NO HOLDS BARRED

My latest piece, "My New Gig", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.

Labels: Bloody Elbow, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, media, No Holds Barred

 My latest piece, "It Ain't Over Yet", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.

Labels: Eddie Goldman, media, No Holds Barred

My latest piece, "The Writing Is On the Paywall", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.

Labels: boxing, Eddie Goldman, media, No Holds Barred, paywall, WAAR Room, writing

Become a Patron!
It is time I moved much of my original content about combat sports to the crowdfunding site known as Patreon.

While I still will write or produce other content for other sites when possible, i.e., when there is paid work, the opportunities for independent and critical journalism about the combat sports, as I have mentioned for many years, are very limited. TV and streaming networks, promoters, and others who make money from the efforts of the athletes have gobbled up most of what is out there. Besides those, media outlets which do not focus on combat sports usually either ignore or slander them, or produce pieces with empty phrases, no critical analysis, or cliches provided by promoters and networks, and most often written or produced by simpletons, mediocrities, shills, and those ignorant, willfully or not, of how these sports are truly run.

That leaves me in a position of needing a platform where I determine what does and does not go up, and still try to earn some income from my labor. A good option would be some type of collective made up of those committed to independent combat sports journalism, but no such thing appears to be forming. And that is where Patreon, and you, come in.

Patreon is a web site where users can post their own content and set up free and paid tiers. "Creators", as the site calls them, get 90% or so of what comes in. If they wish, they can charge a monthly fee for people to see special content, with the rest, if any, for free.

It is thus relies for income on these "patrons", as opposed to relying on some publisher or editor, or advertising revenue, which obviously compromises the content. I read that the average monthly amount paid by "patrons" is $12, but the vast majority of users take home little money.

I set up a Patreon page a few years ago but never really used it, and just posted one link to my podcast. For now, I plan to experiment with reviving it.

I do not plan at this time to have tiers of paid and free content. It all will be up there. But I will ask for people to pledge what they can give per month to keep my work going. Details are forthcoming.

This week I plan to post a new article there analyzing the real impact of "The Tyson Fury Show". I also plan to move the comments about and links to other media about the combat sports and various social issues in world sport in general, from my social media pages like Facebook and Twitter, to the Patreon page.

After some time, I will evaluate how well this is all working out.

Here is the link to my page:

https://www.patreon.com/eddiegoldman

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

Labels: combat sports, Eddie Goldman, media, No Holds Barred, Patreon

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Tim Smith, Vice President of Communications for Haymon Boxing, which puts on the live televised boxing series, Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).

This week, the PBC announced its plans for the rest of 2016 and for its third season in 2017. These include continuing its broadcast deals in the U.S. with FOX, FS1, Spike, NBC, ESPN, SHOWTIME/CBS, and Bounce TV. PBC also promises to air more primetime network shows in 2017 than in either of its first two seasons. There also are plans to show PBC events online.

We spoke with Tim Smith by phone Thursday.

"We're looking at every possible way to get boxing in front of people, to expand the audience to people that aren't really boxing fans right now," he said. "We're looking at building the sport back into a mainstream sport. That's the goal, to build it into a mainstream sport again."

As for the future, he said, "I think 2017 is going to be a great year." But he was also critical of those who have said that 2016 has been a bad year for boxing.

"Again, I think 2016 was a very good year for boxing," he said. "I don't see the doom and gloom that people are talking about for 2016. I just don't see it."

We also discussed his role as "conduit" between Haymon Boxing head Al Haymon and the media; the role of legitimate journalists and the failure of many in the boxing media who were claiming that PBC was "dead"; plans for title fights and virtual tournaments in the 126, 147, and 154 pound divisions, as well as potential heavyweight title unification fights; the many upsets which have taken place on PBC shows; the importance of having boxing on non-pay and non-premium TV; how PBC can eventually make money through getting rights fees for televised shows; and much, 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 free to listen to and 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: Al Haymon, Eddie Goldman, journalism, media, No Holds Barred, PBC, Premier Boxing Champions, Tim Smith

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the misinformation in the boxing media about this coming Saturday's PBC on ESPN Thurman-Collazo card; the idiotic over-reporting in the mainstream media about what should have been a footnote with laughter on one of the alphabet soup groups stripping Floyd Mayweather of its belt; the failure of much of the boxing media to notice that this past Saturday's Jamie Conlan-Junior Granados battle in Dublin was a thrilling fight of the year candidate; and 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: boxing, disinformation, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, Jamie Conlan, Junior Granados, Keith Thurman, Luis Collazo, media, misinformation, No Holds Barred, PBC on ESPN

(Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman plays the media conference call recorded Wednesday, April 22, featuring Floyd Mayweather. The unbeaten Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) faces Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) in a welterweight title unification mega-fight Saturday, May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fight, boxing's most anticipated in years, will be shown live in the U.S. on pay-per-view and televised all around the world, and is expected to shatter all records for revenue and viewership for any pay-per-view event.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: boxing, conference call, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, media, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with veteran boxing journalist Michael Marley.

