Thursday, July 23, 2020
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson on Shootfighting, Sambo, and Wrestling
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF). In the 1990s, the USWF ran a series of successful events, mainly in Amarillo, Texas, using shoot wrestling rules which allowed open-handed strikes, submissions, kicks, and knees.
Steve Nelson wrestled at Oklahoma State, won two world silver medals in sambo, had a judo background, came from a family of pro wrestlers, and fought in MMA. He was also the longtime head wrestling coach for both the boys' and girls' wrestling teams at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo.
We spoke with him by phone Wednesday.
Some two decades after USWF stopped running shows, there has been a recent revival of interest in it.
"All of a sudden we've got this revival of the USWF. People are wanting to write books on the USWF, write books on Evan Tanner," he said, referring to the USWF heavyweight champion, Pancrase Neo-Blood tournament winner, and later UFC middleweight champion.
"Gong Magazine just did a six-page layout on myself and the USWF in Japan," he added.
While he finds it "hard to believe" that so many people are interested in a fight company that ceased to exist so long ago, he did offer some insight into why USWF remains intriguing to people.
"I think a lot of people miss it," he said, "and it might have to do with some of the stuff that's going on now and how the USWF was handled. We tried to be a company with class, and you don't always see that in today's companies. That's how we tried to handle the USWF because I knew all those guys were role models."
While there are no plans to revive the USWF or its style, he is interested in recent developments in the sport of sambo.
"I'm surprised that sambo hasn't grown more than it has," he said, especially in the U.S. That, however, may start to change. He noted that there are three sambo schools in the Arlington-Dallas, Texas, area, with plans to establish a professional sambo league. If problems such as lack of funding and the need for more sambo schools are resolved, "I think the United States would be in a very high level of everybody else if all this was funded," he noted.
We also discussed more on the history and legacy of USWF, the many obstacles to sambo being included on the Olympic program, 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.
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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:
LenneHardt.com, the home of Lenne Hardt, the legendary MMA and sports announcer, voice actor, singer, actress, and comedienne. Lenne is also known for her jazz vocals with her Lenne Hardt Jazz Cabaret Band. For more information, to book her, or to order a custom message from her, go to LenneHardt.com.
Skullz Combat Sports Equipment, creator of the patented Skullz Double-End Bag, is the perfect punching bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve speed, distance, and timing skills. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. Skullz Combat Sports Equipment - Advancing combat sports equipment for the next generation of fighters. For more information, go to https://instagram.com/skullzcombatsports and https://facebook.com/skullzcombatsports.
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Labels: Amarillo, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, sambo, shootfighting, shootwrestling, Steve Nelson, Texas, USWF, wrestling
Saturday, August 01, 2015
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson and the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF)
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts an interview with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) in the 1990s in Amarillo, Texas.
This organization, which was one of the most successful local promotions of its time, held fights under what were called shootfighting rules, with only open hand strikes allowed, but with all submissions as well as kicks and knees permitted. It was thus a mixture of catch wrestling and MMA.
Steve was also a headliner in the company's most famous fight, when he took on Ralph Gracie, who had defeated him in under a minute in 1996 under no holds barred rules in Battlecade/Extreme Fighting 2 in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake near Montreal. The rematch took place August 22, 1998, as the main event of the USWF 11 show in Amarillo.
This fight was my selection as the 1998 Fight of the Year in mixed discipline combat sports.
A video of this fight can be seen here.
This interview was originally recorded in August 2008 to mark the tenth anniversary of his classic USWF fight with Ralph Gracie.
While MMA in the U.S. was facing many difficulties in 1998, the USWF, which just ran shows in Amarillo and West Texas, was drawing large crowds of upwards of 4000 fans.
Explaining this, Steve Nelson pointed out, "We didn't have a TV show. All we had was, we had posters around the town. I went and did a lot of interviews. So the other fighters did their interviews, too, on the radio, and we were pulling these kind of crowds."
They were so successful at the art of local promotion in the late 1990s that, "We were the top-drawing martial arts company in the United States at the time."
Much has changed since then, of course, with the USWF soon peaking and closing down a few years later. Many of its top stars then focused on MMA, including the late USWF and UFC champion Evan Tanner, or coaching wrestling like Steve, Paul Jones, and others.
Steve had been the head coach of the boy's and girl's wrestling teams at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo for many years, but retired from teaching and coaching in December 2013. He now works full-time as the manager of Sakura Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar in Amarillo.
