The Boxing Standard

No Holds Barred: Roger Mayweather, Leonard Ellerbe, Bryan Perez, Richard Schaefer, Keisha Morrisey, and the New Era in Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:44:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the significance of the May 5 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto being promoted by their own promotional companies with several key figures in this fight.

The unbeaten Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs), who holds the WBC welterweight title, will be moving up a weight class to face Cotto (37-2, 30 KOs), the WBA super welterweight champion. Mayweather last fought at this weight in 2007, defeating Oscar de la Hoya for the WBC title, before moving back down.
The Mayweather-Cotto fight, slated for Saturday, May 5, in Las Vegas, Nevada, has the distinction of being presented by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions, and Miguel Cotto Promotions.

At the New York news conference for this fight held February 28 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, we discussed the significance of this promotional arrangement with Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions; Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions; and Bryan Perez, Executive Director of Miguel Cotto Promotions. The consensus seemed to be from all parties in this fight that this represents a new era in boxing. We also asked Richard Schaefer about the drug testing for Mayweather-Cotto, which will be conducted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

We also spoke about this fight with the outspoken trainer of Floyd Mayweather, his uncle, Roger Mayweather, who discussed the place of his nephew in boxing history.

And we discussed with our long-time colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey, who has been invaluable to No Holds Barred, this fight and this new era in boxing, as well as some of the numerous problems plaguing the declining sport of boxing.

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:

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.

DARE Championship. Based in Thailand, DARE is a mixed martial arts event where fighters from all over the world compete to become the DARE Champion. DARE is one of the first MMA promotions in Thailand, and has been televised in many countries and online. For more information, go to their web site, at DareFightSports.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/.

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.

No Holds Barred: Bernard Hopkins, Brother Naazim Richardson, Kristal Hart

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 06:18:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with light heavyweight boxing champion Bernard Hopkins and his trainer, Brother Naazim Richardson, about the rematch between Hopkins and Chad Dawson scheduled for April 28 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We also speak with New York TV host Kristal Hart of Manhattan Neighborhood Network about this fight. All these discussions were recorded Wednesday at the kickoff New York news conference for this fight.

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:

No Holds Barred: Andre Ward, Carl Froch, and Boxing Governance

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000

(Photo by: Tom Casino / Showtime)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Super Six World Boxing Classic finalists Andre Ward and Carl Froch, and discusses why the bad governance in boxing made this super middleweight tournament necessary.

On Saturday, December 17, WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) will face WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) in the finals of the two-year-long Super Six World Boxing Classic. This fight will take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky Sports. The winner will earn the right to be called the best super middleweight in the world.

We spoke with both Andre Ward and Carl Froch at the kickoff news conference in August for this fight, which had originally been scheduled for October 29 but had to be postponed after Ward suffered a cut during training. We discussed what to expect in this fight, as well as the need for a boxers' union. We also previewed this fight with New York TV host Kristal Hart, whose show airs on Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

In addition, we open with a commentary on why it took an American television network, Showtime, to organize a tournament of the top fighters in the world in this division, when legitimate sports regularly have competitions pitting the best against the best.

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.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman
EddieGoldman.com

No Holds Barred: Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, Seth Mitchell, Timur Ibragimov

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:03:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the Amir Khan-Lamont Peterson 140-pound title fight and the Seth Mitchell-Timur Ibragimov heavyweight fight. These bouts will take place Saturday, December 10, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., and will be telecast live in the U.S. on HBO, with the Khan-Peterson fight also being shown live on Sky Sports in the U.K.

Khan (26-1, 18 KOs), from Bolton, Lancashire, U.K., will be defending two major titles against Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs), who is fighting in his hometown. Mitchell (23-0-1, 17 KOs) will have the highest profile fight of his career against Ibragimov (30-3-1, 16 KOs).

We spoke with Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, Peterson's trainer Barry Hunter, Seth Mitchell, and Timur Ibragimov on recent media conference calls. They each revealed their mindsets and told us what to expect in these fights.

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.

No Holds Barred: Boxing and Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:57:00 +0000

(cartoon from revista-amauta.org)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the similarities and differences between boxing and bacon (hint: both involve pigs and are bad for you, but at least bacon smells and tastes good), in light of the major fights of Saturday, December 3.