Marley, who currently writes for the Examiner.com, also tried to speak by asking a question on Monday's media conference call featuring Manny Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach, and promoter Bob Arum, to publicize the May 2 Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-fight. But just minutes into the call, and after apparent confusion and general disorganization on it, Arum abruptly ended the call, and only right after the call's operator announced that the first question would be from Michael Marley. Arum interrupted the operator with an expletive, and said they should "reorganize" and that the call should be rescheduled. So the call was stopped prematurely.

We spoke with Michael Marley by phone Monday shortly after this abbreviated conference call, which we also play on this show.

"I wasn't looking to make a scene or anything. I just had a question I have in mind which I think is a valid question," he said.

"I wanted to ask Manny Pacquiao how he could believe or think or say that he can knock out or stop Mayweather, because the fact is that, all due respect to Pacquiao, a great champion, he'll be fighting one of the greatest defensive fighters ever. And that's coupled with the fact that Manny hasn't knocked anybody out since November 14th of 2009, when he stopped Miguel Cotto in the 12th round."

We went on to discuss what might happen in the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and why he expects that this will be the first of what will become a trilogy of fights.

We also discussed the reduction of free access for the media to cover and interview fighters compared with the past, how this has only hurt boxing, his many years of experience in working with promoter Don King and in the media, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Bob Arum, boxing, conference call, Don King, Eddie Goldman, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, media, Michael Marley, No Holds Barred

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

To mark the ninth anniversary of the No Holds Barred podcast this week, we did not have cake or drink beer, but had a lengthy and wide-ranging discussion on the state of MMA and the combat sports in general.

We spoke with Bob Carson by Skype Wednesday.

Speaking of the state of MMA today, he minced no words.

"What you have is basically a spectacle that I don't think is on a solid foundation anymore," he said.

"I think that this is a sport now unfortunately that is one scandal away, one mishap away from extinction."

We discussed these myriad scandals plaguing MMA and whether or not it could survive in the long-term. We also discussed the lessons and implications of these scandals for re-emerging sports like catch wrestling and combat wrestling, the pathetic role played by virtually all of those who masquerade as the MMA "media", the current revival of boxing, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at AmericanTopTeam.com.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at DefenseSoap.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Bob Carson, boxing, Carson's Corner, catch, combat, Eddie Goldman, grappling, media, MMA, No Holds Barred, sports, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with longtime boxing and baseball journalist Wallace Matthews.

After being one of the most prominent and respected boxing writers for decades as well as covering other sports since 1983 as a reporter, columnist, radio host, and TV commentator for Newsday, the New York Post, the New York Sun, and ESPN New York 98.7 FM, he is now covering the New York Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.

We spoke with him by phone Tuesday.

"It's kind of like I'm doing my career backwards, because most people start out doing a team beat like I'm doing now, and then move on to write a column. I kind of did it the opposite way. I did boxing for a long time and I wrote a general column for about 15 years, and now I'm a beat man for ESPNNewYork on the Yankees," he said.

"They are a very interesting team, a team that keeps you busy, because there's never any shortage of storylines. And a very, very different world from covering boxing, I must tell you."

But he added, "I wouldn't say that it's a world I prefer, I must tell you. I really enjoyed covering boxing. I think it was the best time in my life and the best time in my career. But it does have its own challenges, and I'm never bored, I'll tell you that much. I'm never bored covering the Yankees."

We discussed why he enjoys boxing so much and sees it as the greatest test for an athlete in any sport, the difference in the athletes in boxing and baseball, the lack of adequate safety precautions for boxers by the political appointees on state commissions, the risks of brain damage in boxing, the failure of much of the boxing and general sports media to address the problems in the sport, and why he would go back to covering boxing if he had the opportunity.

We also discussed baseball and the New York Yankees, including some of the issues around the Biogenesis doping scandal and Alex Rodriguez, why he does not like doing predictions of a team's chances before the season but has to do so anyway, the failure of much of the baseball and general sports media to address the problems in the sport, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: baseball, boxing, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, media, New York, No Holds Barred, Wallace Matthews, Yankees

Bob Meyrowitz. Photo by Eddie Goldman, Feb. 1, 2008.

