Sunday, November 13, 2011
No Holds Barred: Was Orwell Right About Sport? A Combat Sports Weekend Review
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the view held by George Orwell that "sport is an unfailing cause of ill-will" in light of the events in the combat sports on Saturday, November 12. Orwell wrote this in his 1945 essay entitled "The Sporting Spirit".
First up is a discussion of some of the positives in the combat sports, including the world sambo championships in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the freestyle and catch wrestling events in Wigan, England, and Summerville, South Carolina, in the U.S. Next is an analysis of the horrifying child rape scandal at Penn State University, including a coverup by school administrators and those running the football program, and how it may affect college wrestling. There was also a rally held Saturday in Las Vegas protesting "a string of incidents involving violent, misogynistic and homophobic language" in MMA, including the infamous tweet by UFC fighter Forrest Griffin that "Rape is the new missionary". The protest also called for the establishment of a code of conduct for MMA.
Next discussed are the fights themselves. Bellator had two tournament finals, won by Alexander Shlemenko at middleweight and Douglas Lima at welterweight. A 64-second fight was the only one on the UFC debut card on Fox, as Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez to take their heavyweight title. The tactics of that brief encounter are discussed.
The most discussed fight of the night was the third meeting between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao was awarded a highly-controversial majority decision in this one, which many observers believed was a robbery. Again, while boxing had a chance to make a good impression after the 64-second UFC blowout, many people left feeling cheated by the judges and ripped off by those running the sport.
So was Orwell right? That question was answered on this edition of No Holds Barred.
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:
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
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/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
First up is a discussion of some of the positives in the combat sports, including the world sambo championships in Vilnius, Lithuania, and the freestyle and catch wrestling events in Wigan, England, and Summerville, South Carolina, in the U.S. Next is an analysis of the horrifying child rape scandal at Penn State University, including a coverup by school administrators and those running the football program, and how it may affect college wrestling. There was also a rally held Saturday in Las Vegas protesting "a string of incidents involving violent, misogynistic and homophobic language" in MMA, including the infamous tweet by UFC fighter Forrest Griffin that "Rape is the new missionary". The protest also called for the establishment of a code of conduct for MMA.
Next discussed are the fights themselves. Bellator had two tournament finals, won by Alexander Shlemenko at middleweight and Douglas Lima at welterweight. A 64-second fight was the only one on the UFC debut card on Fox, as Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez to take their heavyweight title. The tactics of that brief encounter are discussed.
The most discussed fight of the night was the third meeting between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao was awarded a highly-controversial majority decision in this one, which many observers believed was a robbery. Again, while boxing had a chance to make a good impression after the 64-second UFC blowout, many people left feeling cheated by the judges and ripped off by those running the sport.
So was Orwell right? That question was answered on this edition of No Holds Barred.
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:
MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
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/.
The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.
Labels: boxing, catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Marquez, No Holds Barred, Orwell, Pacquiao, UFC
Sunday, November 07, 2010
No Holds Barred: Lopez-Marquez, Johnson-Green, More on the Real State of Boxing
Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews some of the latest thrilling and galling developments in boxing.
We discuss the TKO victory by featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez over Rafael Marquez and the knockout by now-super middleweight Glen Johnson over Allan Green on Saturday, November 6, and what they mean for boxing. We analyze the rejuvenation of the Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament on Showtime, and the implications of unbeaten IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute signing to fight on Showtime. We also expose the dangers that promoting the Lopez-Marquez fight as one which featured "the Puerto Rico-Mexico boxing rivalry" poses to both boxing and society in general. And we explain how more of the recent actions of the promoters, networks, and boxing media have only hastened boxing's doom, especially 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.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA WORLD EXPO. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Open No-Gi 2010 tournament, a Muay Thai tournament, MMA fighters from the Bellator Fighting Championships, training seminars, vendors, panel discussions, and more to come. The second annual MMA WORLD EXPO, in association with Madison Square Garden Sports, takes place Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews some of the latest thrilling and galling developments in boxing.
