/Golden Boy Promotions. Photo of Luis Ortiz and Eddie Goldman by Kristal Hart.)

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:

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: Al Haymon, boxing, Eddie Goldman, heavyweight, King Kong, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Bellator MMA fighter King Mo Lawal.

His next fight will take place at Bellator 169 against Olympic gold medalist judoka Satoshi Ishii. Bellator 169 will take place Friday, December 16, as part of a joint card with BAMMA 27, at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.

We spoke with King Mo by phone Sunday.

Discussing this fight with Satoshi Ishii, he said, "This could be wrestling versus judo, boxing versus kickboxing," because Ishii trains in that in Holland and Japan. "Freestyle wrestling, that is.

"So it's going to be a clash of both styles, martial arts, all-around martial arts, grappling and standup."

Besides this fight, we also discussed numerous other topics, including: why many top judokas have had difficulty in MMA; his Bellator 154 fight with Phil Davis which he and many others felt he deserved to win; Saturday's Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev fight and why he thought Ward put on a great performance and deserved to win; his sparring with undefeated heavyweight boxer Luis Ortiz and Ortiz's disappointing fight with Malik Scott, who was fighting not to win but to survive; the importance of the PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) TV series to boxing; MMA and boxing TV announcers; the possibility of him returning to fight in Rizin in Japan next year; his desire to fight the winner of the February 21 Bellator 172 fight between newly-signed Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione; plans for Bellator's heavyweight division; 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 Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.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.

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: Andre Ward, Bellator, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Fedor Emelianenko, heavyweights, King Mo Lawal, Luis Ortiz, MMA, No Holds Barred, Satoshi Ishii, Sergey Kovalev

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward, who fight Saturday, November 19, in Las Vegas. Also, this past weekend's major boxing events are reviewed.

The fight between Kovalev (30-0-1, 26 KOs) and Ward (30-0, 15 KOs) will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be shown live on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S. and Sky Sports in the U.K.

We spoke with both Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward on a media conference call Tuesday.

"I must destroy him," vowed Kovalev.

Although he said he never makes predictions, Ward did say, "It's about a victory. It's about getting my hand raised. I'm not leaving Las Vegas without those belts."

This past Saturday, November 12, saw two major televised boxing cards.

In Monte Carlo, Monaco, and televised live in the U.K. on Sky Sports, Jamie McDonnell won a highly controversial unanimous decision over Liborio Solis to retain his WBA bantamweight belt. The crowd loudly booed the decision which was seen as a robbery. Nonetheless, this was an exciting fight as Solis pressured McDonnell throughout. In an awful heavyweight fight, which was also shown in the U.S. on HBO, the unbeaten Luis Ortiz faced Malik Scott, who chose to run for 12 rounds. Ortiz won a unanimous decision, but did himself no favors with an underwhelming performance himself. That was followed by another exciting matchup, as WBA super featherweight champ Jason Sosa dominated a game Stephen Smith to win by unanimous decision and retain his belt.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and shown live in the U.S. on Spike TV, the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) returned with three televised fights. In the first televised fight, lightweight Javier Fortuna survived a first-round knockdown to take a unanimous decision against previously unbeaten Omar Douglas in an entertaining and competitive fight. Next up was unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Jarrett Hurd stepping up to face veteran Jo Jo Dan. Hurd passed this test well, scoring a sixth-round TKO as the fight was stopped by Dan's corner.

The main event was clearly a showcase fight for unbeaten WBC welterweight champ Danny Garcia, who faced Samuel Vargas. As expected, Garcia dominated this bout, and the referee stopped the fight in round seven as Vargas's corner waved a white towel.

Garcia is next slated for a title unification fight on March 4, 2017, with unbeaten WBA champ Keith Thurman, who was a commentator for this card. Predictably, the two jawed at each other in the ring after Garcia's victory, ending this entertaining telecast on a high note.

(Photo of Kovalev and Ward by Khristopher Sandifer/Roc Nation Sports. Photos of Garcia and Vargas, and Garcia and Thurman, by Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions.)

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 Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.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.

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: Andre Ward, boxing, Danny Garcia, Eddie Goldman, Luis Ortiz, No Holds Barred, Sergey Kovalev