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts an interview with Bob Meyrowitz which was originally posted on July 19, 2006. This is the original description of this show:

On this week's edition of NO HOLDS BARRED, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Bob Meyrowitz, former CEO of eYada.com and Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG), which started and produced the original Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) shows from 1993 to 2000.

Bob offers his take on what he thinks of the current UFC product and the level of talent in it under its present owner, Zuffa. He also refutes the many factually incorrect articles that have appeared mainly in newspapers claiming that when SEG put on UFC shows, there were no rules, that the company ran from sanctioning by state athletic commissions, and that the level of athlete in the early UFC's was low. He recounts how UFC was sanctioned by the New York State Athletic Commission in late 1996, but how the commission double-crossed UFC at the last moment. He discusses UFC's attempt in 1999 to get sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and who on that commission opposed its sanctioning. Plus, he tells us who among the mainstream media and numerous boxing writers now commenting on UFC and its history have actually bothered to contact him to find out his views and what occurred.

Plus, Bob talks about his plans to run a new mixed martial arts event in the very near future, plans which have not been completely finalized yet but are expected to be so in a very short time. And he tells us what his attitude is towards the mixed martial arts and fight media, as well as other promoters, an issue which has again come to the fore.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

GrappleGnostic, sponsored by Defense Soap. Where the will to win meets the power of knowledge. Features, interviews, analysis, health tips, and information on wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and all the grappling arts, written by some of the best writers and experts in the world. Check out their web site, a http://defensesoap.com/grapplegnostic.

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 http://defensesoap.com.

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/.

Labels: Bob Meyrowitz, boxing, Eddie Goldman, eYada.com, media, mixed martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, SEG, Semaphore Entertainment Group, UFC, ultimate fighting, wrestling, Zuffa

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the main lessons of the tumultuous year of 2013 for wrestling, where it was almost banished from the Olympics, and examines what international, real professional, and catch wrestling must do in order to resolve the problems holding back the sport. The need for professional leadership, being media-savvy, running the various wrestling organizations like real sports, and battling corruption are among the topics stressed.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

LenneHardt.com, the web site of the world's greatest ring announcer, Lenne Hardt. Need a unique and cool combat sports-related gift? At LenneHardt.com, you can order personalized messages, wedding calls, ringtones, phone answering messages, and more, all recorded by Lenne herself, in the style of your choice. For more information, go to LenneHardt.com.

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

GrappleGnostic, sponsored by Defense Soap. Where the will to win meets the power of knowledge. Features, interviews, analysis, health tips, and information on wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and all the grappling arts, written by some of the best writers and experts in the world. Check out their web site, a http://defensesoap.com/grapplegnostic.

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 http://defensesoap.com.

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/.

Labels: 2013, 2014, catch, corruption, crisis, Eddie Goldman, FILA, media, No Holds Barred, Olympics, real professional, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the recent coverage of boxing, MMA, and wrestling in the sports media, including Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine, and why it is a combination of mediocre writing, idiocy, and abject shilling. This is related to an exodus, particularly in the U.S., from the mainstream media in general, and highlights the need for the combat sports in particular to develop media providing both quality and critical analysis and reporting.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: boxing, catch, catch-as-catch-can, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, ESPN Magazine, Floyd Mayweather, Guardian, IOC, media, mediocrities, MMA, No Holds Barred, Olympics, Saul Canelo Alvarez, Sports Illustrated, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with David Rowe, a professor of cultural research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia.

In February, he wrote an article, first for The Conversation and then republished by Play the Game, which has gained much attention around the world: "On scandal after scandal, sports journalists drop the ball".

In this article, he noted that while sport is rocked by numerous scandals, those who are supposed to be covering them, the sports journalists, "are looking more than a little dishevelled", and that most good investigative sports journalism "happens outside the mainstream institutional media". This should certainly be understood by those who are familiar with what tries to pass as "journalism" in the combat sports.

We spoke with David Rowe by Skype Wednesday (Tuesday New York time) about the many issues facing sports journalists and journalism.

He discussed in this interview what he called "a very basic question".

"What is a sports journalist? What is sports journalists for? What do they do? Now, I have a kind of old-fashioned idea of journalism as being about the Fourth Estate, that is, a watchdog on behalf of the citizenry, speaks truth to power, etc. That's what we expect of people who call themselves journalists. Now I guess if they want to call themselves something else, then that's OK, as long as they don't, I suppose, pretend to be journalists."