We discuss the TKO victory by featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez over Rafael Marquez and the knockout by now-super middleweight Glen Johnson over Allan Green on Saturday, November 6, and what they mean for boxing. We analyze the rejuvenation of the Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament on Showtime, and the implications of unbeaten IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute signing to fight on Showtime. We also expose the dangers that promoting the Lopez-Marquez fight as one which featured "the Puerto Rico-Mexico boxing rivalry" poses to both boxing and society in general. And we explain how more of the recent actions of the promoters, networks, and boxing media have only hastened boxing's doom, especially 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.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
MMA WORLD EXPO. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Open No-Gi 2010 tournament, a Muay Thai tournament, MMA fighters from the Bellator Fighting Championships, training seminars, vendors, panel discussions, and more to come. The second annual MMA WORLD EXPO, in association with Madison Square Garden Sports, takes place Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: boxing, Eddie Goldman, Green, Johnson, Lopez, Marquez, No Holds Barred
Sunday, August 01, 2010
No Holds Barred: John Perretti on Marquez-Diaz 2, HBO, Weightlifting, and More
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with former world kickboxing champion, former UFC and Extreme Fighting matchmaker, and our current senior correspondent, John Perretti.
We covered a wide variety of topics, starting with the brilliant performance by Juan Manuel Marquez in his 12-round unanimous decision win Saturday, July 31, in his lightweight title fight rematch with Juan Diaz. We analyzed the inspiring technique used by Marquez in dominating this fight, despite him being a decade older than the 26-year-old Diaz. We also skewered the HBO announcers, who failed to focus on what Marquez was doing in the ring, and instead talked more about the likable but more limited Diaz.
Our lengthy discussion also broke down the knockout victory by Dmitry Pirog over Danny Jacobs in a middleweight title fight, and the failure of HBO to interview the winner afterwards; the unimpressive decision win by lightweight/junior welterweight Robert Guerrero over an aging Joel Casamayor; and the dominant decision victory by Jorge Linares over Rocky Juarez in a lightweight fight.
Besides talking boxing, we ended by discussing its cousins, the combat sports of wrestling and grappling. We discussed why it may be as long as 50 or 100 years before submission wrestling or grappling can become a major spectator sport. And we heard about recent developments in another related sport, weightlifting, and why combat sports aficionados should be paying attention to that sport as well.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
We covered a wide variety of topics, starting with the brilliant performance by Juan Manuel Marquez in his 12-round unanimous decision win Saturday, July 31, in his lightweight title fight rematch with Juan Diaz. We analyzed the inspiring technique used by Marquez in dominating this fight, despite him being a decade older than the 26-year-old Diaz. We also skewered the HBO announcers, who failed to focus on what Marquez was doing in the ring, and instead talked more about the likable but more limited Diaz.
Our lengthy discussion also broke down the knockout victory by Dmitry Pirog over Danny Jacobs in a middleweight title fight, and the failure of HBO to interview the winner afterwards; the unimpressive decision win by lightweight/junior welterweight Robert Guerrero over an aging Joel Casamayor; and the dominant decision victory by Jorge Linares over Rocky Juarez in a lightweight fight.
Besides talking boxing, we ended by discussing its cousins, the combat sports of wrestling and grappling. We discussed why it may be as long as 50 or 100 years before submission wrestling or grappling can become a major spectator sport. And we heard about recent developments in another related sport, weightlifting, and why combat sports aficionados should be paying attention to that sport as well.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: boxing, Diaz, Eddie Goldman, John Perretti, Marquez, No Holds Barred
Sunday, July 25, 2010
No Holds Barred: Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Jorge Linares, Rocky Juarez, Robert Guerrero, Joel Casamayor
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the main card featuring the rematch of the 2009 fight of the year in boxing, when WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez faces Juan Diaz Saturday, July 31, in Las Vegas.
When they first fought on February 28, 2009, Marquez won by a ninth-round TKO. The non-stop, see-saw action from both boxers in that fight earned it fight of the year honors for 2009.
After a losing performance at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009, the 36-year-old Mexican legend Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) returns to a more natural weight for him to defend his lightweight belts in this fight.
Following the first Marquez-Diaz fight, the 26-year-old Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), from Houston, Texas, a former world lightweight champion himself, also had an unsuccessful try at a higher weight. He won a controversial decision against Paulie Malignaggi at junior welterweight, and then, in an immediate rematch, dropped a clear-cut decision to Malignaggi, both in 2009.
Now the rematch of their universally-acclaimed first battle is set, and at lightweight. It will headline a stacked card which will be shown on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S., and take place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While most major boxing pay-per-views feature one top-level fight preceded by a series of purposeful mismatches or just plain bad fights, the rest of this televised card should provide interesting, important, and competitive fights.
