NO HOLDS BARRED

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins the first part of this show by commenting on the return of Randy Couture to the UFC and how this is a major setback for the battle for the rights of fighters in the mixed martial arts. We also discuss the further devolution of the UFC, some of the main reasons for the continuing failures of their rival mixed martial arts promotions, and the need for a grassroots coalition to advance the struggle for fighters' rights.

In the second part of the show, we turn to the sport of wrestling.

Two of the more pleasant stories coming out of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were the gold medal victory in men's freestyle wrestling at 55kg by Henry Cejudo, and the bronze medal victory in women's freestyle wrestling at 63kg by Randi Miller. Both were in New York for a series of media appearances this week, and we caught up with them.

Henry Cejudo discusses his Olympic victory, how he views both freestyle and folkstyle, wrestling in comparison to boxing and mixed martial arts, and his plans.

Randi Miller discusses her Olympic victory, her style of wrestling, women's wrestling and the importance of girl's high school wrestling programs, and her plans.

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: Beijing, boxing, Eddie Goldman, freestyle wrestling, Henry Cejudo, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, Randi Miller, Randy Couture, UFC, wrestling

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the controversy regarding Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian, who had his bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games stripped by FILA, the international wrestling federation.

In the second period of the 84kg semifinal match with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, the eventual gold medal winner, Ara Abrahamian, who had lost the first period, received a warning by the referee. However, it was only after the match was over that a point was assessed against him, thus giving Minguzzi a win in the period, and thus the entire match. Requests to file a protest and for a video review of the match were denied by FILA.

Ara Abrahamian, along with the Swedish National Olympic Committee, then filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the way FILA handled these requests. He also returned the bronze medal he later won, leaving it on the mat and walking out of the media ceremony. Abrahamian was later stripped of the medal, and vilified by almost all the mainstream media as a sore loser.

The hearing was held Friday, August 22, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with Abrahamian and the SNOC that FILA was wrong in how they handled this and that FILA had violated both the Olympic Charter and their own rules.

Their decision said, "FILA is required by the Olympic Charter and its own internal rules, to provide a procedure in its rules for an appeal jury (or some equivalent) to hear promptly claims by athletes or others affected that in a competition the relevant officials have not complied with FILA rules and procedures."

On this edition of No Holds Barred, we discuss this case in depth, and what it means for the sport of wrestling.

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, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Eddie Goldman, FILA, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman, IOC, Minguzzi, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, Swedish Wrestling Federation, wrestling

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary matchmaker and boxing personality Johnny Bos.

We open with a discussion of what has been the biggest sporting disgrace of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: the boxing competition. Besides the almost universally condemned scoring system utilized in Olympic boxing, there has been a general decline of boxing in the Olympics, and in particular a sharp decline in the amateur boxing program in the U.S.

All that and more is examined in this lengthy and fascinating interview.

Plus, Johnny offers his bleak assessment of the future of professional boxing, and ends by giving his advice to those already in boxing.

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

Labels: 2008 Summer Olympics, AIBA, amateur boxing, Beijing, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Johnny Bos, No Holds Barred, Olympic boxing, Olympic Games, Olympics, USA Boxing

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Wade Schalles, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion, a champion or All-American in folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling and in sombo and judo, and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Wade is now working with Media Sports Productions to promote wrestling through developing a weekly TV show called Wrestling 411.

In a lengthy discussion, we touch on both the progress of this project and what is happening in the wrestling at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. We discuss both the good and the bad, including the incredible performances by 21-year-old, first-time Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo of the U.S., and 33-year-old, three-time Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia.

We also explain some of the controversies revolving around the current rules in international wrestling, And we discuss the context, which has largely been unreported in the media, about the controversy over the returning of his bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics by Swedish Greco-Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian.

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, Beijing, Bouvaisa Saitiev, Eddie Goldman, FILA, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman, Henry Cejudo, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, Wade Schalles, women's wrestling, wrestling

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Jacqui Snow, moderator of the MySpace Boxing Forum. The main topic is what is happening at the boxing competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

We discuss the ongoing controversy about the rules and scoring in Olympic boxing, what this means for the future of both amateur and professional boxing, the continuing problems with the American Olympic boxing program, and more.