Analyzed are the breakout performance by WBA bantamweight champion Anselmo Moreno, who earned a lopsided unanimous decision over Vic Darchinyan, and IBF bantamweight champion Abner Mares, who decisioned Joseph King Kong Agbeko in their rematch, this time without much controversy. But also discussed are the disputed decision win by heavyweight Robert Helenius over Dereck Chisora, and the disgraceful farce at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Miguel Cotto won by a tenth-round TKO over a fighter who should not have been licensed by the New York State Athletic Commission, Antonio Margarito. The reasons why this was a disgraceful farce are explained on this show, and remedies to this disgrace are proposed.

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.

No Holds Barred: Mares-Agbeko 2 and Moreno-Darchinyan Previews

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:37:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the highly-anticipated rematch between IBF bantamweight champion Abner Mares and the former two-time IBF bantamweight champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko, and the fight between WBA bantamweight super champion Anselmo Moreno and former two-division world champion Vic Darchinyan.

These two fights take place Saturday, December 3, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, and will be telecast live in the U.S. on Showtime.

The first fight between Mares (22-0-1, 13 KOs), who was a Mexican Olympian in 2004 and now lives in California, and Agbeko (28-3, 22 KOs), from Accra, Ghana, and now fighting out of the Bronx, New York, was held August 13, 2011, in Las Vegas. While it was officially ruled a majority decision win for Mares, it was marred by a major controversy since Mares landed numerous low blows but was not penalized by referee Russell Mora. Mares even dropped Agbeko with a clear-cut shot to the groin in the 11th round, but the referee ruled it a legal knockdown. This fight was the final bout in the Showtime bantamweight tournament, but since it generated so much heated controversy, an immediate rematch was scheduled.

Although Moreno (31-1-1, 11 KOs), from Panama City, Panama, holds a WBA bantamweight belt and is highly regarded as a skillful boxer, most of his fights have been in his home country, and he has never before fought in the U.S. The slugger Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KOs), originally from Armenia and now fighting out of Sydney, Australia, is coming off two straight wins after losing a split decision to Mares in the opening round of the Showtime bantamweight tournament.

With Nonito Donaire moving up to super bantamweight, the winners of these fights will stake a claim to being the best bantamweight boxer in the world.

We spoke with Abner Mares, Anselmo Moreno, and Vic Darchinyan on a recent media conference call (Agbeko was also scheduled for that call but never made it on). We got their views on what to expect in their fights. We also heard Abner Mares candidly discuss the controversy in his first fight with Joseph Agbeko, and what he would have done differently if the referee had taken points away from him for low blows.

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.

No Holds Barred: Kirkland-Angulo and Quillin-McEwan Previews, MMA vs. Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:40:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the James Kirkland-Alfredo Angulo and Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin-Craig McEwan fights of November 5, and issues a challenge to MMA fans about the MMA vs. boxing debate.

On Saturday, November 5, there will be three televised boxing cards in the U.S., and none of them on pay-per-view. Besides the Showtime card headlined by unbeaten IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute facing Glen Johnson, and the WealthTV card promoted by Don King headlined by WBA cruiserweight champion Guillermo Jones fighting Mike Marrone, HBO will have a doubleheader coming from Cancun, Mexico.

Two sluggers who very much need a big victory will face each other in the main event of the HBO card, as James Kirkland (29-1, 26 KOs) faces Alfredo Angulo (20-1, 17 KOs) in a 12-round, 154-pound WBC title eliminator. The first-round knockout loss earlier this year of Kirkland by little-known Nobuhiro Ishida, and the 2009 decision loss of Angulo to Kermit Cintron, halted the title quests of both these highly-touted fighters, so an impressive victory is essential for both Kirkland and Angulo. Most observers expect this one to be a memorable shootout, and it is not to be missed.

Also on that televised card, the unbeaten Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin (25-0, 19 KOs) makes his HBO debut against Craig McEwan (19-1, 10 KOs) in a ten-round middleweight fight. McEwan is coming off the first loss of his career, a tenth-round TKO by Andy Lee in March.

On a media conference call Monday, Kirkland explained how he has become a different fighter since his loss to Ishida. We also spoke with both Peter Quillin and Craig McEwan to get their takes on their fight.

In addition, we issue a challenge to those MMA fans who watched the UFC pay-per-view this past Saturday headlined by the Nick Diaz-B.J. Penn fight. Our challenge: watch any or all of these three non-pay-per-view boxing cards this coming Saturday, November 5, and let us know whether or not they were better than the UFC pay-per-view.