Only recently, many considered Venezuelan fighter Jorge Linares to be the future of boxing. But a shocking first-round knockout loss to little-known Juan Carlos Salgado in October 2009, followed by a less-than-stellar majority decision win over journeyman Francisco Lorenzo in March 2010, have raised questions about the potential of the 24-year-old Linares.
Now with a record of 28-1 with 18 KOs, Linares will face 2000 Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout on this card.
The 30-year-old Juarez, from Houston, Texas, also has something to prove, as he has come up short in several shots at a world title. He is also coming off a technical decision loss to Jason Litzau in April 2010 and a unanimous decision loss to unbeaten titleholder Chris John in September 2009.
This card also features a ten-round junior welterweight fight between 27-year-old Robert Guerrero (26-1-1, 18 KOs) of Gilroy, California, and the ageless Joel Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs), an Olympic gold medalist representing Cuba in 1992.
Guerrero, who had taken some time off from boxing to care for his wife, who has leukemia, last scored an eighth-round TKO over journeyman Roberto Arrieta in April 2010. A former titleholder at featherweight and super featherweight, he hopes to campaign regularly at lightweight or junior welterweight now.
Casamayor has already held world titles at super featherweight and lightweight. While he won a tune-up fight in November 2009, his last major fight was a loss by TKO in the eleventh round to Juan Manuel Marquez in September 2008. That was a very close fight up until the time of the stoppage, which some questioned, and the veteran Casamayor should certainly be well-rested for this fight with the younger Guerrero.
Also on this card will be a fight which should be the toughest test yet for 23-year-old Danny Jacobs (20-0, 17 KOs), of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. Many have criticized his opposition thus far as being too soft, but that should not be the case here, when he faces the unbeaten 30-year-old Russian fighter Dmitry Pirog (16-0, 13 KOs). Jacobs and Pirog will meet for the vacant WBO middleweight belt.
To preview this card, we spoke with Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Jorge Linares, Rocky Juarez, Robert Guerrero, and Joel Casamayor on a series of media conference calls. We also analyze the historical context of these fights, and offer thoughts on their significance.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
When they first fought on February 28, 2009, Marquez won by a ninth-round TKO. The non-stop, see-saw action from both boxers in that fight earned it fight of the year honors for 2009.
After a losing performance at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009, the 36-year-old Mexican legend Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) returns to a more natural weight for him to defend his lightweight belts in this fight.
Following the first Marquez-Diaz fight, the 26-year-old Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), from Houston, Texas, a former world lightweight champion himself, also had an unsuccessful try at a higher weight. He won a controversial decision against Paulie Malignaggi at junior welterweight, and then, in an immediate rematch, dropped a clear-cut decision to Malignaggi, both in 2009.
Now the rematch of their universally-acclaimed first battle is set, and at lightweight. It will headline a stacked card which will be shown on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S., and take place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While most major boxing pay-per-views feature one top-level fight preceded by a series of purposeful mismatches or just plain bad fights, the rest of this televised card should provide interesting, important, and competitive fights.
Only recently, many considered Venezuelan fighter Jorge Linares to be the future of boxing. But a shocking first-round knockout loss to little-known Juan Carlos Salgado in October 2009, followed by a less-than-stellar majority decision win over journeyman Francisco Lorenzo in March 2010, have raised questions about the potential of the 24-year-old Linares.
Now with a record of 28-1 with 18 KOs, Linares will face 2000 Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout on this card.
The 30-year-old Juarez, from Houston, Texas, also has something to prove, as he has come up short in several shots at a world title. He is also coming off a technical decision loss to Jason Litzau in April 2010 and a unanimous decision loss to unbeaten titleholder Chris John in September 2009.
This card also features a ten-round junior welterweight fight between 27-year-old Robert Guerrero (26-1-1, 18 KOs) of Gilroy, California, and the ageless Joel Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs), an Olympic gold medalist representing Cuba in 1992.
Guerrero, who had taken some time off from boxing to care for his wife, who has leukemia, last scored an eighth-round TKO over journeyman Roberto Arrieta in April 2010. A former titleholder at featherweight and super featherweight, he hopes to campaign regularly at lightweight or junior welterweight now.
Casamayor has already held world titles at super featherweight and lightweight. While he won a tune-up fight in November 2009, his last major fight was a loss by TKO in the eleventh round to Juan Manuel Marquez in September 2008. That was a very close fight up until the time of the stoppage, which some questioned, and the veteran Casamayor should certainly be well-rested for this fight with the younger Guerrero.