In our original lengthy interview, we spoke with Steve about the USWF and its history; his fights with Ralph Gracie; some of the fighters from the USWF who became notable in MMA; important tips for promoters, especially local promoters who need to avoid quickly losing money (which is today particularly important for those running catch wrestling and grappling shows); the accomplishments of the wrestling teams he coached; and much more.
You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.
Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.
You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.
The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.
The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.
No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:
American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.
Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.
Labels: Amarillo, Eddie Goldman, Extreme Fighting, MMA, No Holds Barred, Ralph Gracie, shootfighting, shootwrestling, Steve Nelson, Texas, Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation, USWF, wrestling
Monday, December 26, 2011
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson on USWF, UWFi, and Catch Wrestling
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Nelson, the founder and owner of the USWF (Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation).
In the 1990s, the USWF ran a series of successful events, mainly in Amarillo, Texas, using shoot wrestling rules which allowed open-handed strikes, submissions, kicks, and knees. In essence, it was a real style of pro wrestling, having been derived from the worked style seen in Japan in companies like the UWFi. Steve Nelson, who had wrestled at Oklahoma State, won two world silver medals in sambo, had a judo background, came from a family of pro wrestlers, and fought in MMA, had also participated in UWFi and trained in real catch wrestling prior to founding the USWF. Steve is also the longtime head wrestling coach for both the boy's and girls' wrestling teams at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo.
We spoke with Steve by phone Monday afternoon about the history of the USWF and the lessons from it which we can utilize today. He explained how he positioned the USWF to be a real sport which promoted the athletes as role models and not trash-talkers. We discussed with Steve why the USWF produced such exciting events, including his historic rematch with Ralph Gracie at USWF 11 on August, 22, 1998, a great fight which earned Fight of the Year honors.
We also discussed the potential for a revival of real catch wrestling, what it must do to become popular once again, who would be its initial base of fans and participants, and more.
The videos from the USWF shows are also available on DVD on the USWF web site.
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:
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: catch, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, shoot, shootfighting, Steve Nelson, USWF, wrestling
Sunday, September 12, 2010
No Holds Barred: Hit or Miss? Shark Fights 13 Review with Steve Nelson
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the Shark Fights 13 mixed martial arts card with Steve Nelson, the founder of the USWF (Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation), who covered this show for No Holds Barred from cageside. Shark Fights 13 was held Saturday, September 11, at the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum in Amarillo, Texas, and telecast live on pay-per-view.
We had a lengthy and detailed discussion Sunday afternoon about this overwhelmingly well-received show. We analyzed the fights on this card, including the late stoppage in the exciting Houston Alexander-Sokoudjou fight, and the many upsets. We discussed the telecast, including the colorful and controversial commentary by Don Frye and Bas Rutten. And we examined what this all may mean, both positive and negative, for the future and positioning of Shark Fights. This is an in-depth analysis of this event, which its promoters hope will establish Shark Fights as a major MMA organization.
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:
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.
We had a lengthy and detailed discussion Sunday afternoon about this overwhelmingly well-received show. We analyzed the fights on this card, including the late stoppage in the exciting Houston Alexander-Sokoudjou fight, and the many upsets. We discussed the telecast, including the colorful and controversial commentary by Don Frye and Bas Rutten. And we examined what this all may mean, both positive and negative, for the future and positioning of Shark Fights. This is an in-depth analysis of this event, which its promoters hope will establish Shark Fights as a major MMA organization.
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:
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: Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shark Fights, Steve Nelson
Friday, September 10, 2010
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson Previews Shark Fights 13
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with former mixed martial arts fighter and wrestler, the founder of the USWF (Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation), and current wrestling coach Steve Nelson. He will be covering for No Holds Barred the mixed martial arts pay-per-view event Shark Fights 13.
This card takes place Saturday, September 11, in Steve's hometown, the great fight town of Amarillo, Texas, at the Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum. The main event will feature Keith Jardine facing Shark Fights light heavyweight champion Trevor Prangley in a non-title bout.
This will be the first attempt at a pay-per-view telecast by Shark Fight Promotions, and our discussion examined the prospects for success for this relatively young promotion, which was founded in 2007. We analyzed the huge risk they are taking by spending a great deal of money to put together this show, what they have to do at least to break even, and the chances of them doing so.