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

Labels: 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, boxing, Broadway Boxing, Eddie Goldman, Jacqui Snow, MySpace, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, USA Boxing

Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred and SecondsOut Radio was a guest on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" early Tuesday morning, August 12. Eddie is the boxing correspondent for this show.

It was certainly a contrast of content, styles, and taste, as the other guests were comedian Rick Younger and Joshua Neuman, editor and publisher of Heeb Magazine, who was discussing something called the Heeb Olympics. But Eddie stuck to his game plan, focusing on the huge, positive, worldwide reaction thus far to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, some problems in the Olympics, and what is going on in Olympic and pro boxing.

You can listen to or download this here or here.

The "Joey Reynolds Show" is a national radio broadcast in New York on WOR 710 AM and on 100 other stations via the WOR Network. The show airs live beginning at midnight EDT and runs to 5 AM EDT. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show," go to http://wor710.com/pages/46370.php?contentType=4&contentId=157588. For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com/.

Labels: 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, boxing, Eddie Goldman, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman, Joey Reynolds, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, SecondsOut Radio, women's wrestling, WOR, wrestling

SecondsOut Radio with Eddie Goldman

On this week's edition of SecondsOut Radio, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on the many challenges and problems faced by Olympic boxing. The boxing competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games started August 9, and runs to August 20, and then resumes August 22-24, with the finals on August 23 and 24.

This past Wednesday, August 6, Broadway Boxing, the local New York fight series put on by promoter Lou DiBella, returned with a card at the B.B. King Blues Club in Times Square in Manhattan. A mix of veterans and newcomers fought on this show.

The main event saw former junior welterweight champion Randall Bailey (37-6, 34 KOs) stop journeyman Dairo Esalas (31-14, 25 KOs) in just 46 seconds of the first round.

We spoke with Randall Bailey after this fight to discuss it and what his plans are.

We also spoke with WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto (22-0, 19 KOs), who was attending this card. He won his title June 21, 2008, by dominating Miki Rodriguez (29-3, 23 KOs) and scoring a seventh-round TKO. His first defense will be against veteran Steve Forbes (33-6, 9 KOs) September 27, in Los Angeles, California.

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

Labels: 2008 Summer Olympics, Andre Berto, Beijing, boxing, Broadway Boxing, Eddie Goldman, Lou DiBella, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, Randall Bailey

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Gary Abbott, Director of Communications and Special Projects of USA Wrestling, who is in Beijing, China, for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

In a lengthy discussion, we preview the wrestling competition which will take place at the 2008 Olympics. We discuss both whom to watch on the American team, and who are the gold medal favorites in the various weights classes and styles.

The wrestling at the 2008 Olympics begins Tuesday, August 12, with three days of Greco-Roman wrestling. Women's freestyle wrestling takes place August 16 and 17. Men's freestyle wrestling takes place August 19-21. Each weight class will start and conclude each day, meaning that there will be gold medal finals each and every day of the wrestling competition. All the wrestling will be held at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium on China Agricultural University's East Campus in Beijing.

TheMat.com, the web site of USA Wrestling, has set up an indispensable special event coverage section for the wrestling competition at the 2008 Olympics.

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: 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, Eddie Goldman, FILA, freestyle wrestling, Gary Abbott, Greco-Roman wrestling, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, USA Wrestling, women's wrestling, wrestling

NO HOLDS BARRED on DojoRadio.com

NO HOLDS BARRED on PodOmatic

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents a dialectical look at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, which begin Friday, August 8.

We examine the various aspects of the Olympics, including the contradiction between, on the one hand, the rampant commercialism and corruption in the Olympics, and, on the other hand, the sporting aspect of this event. We conclude, at least for the combat sports, that the Olympics are worth watching because the sporting aspect remains the principal aspect in them.

You can download No Holds Barred here or here. You can also listen to 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: 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, boxing, Eddie Goldman, FILA, freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, judo, No Holds Barred, Olympic Games, Olympics, USA Wrestling, women's wrestling, wrestling