Also on this card will be a fight which should be the toughest test yet for 23-year-old Danny Jacobs (20-0, 17 KOs), of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. Many have criticized his opposition thus far as being too soft, but that should not be the case here, when he faces the unbeaten 30-year-old Russian fighter Dmitry Pirog (16-0, 13 KOs). Jacobs and Pirog will meet for the vacant WBO middleweight belt.
To preview this card, we spoke with Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Jorge Linares, Rocky Juarez, Robert Guerrero, and Joel Casamayor on a series of media conference calls. We also analyze the historical context of these fights, and offer thoughts on their significance.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Diaz, Eddie Goldman, Guerrero, Juarez, Linares, Marquez, No Holds Barred
Sunday, May 23, 2010
No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell on Marquez-Vazquez, Decline of Boxing and Boxing Writers, Craigslist, and More
(Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman has a wild and lengthy discussion with our correspondent Charles Farrell about the Rafael Marquez-Israel Vazquez and Yonnhy Perez- Abner Mares fights from Saturday, May 22, the decline of boxing and boxing writing, and much more.
The fourth fight between Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez ended in the third round when the referee ruled that the bloodied and blinded Vazquez could not continue. We discuss their historic trilogy of fights, where each fighter can go from here, and why there must not be a fifth fight. We also discuss the majority draw between Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares, and how this could be the start of a series of fights between these two. We also discuss the obstacles facing fighters at lower weights such as Marquez and Vazquez, whose first fights were at super bantamweight and now at featherweight, and Perez and Mares, who are bantamweights. We also examine the long practice of boxing promoters and television networks of using nationalism and jingoism to promote fights.
Related to these problems are the general decline of boxing in America and the concurrent decline of boxing writing. We discuss this in relation to the offer by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) to reinstate Eddie, and the history of that dispute. We also analyze in depth whether the BWAA dues of $40 might be better spent answering a personal ad on Craigslist. And we discuss issues like who is better, Vitali Klitschko or Nina Simone, and much, 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.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
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, Marquez, No Holds Barred, Vazquez
Thursday, May 20, 2010
No Holds Barred: Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, Ben Askren, Bubba Jenkins
(Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman combines commentary on mixed martial arts, boxing, and wrestling, with interviews with boxers Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, wrestler and mixed martial artist Ben Askren, and wrestler Bubba Jenkins.
We open with commentary on the issue of the lack of a union or association of fighters in both boxing and mixed martial arts, and why organization is so critical in establishing one. We move on to the related issue of the promotion of negative stereotypes in combat sports. We also discuss the relatively low numbers who watched the Strikeforce mixed martial arts card this past Saturday, May 15, on Showtime, headlined by the fight between Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and Brett Rogers, and why that was. We again address the lack of state-of-the-art anti-doping procedures in mixed martial arts and boxing. And we comment once again on the flawed pay-per-view model.
In boxing, what was a legendary trilogy will now be extended to a fourth fight, as Israel Vazquez (44-4, 33 KOs) faces Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their previous fights were the most dramatic and greatest of 2007 and 2008, and this one, at featherweight, will also be shown live in the U.S. on Showtime. We spoke with both Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez on a recent media conference call to hear how they are preparing for what could be another memorable battle.
Last Thursday, May 13, the Beat the Streets organization, which has been developing numerous wrestling programs for youth in the New York area, especially in the public high schools and middle schools, held a fundraiser on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York. Several wrestling matches in various styles were featured.
After them, we spoke with 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Ben Askren, who defeated Moza Fay in two periods in a freestyle match at this event, about his actively competing in wrestling and mixed martial arts at the same time. Ben Askren will be fighting May 20 in Grand Prairie, Texas, for the Bellator Fighting Championships in the semifinals of their welterweight tournament. His opponent will be Ryan Thomas, whom he defeated in the quarterfinals by a controversial technical submission. Thomas was a substitute when an opening developed later in the quarters and won that fight, so this will be a rematch.