We discussed how sports journalists have dealt with such issues as the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and match-fixing. He said about their coverage, "Generally I'd have to say, that it's been pretty lamentable, but on the whole, with some distinguished exceptions", with many of these journalists acting like fans and getting too close to the sports organizations than they should.

We also discussed the many types of difficulties facing freelance sports journalists who do aspire to act as watchdogs on behalf of the public, how the main target of bad sports journalism has to be the big media companies which too often act as unofficial public relations agencies, the training of sports journalists, what fans can do to pressure the media, some positive signs with the emergence of a new generation of sports journalists, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

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/.

Labels: David Rowe, Eddie Goldman, journalism, journalists, media, No Holds Barred, Play Game, professor, scandal, sport, sports, Sydney

Labels: Eddie Goldman, ESPN, fighter pay, John Barr, journalism, media, MMA, No Holds Barred, UFC

Labels: Ali, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Foreman, Frazier, Howard Cosell, journalism, Mark Ribowsky, media, MMA, No Holds Barred

Labels: Alistair Overeem, boxing, Eddie Goldman, Kelly Pavlik, media, MMA, No Holds Barred

Former Olympic and world champion Meldrick Taylor, Eddie Goldman of No Holds Barred, and Gumersindo Vidot, the publicist for Meldrick Taylor, were guests on the nationally-syndicated "Joey Reynolds Show" late Monday night/early Tuesday morning, Aug. 31/Sept. 1. Eddie Goldman is also the boxing correspondent for the "Joey Reynolds Show".

In the first half of our segment, Joey Reynolds and Eddie Goldman discussed a number of topics including the continuing controversy over the decision in the August 22 Paulie Malignaggi-Juan Diaz fight, the need for a rematch, how many of the people running boxing in America are ruining it, and also the growth and role of technology, especially in the media.

We were then joined by Meldrick Taylor and Gumersindo Vidot. The discussion turned to one of the most controversial fights in boxing history, the March 17, 1990, 140-pound title unification bout between two unbeaten champions, Meldrick Taylor and Julio Cesar Chavez, in Las Vegas, NV.

As the fight headed into the 12th and final round, Meldrick Taylor was well ahead on two of the scorecards. But in the closing seconds of that round, Chavez launched a final assault that sent Taylor to the canvas. With time running out, Taylor arose at about the count of six. While Taylor was standing straight up, however, referee Richard Steele stopped the fight -- with just two seconds remaining. Chavez stayed unbeaten and unified the belts, while Taylor suffered his first defeat in a stoppage which is still hotly debated today.

Meldrick Taylor's autobiography, "Two Seconds From Glory", has also been published. It is available through his web site at http://www.meldricktaylor.com/. The Chavez-Taylor fight of March 17, 1990, can be seen on YouTube.

You can play or download our discussion 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 1 AM ET and runs to 5 AM ET. For more information on the "Joey Reynolds Show", go here.

For more information on show producer Myra Chanin, go to http://motherwonderful.com/.

Labels: boxing, Don King, Eddie Goldman, Gumersindo Vidot, HBO, Joey Reynolds, Julio Cesar Chavez, Las Vegas, media, Meldrick Taylor, Richard Steele, WOR

My interview on Wrestling 411 with Jason Bryant is now also up here.

Labels: Art of War, Bellator, Dream, Eddie Goldman, Jason Bryant, media, mixed martial arts, MMA, roller derby, Sengoku, Strikeforce, UFC, wrestling, Wrestling 411

Eddie Goldman has long been covering the world of wrestling and combat sports and joins Wrestling 411 Radio today. The New York-based writer and broadcaster has covered boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, wrestling and a variety of contact and combat sports over his long career. You too can hear it all on Wrestling 411 simply click http://www.Wrestling411.tv .

Jason Bryant and Goldman have exchanged long discussions on wrestling’s role in the media, the role MMA plays in wrestling and something as far-fetched when it comes to things like wrestling’s relation to roller derby. Yes, roller derby.

Listen in to Bryant and Goldman spar on a number of topics, including Brock Lesnar, MMA, what associations to watch if you’re a wrestling fan tuning into MMA, and more roller derby all on Wrestling 411 – http://www.Wrestling411.tv .

Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com .

Do you enjoy the updates and programming? Click on http://www.Wrestling411.tv and make a small tax-deductable donation – it only takes A LITTLE FROM A LOT of people to keep wrestling alive.

Labels: Art of War Fighting Championship, Bellator, Dream, Eddie Goldman, Jason Bryant, media, mixed martial arts, MMA, roller derby, Sengoku, Strikeforce, UFC, wrestling, Wrestling 411