NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

We spoke with him by phone Monday.

Based in Los Angeles, in March Raul traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, for the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. There the Catch Wrestling Alliance had a booth at the WIN Memorabilia Show, and he met and talked with numerous people of all ages from the wrestling community about catch wrestling.

"It's always really great to go out to this event. And I have to definitely thank our mutual friend, Mike Chapman, for bringing it up to me a few years ago," he said.

"This event is huge. They pack arenas. and just the excitement there is electrifying. Everyone there is a wrestling expert basically. The vibe there is really amazing."

We discussed the history of catch wrestling and how it was a precursor to high school and college wrestling, and American folkstyle wrestling in general. At the NCAA tournament, he found many people both unaware of that history, but also open to the rules of catch wrestling where there are no points and you can win by pin or submission.

"The freedom of catch wrestling is attractive," he said.

We also discussed his plans to travel to Singapore this year, the growth of interest in grappling and catch wrestling in Singapore and Southeast Asia, how there will likely be more catch wrestling matches in Singapore at grappling and Catch Wrestling Alliance events, the finalizing of plans for this year's Frank Gotch World Catch Wrestling Tournament, and much more.

(Photo by Phil Monson, courtesy of Catch Wrestling Alliance.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: catch wrestling, catch-as-catch-can, college, Eddie Goldman, Frank Gotch, grappling, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Singapore, tournament

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with karate instructor and fighter Elhadji Gaye Ndour.

He will be fighting in the main event on April 26 of the debut show of the new professional full contact karate league, Karate Combat.

We spoke with him by phone Saturday.

Originally from Senegal and now living in Long Island, New York, he has been nicknamed "Black Magic" and has fought in numerous amateur sport karate events around the world. But he noted that in some of his fights, he had actually been disqualified because, he said, he hit or kicked his opponents "too hard" or even scored knockouts.

"That doesn't make sense," he said. Now with the formation of this full contact karate league, he believes that he will be able to display all of his skills.

"They created this league to give the athletes the opportunity to hit hard and kick hard. That's why it's very interesting," he said.

"I don't have a second mind to know that this league is going to go far. It's going to be very, very interesting to watch," he said.

"This league is going to be greater than UFC. This is going to be greater than boxing. And it's going to be greater than any other league ever created for karate combat.

"Karate Combat will be the best league on this planet.

"One day is going to come and you're going to say, 'Oh, I interviewed this 'Black Magic' and he told me that.'

"And this, I see it. It is not maybe. It is not maybe. I know that's going to happen. It's going to be the greatest league in this planet."

Obviously having great confidence both in his skills and the potential of this new organization, we also discussed his background. He is still working a day job five days a week while instructing and training in karate on nights and weekends. "We do it for passion," he said. Now he will also have the opportunity to earn income from his fights.

We also discussed the Karate Combat rules, which allow throws and five seconds to punch on the ground; how he now has improved his training and eating for fighting professionally; how he still hopes to compete in karate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; how he was introduced to the Karate Combat people; 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 sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

Labels: Eddie Goldman, Elhadji Gaye Ndour, Karate Combat, No Holds Barred, Senegal

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Arthur Andre, head of operations, and Maher Aseeri, head of the referee committee, of Grapple Asia.

Established in 2014 and based in Singapore, Grapple Asia has hosted numerous grappling competitions under varying rulesets, including the first-ever ADCC event in Singapore, the ADCC Singapore Open 2018 on March 10.

We spoke with them by Skype Tuesday.

"We are grapplers organizing and helping out the grapplers in the region" of Southeast Asia, said Arthur Andre.

"We have to address that the thing is pretty new here. For example, the amount of black belts that we have here, compared to, let's say, the States, for example, the numbers are just way different. So the thing here is really new, still on the rise, still gaining popularity."

While competitions there are not as frequent as in other regions, he noted, "We are giving platforms for competitors and as well giving them that opportunity to live that jiu-jitsu lifestyle."

We discussed how the reaction of MMA fans in their region to grappling has sharply changed over the years to become positive; the important influence of Evolve MMA and ONE Championship in building understanding and interest in grappling; why grappling as a sport stands alone and separate from MMA; why the creation of a major professional grappling organization "is going to happen"; how the Grapple Asia tournaments have evolved since 2014 and now emphasize no-gi grappling; why the ADCC ruleset is the most neutral in grappling and does not favor one discipline over another; the role of Synergy Jiu-Jitsu, which was named best team at the ADCC Singapore Open 2018; how catch wrestling is a "sister sport" to grappling and how catch wrestling matches have fit into their tournaments; the growth of boxing in Singapore, including the role of the undefeated Muhamad Ridhwan; plans for upcoming tournaments including kids' competitions and a possible return of ADCC; 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 sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: ADCC, Arthur Andre, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, Grapple Asia, grappling, jiu-jitsu, Maher Aseeri, No Holds Barred, Singapore

by Eddie Goldman

(It's too late for an official April Fool's story, but I did just think of a good one.)