We also spoke with wrestler Bubba Jenkins, a 2007 junior world freestyle champion, a 2008 NCAA runner-up for Penn State, and a 2010 University Nationals freestyle champion. He was in the main event of the Beat the Streets card, facing the wrestler who defeated him in those 2008 finals, two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf, who finished his college career at the University of Iowa and is now focusing on freestyle wrestling. Metcalf was once again victorious, this time under freestyle rules. We discussed this match Bubba Jenkins, his transfer to Arizona State where he will wrestle his senior year, his plans in wrestling, and why he wants to become a mixed martial arts fighter in the future.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
We open with commentary on the issue of the lack of a union or association of fighters in both boxing and mixed martial arts, and why organization is so critical in establishing one. We move on to the related issue of the promotion of negative stereotypes in combat sports. We also discuss the relatively low numbers who watched the Strikeforce mixed martial arts card this past Saturday, May 15, on Showtime, headlined by the fight between Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and Brett Rogers, and why that was. We again address the lack of state-of-the-art anti-doping procedures in mixed martial arts and boxing. And we comment once again on the flawed pay-per-view model.
In boxing, what was a legendary trilogy will now be extended to a fourth fight, as Israel Vazquez (44-4, 33 KOs) faces Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their previous fights were the most dramatic and greatest of 2007 and 2008, and this one, at featherweight, will also be shown live in the U.S. on Showtime. We spoke with both Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez on a recent media conference call to hear how they are preparing for what could be another memorable battle.
Last Thursday, May 13, the Beat the Streets organization, which has been developing numerous wrestling programs for youth in the New York area, especially in the public high schools and middle schools, held a fundraiser on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York. Several wrestling matches in various styles were featured.
After them, we spoke with 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestler and mixed martial arts fighter Ben Askren, who defeated Moza Fay in two periods in a freestyle match at this event, about his actively competing in wrestling and mixed martial arts at the same time. Ben Askren will be fighting May 20 in Grand Prairie, Texas, for the Bellator Fighting Championships in the semifinals of their welterweight tournament. His opponent will be Ryan Thomas, whom he defeated in the quarterfinals by a controversial technical submission. Thomas was a substitute when an opening developed later in the quarters and won that fight, so this will be a rematch.
We also spoke with wrestler Bubba Jenkins, a 2007 junior world freestyle champion, a 2008 NCAA runner-up for Penn State, and a 2010 University Nationals freestyle champion. He was in the main event of the Beat the Streets card, facing the wrestler who defeated him in those 2008 finals, two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf, who finished his college career at the University of Iowa and is now focusing on freestyle wrestling. Metcalf was once again victorious, this time under freestyle rules. We discussed this match Bubba Jenkins, his transfer to Arizona State where he will wrestle his senior year, his plans in wrestling, and why he wants to become a mixed martial arts fighter in the future.
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:
BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.
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/.
Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Askren, Eddie Goldman, Jenkins, Marquez, No Holds Barred, Vazquez, wrestling
Monday, May 18, 2009
No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell on Boxing in Asia, Europe, and America
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent, the award-winning boxing writer and musician Charles Farrell.
We began our lengthy discussion by focusing on the curious case of matchmaking in the title fight taking place May 26 in Shanghai, China, between the veteran WBC flyweight champion Daisuke Naito (34-2-3, 22 KOs) of Japan and the inexperienced Xiong Zhao Zhong (12-1-1, 8 KOs) of China. This is reported to be the first time a boxer from China will fight for a world belt from a major sanctioning body. Xiong, however, has only one win against a fighter with a winning record, who was just 1-0, and lost a regional light flyweight title fight in November to a 13-6 fighter. Nonetheless, once Naito agreed to fight in China, Xiong was given this world flyweight title shot. Welcome to the world of professional boxing, People's Republic of China!
We also discussed fights in Europe and America including the July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas and their media tour this week, the June 13 welterweight fight in New York between Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey, the June 20 heavyweight fight in Germany between David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko, the little-anticipated May 30 heavyweight fight in Finland between Nikolai Valuev and Ruslan Chagaev, the May 16 fight in California between super middleweights Andre Ward and Edison Miranda, and more.
We also read an e-mail about the "One World Champion" video sent by none other than former heavyweight champion of the world, George Foreman. And we comment on the recent writing awards announced by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and how the woeful state of boxing journalism hurts the sport.
This will be the last edition of No Holds Barred until after the May 23 Art of War Fighting Championship mixed martial arts card in Beijing, China, which we will be attending, so now is a good time also to catch up on those episodes of the show where we discussed this important event.
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.
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: Art of War, boxing, Charles Farrell, China, Daisuke Naito, David Haye, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, George Foreman, Klitschko, Marquez, No Holds Barred, One World Champion, WBC, Xiong Zhao Zhong