We also discussed the fight card, which generally seems to have evenly-matched fights. Besides the Jardine-Prangley fight, the televised card features Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou fighting Houston Alexander in a light heavyweight bout, Jorge Masvidal fighting Paul Daley in a welterweight bout, Joey Villasenor fighting Danillo Villafort in a middleweight bout, and Brock Larson fighting Tarec Saffiedine in a welterweight bout.
In addition, we commented on how this promotion is building this show by emphasizing respect for, and among, all the fighters.
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:
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: Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shark Fights, Steve Nelson
Monday, October 20, 2008
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson and Oct. 24 Shark Fight Promotions MMA Card in Amarillo, Texas
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) in the 1990's in Amarillo, Texas.
Our focus on this show is the debut mixed martial arts card being held Friday, October 24, in Amarillo, of Shark Fight Promotions.
This card, which will take place at the Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Exposition grounds right near Interstate 40, will also be available on an Internet pay-per-view. Steve will be the lead commentator for this Internet pay-per-view.
Besides the fight card, there will also be a tribute on this show to Amarillo native, the late Evan Tanner. One dollar of every pay-per-view purchase will be donated to the Evan Tanner Scholarship Fund.
In a lengthy interview, we discuss the debut of Shark Fight Promotions in Amarillo, this fight card and which fighters to watch most closely, mixed martial arts and wrestling in Amarillo and Texas, and more.
We also open the show with some comments on the masterful performance of Bernard Hopkins this past Saturday night, Oct. 18, in defeating Kelly Pavlik by a lopsided unanimous decision.
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.
FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.
Labels: Amarillo, Bernard Hopkins, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Kelly Pavlik, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shark Fights, Steve Nelson, Texas, UFC, wrestling
Thursday, September 18, 2008
No Holds Barred: Evan Tanner Tribute with Steve Nelson
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman is joined by Steve Nelson, founder of the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) of Amarillo, Texas, to talk about the passing of mixed martial arts and wrestling champion Evan Tanner.
Evan Tanner, a native of Amarillo who was living in Oceanside, Calif., was a USWF heavyweight champion, a two-time Texas high school state wrestling champion, a UFC middleweight champion, and a Pancrase Neo-Blood Tournament champion. The 37-year-old Tanner was found dead Sept. 8 after he had been reported missing while on a camping trip in southern California.
In this interview, we discuss how Steve, who knew Evan for about 20 years, watched him progress from being a successful high school wrestler to become a champion in professional shoot wrestling and mixed martial arts. We discuss Evan's life, his legacy, his strengths and weaknesses, his unending search to find meaning for what he did, and, to use Evan's own words, his attempt to influence children positively by opposing "the message of self-glorification and disrespect" and being "the ultimate gentleman, honorable and respectful."
There will be a public memorial meeting for Evan Tanner Saturday, September 27, beginning at 2 PM CDT, at the Amarillo Civic Center in that building’s auditorium, at 401 S. Buchanan Street, in Amarillo. The memorial meeting is called "Evan Tanner - Celebration of Life - Memorial". Steve Nelson will be a featured speaker at this memorial.
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: Amarillo, Eddie Goldman, Evan Tanner, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, shoot wrestling, shootfighting, Steve Nelson, Texas, UFC, Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation, USWF, wrestling
Friday, August 29, 2008
No Holds Barred: Steve Nelson and the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation
On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Steve Nelson, who fought in and ran the Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation (USWF) in the 1990's in Amarillo, Texas. This organization, which was one of the most successful local promotions of its time, held fights under what were called shootfighting rules, with only open hand strikes allowed, but with all submissions as well as kicks and knees permitted.
Steve was also a headliner in the company's most famous fight, when he took on Ralph Gracie, who had defeated him in under a minute in 1996 under no holds barred rules in Extreme Fighting 2 in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake near Montreal. The rematch took place August 22, 1998, at a USWF show in Amarillo.
This fight was my selection as the 1998 Fight of the Year in mixed discipline combat sports.
A video of most of this fight can be seen here.
In a lengthy interview, we spoke with Steve about the USWF and its history, his fights with Ralph Gracie, some of the fighters from the USWF who became notable in mixed martial arts, the movement to establish a wrestling team at West Texas A&M University, the accomplishments of the boy's and girl's wrestling teams at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, where Steve is the head coach, and more.
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: Amarillo, Eddie Goldman, Extreme Fighting, mixed martial arts, No Holds Barred, Ralph Gracie, shootfighting, shootwrestling, Steve Nelson, Texas, Unified Shoot Wrestling Federation, USWF, wrestling