To show support for one of their favorite promoters, the Boxing Writers Association of America is moving the location of its annual awards dinner. Originally scheduled for May 11 in New York, it will now, for the first time, take place outside the U.S.

The new location is Mexico City, Mexico. This location was chosen specifically to show support to Golden Boy Promotions, whose top fighter, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the best fighter in the world, had to withdraw from his scheduled May 5 rematch with Gennady "GGG" Golovkin due to a failed drug test for clenbuterol.

It is well known that clenbuterol is found in Mexican meat. It is also well known that "Canelo" would never do anything wrong or mean. Thus, the dinner will show solidarity by being held at Mexico City's six-star restaurant, the chic Cocina Clenbuterola.

Labels: . boxing, Canelo, clenbuterol, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with grappler Tom Maenurm of Team Scardovelli in Italy.

We spoke with him by Skype Thursday.

His path to competing in ADCC events did not begin with grappling, but MMA.

"With MMA, of course, I had to do some ground work and jiu-jitsu, and I started to like it very much," he said.

After achieving success in MMA by grappling, he decided it was grappling he liked better.

"So, I stopped doing MMA and I started dedicating more time to jiu-jitsu."

Now, after a series of grappling victories, he is ready to move up to the professional level at ADCC events.

We also discussed more on his background and plans for future competitions, how he likes to go for submissions and not stall, how he has not yet decided if he will try to compete at the ADCC European Championship 2018 in Bucharest, Romania, and much more.

(Photo courtesy of Tom Maenurm.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: ADCC, BJJ, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Italy, jiu-jitsu, No Holds Barred, Team Scardovelli, Tom Maenurm

by Eddie Goldman

The champ looked stale
As he fought in Wales.
For speed he lost fat,
But he looked awfully flat.

Didn't cut off the ring,
Yet he still is the king.
Couldn't swat down a fly,
And we want to know why.

Adapt he did not
As Parker moved a lot.
Well, late in the fight
He did, but still looked tight.

And the power, where'd it go?
We all want to know.
Parker has a good chin,
But a disappointing win.

Yes, a doufus for a ref.
Amateurish at best.
OMG and the scores!
Were they judges or whores?

No creative offense
Yet we know he's not dense.
Where's the help from his trainer?
This should be a no-brainer.

Sure, this fight he cleanly won,
But the knockout streak is done.
Worse, no magic did we see.
A mere mortal is he.

Now the Wild Man from the States
Who imagines he is great,
Wants to fight for all the belts
Before the Arctic melts.

Now it's up to the suits.
And the fans they give no hoot.
Whatever brings in the most money,
Money, money, money, money.

Is it Ali we need?
Both in word and in deed?
In and out of the ring,
Whose praises we sing?

Not just the best in fights,
But who fights for our rights.
A Citizen of Earth
With wisdom and mirth.

So is Joshua our man?
Not today, as it stands.
He may triumph with gloves,
Yes we like, but not love.

Don't look for a new king.
Our world needs no such thing.
All they do is steal and loot,
In your back they will shoot.

Don't ask them for favors,
We can be our own saviors.
We can free ourselves, we can,
Everywoman, everyman.

(Photo of Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker by Esther Lin/Showtime.)

Labels: Anthony Joshua, boxing, Champ Looked Stale, Eddie Goldman, Joseph Parker, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleague, correspondent, and the award-winning boxing writer, Charles Farrell.

We spoke with him by phone Tuesday.

Our main topic was the biggest fight of the year so far, the heavyweight title unification fight taking place this Saturday, March 31, between the two undefeated belt holders Anthony Joshua of the U.K. and Joseph Parker of New Zealand.

The 28-year-old Joshua is the IBF and WBA champ and has a record of 20-0 with 20 KOs. The 26-year-old Parker is the WBO champ and has a record of 24-0 with 18 KOs.

This fight takes place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It will be televised live on Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K., Showtime in the U.S., and many other networks around the world.

We discussed how we see this fight going, why Joshua is deservedly a big favorite, what is likely to happen in the series of events which may lead to the crowning of an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, the many options in the heavyweight division and business-wise for Joshua should he defeat Parker, the music of Marvin Gaye, and much more.

(Photo of Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker by Esther Lin/Showtime.)

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Anthony Joshua, boxing, Charles Farrell, Eddie Goldman, heavyweights, Joseph Parker, No Holds Barred

by Eddie Goldman

That Top Rank-ESPN deal is turning out to be more of a lemon than a peach. After last week's disastrous ratings for a good fight between Jose Ramirez and Amir Imam, now this duo is screwing up the Jeff Horn-Terence Crawford WBO welterweight title fight. After an injury to Crawford, the fight was postponed from April 14 to, reportedly, June 9. It will still be in Sin City AKA Las Vegas, but the TV situation is also becoming sinful.

First, it is not clear just where this fight will be televised in the U.S. New ESPN commissar Jimmy Pitaro had claimed before the fight was rescheduled that it would be on the paid ESPN+ app, which is supposed to launch sometime this spring. Bye bye, major free fights on ESPN. But the app still hasn't been launched, so this one could be aired on the regular ESPN network in the U.S.

But wait, there's more!

At the same time as this fight, Showtime in the U.S. will be airing a quality PBC card from Los Angeles, headlined by the rematch between WBA featherweight "super" champion Leo Santa Cruz and WBA featherweight "regular" champion Abner Mares. Despite these bizarre designations of multiple "world" champions in the same weight class by the WBA, this fight should be top quality and action-packed, as was their first fight in 2015. Reportedly unbeaten WBA 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo will be making a title defense as the televised co-feature, so this card is shaping up to be must-see TV for fight fans.

Running a Top Rank card directly against the Showtime card, especially if it ends up on the ESPN+ paid app, sounds like a suicide mission business-wise. It presents the remaining stable of hardcore boxing viewers with an unpleasant choice of choosing to watch and focus upon one of these telecasts rather than the other. And it just plain sucks.

But wait, there's more, and it gets worse!

After defeating Manny Pacquiao last July, Australian Jeff Horn has become a major sports star in his home country. His fights now headline pay-per-views on Australia's Main Event and also New Zealand's Sky Arena. That is a major source of revenue for him.

However, already scheduled for the night of June 9 in the U.S., which would be June 10 in Australia, is another pay-per-view featuring another Australian star fighter. That is a UFC show featuring a title fight with Australian Robert Whittaker, their middleweight champion. This card takes place in Chicago, meaning that all these shows would be on at the same time.

True, there is only a very partial crossover between fans and viewers of boxing and UFC. But what this does create is a time conflict for Australia's Main Event, which had booked the UFC show months ago.

Now Main Event must either decide to show the boxing on tape-delay, get the Horn-Crawford fight rescheduled, or not show it at all. Rescheduling the time slot of either show will no doubt limit the numbers brought in for the one given the worse time. Since UFC was there first, and presumably has a valid contract with Main Event, that would put the boxing at a major disadvantage in these negotiations.

Horn's manager Dean Lonergan was quoted in the Australian press as saying that one potential option was to package both events into an Australian pay-per-view "blockbuster".

But as noted, the audiences for both shows are far from identical, and combining these shows somehow into one presentation will no doubt water down the marketing and promotion of both events.

So they are screwing up in America and they are screwing up in Australia. Sure, this fight could be postponed again, and again, and maybe again. But that would piss off not only the fans but also the fighters.

For the Horn-Crawford fight, it just may be time to change the classic Australian cheer of "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi" to "Oy Vey, Oy Vey, Oy Vey".

Labels: boxing, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, Jeff Horn, No Holds Barred, Terence Crawford, Top Rank

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the 2018 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships finals and the Top Rank boxing shows, which aired at the same time in the U.S. this past Saturday, March 17. While the wrestling was on ESPN2 and the boxing on ESPN, it was the wrestling which did better in the head-to-head TV ratings. The focus is on what this means for both of these combat sports as they each decline.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: boxing, college, Eddie Goldman, ESPN, NCAA, No Holds Barred, Top Rank, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents the complete audio from the March 15 ONE Championship conference call. Speaking on that call were:

Angela Lee - ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion

Mei Yamaguchi - ONE world title challenger

Chatri Sityodtong - Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship

On May 6, 2016, Angela Lee defeated Mei Yamaguchi by unanimous decision in a close and exciting fight. This was also the only professional MMA fight that the unbeaten Angela Lee did not win by submission. A rematch was scheduled for last year, but injuries suffered by Lee from an auto accident forced that fight to be postponed.

Now Angela Lee and Mei Yamaguchi will finally meet in this highly-anticipated rematch, which is scheduled for Friday, May 18, 2018, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.