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.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

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

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

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

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

No Holds Barred: Don King

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:24:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the one and only Don King.

Don King was in New York Tuesday, October 25, presiding over a news conference about the November 5 card he is promoting. Headlining that 11-fight show will be WBA cruiserweight champion Guillermo Jones (37-3-2, 29 KOs) defending his belt against Mike Marrone (20-3, 15 KOs), who is moving down from heavyweight. This card takes place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and will be televised in the U.S. and streamed for free online by WealthTV.

In a typically spirited, entertaining, and opinionated presentation at the news conference, Don King argued that boxing is in a "downward spiral" and in need of major change, including the way the television networks handle the sport. Besides hyping this card, he introduced Robert Herring and Charles Herring of WealthTV, which will be telecasting its first boxing card.

We spoke with Don King right after the formal news conference about this card, what changes he wants to make in boxing, how he views some other topics like the Occupy Wall Street protests, and more. We also spoke with Charles Herring to learn more about WealthTV and its plans.

In addition, we present the entire, unedited audio of this news conference. And we also explain why, despite there being two other major televised boxing cards in the U.S. that same night, this one is likely to be the best.

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.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

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

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Gi Open 2011 tournament, a signing of his new book by MMA legend Randy Couture, grappling and muay Thai action, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, and much more. The third annual MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 17, and Sunday, December 18, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

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

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

No Holds Barred: Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson, Kendall Holt, Danny Garcia, Paulie Malignaggi

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:16:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the October 15 boxing card headlined by the light heavyweight title fight between Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson.

The 46-year-old Hopkins, the oldest boxer ever to win a major title, will be defending his WBC belt against the 29-year-old Dawson, a former WBC and IBF champion, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This card will be telecast in the U.S. HBO Pay-Per-View.

We spoke with both Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson on media conference calls where both fighters stated their cases as to why they will prevail in this fight. The legendary Hopkins explained what he represents to people and how he wants to be known, besides being a champion boxer. Dawson argued that he has the tools and desire to beat his older opponent, and is highly motivated for this fight.

We also explain why you should never, ever, bet against Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins.

In addition, we also spoke with Kendall Holt and Danny Garcia, who fight in a junior welterweight bout, and Paulie Malignaggi, who faces Orlando Lora in a welterweight fight, on this show.

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.

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.

No Holds Barred: Victor Ortiz, Canelo Alvarez, and Alfonso Gomez

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:19:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with fighters Victor Ortiz, Canelo Alvarez, and Alfonso Gomez.

The 24-year-old Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) will be making the first defense of his WBC welterweight belt against the contorversial but unbeaten 34-year-old Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) in Las Vegas this coming Saturday, September 17. The 21-year-old phenom Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KOs), will be defending his WBC super welterweight belt against the 30-year-old Alfonso Gomez (23-4-2, 12 KOs), who is on a five-fight winning streak. Alvarez and Gomez will fight that same night in Los Angeles, with both fights being featured on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S.

We spoke with Victor Ortiz, Canelo Alvarez, and Alfonso Gomez on prefight media conference calls to preview their fights.

In addition, we open by contrasting how two of the ancient combat sports, boxing and wrestling, are presently handling their televising of their world championship events.

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.

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.

No Holds Barred: Andre Berto, Jan Zaveck, Pediatricians Against Youth Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:29:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the September 3 fight between IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck and former WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, and discusses the statement by Canadian and American pediatricians opposing youth and adolescent boxing.

Jan Zaveck (31-1, 18 KOs), based in Germany and born in Slovenia, will be coming to America to try to defend his IBF belt against an opponent, Andre Berto (27-1, 21 KOs), who is coming off the first loss of his professional career. This fight takes place Saturday, September 3, at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, and will be telecast live in the U.S. on HBO.

For the 27-year-old Berto, who lost his WBC belt to underdog Victor Ortiz in a wild fight in April, this fight against the lesser-known Zaveck is a must-win. Berto has already been involved in several action-packed fight-of-the-year candidates, and is expected to try to make a statement following his defeat by Ortiz. The 35-year-old Zaveck, who won his title against South African Isaac Hlatshwayo in South Africa in December 2009 with a third-round TKO and has successfully defended it three times, wants to make his own statement in his first fight in America.

We spoke with both Andre Berto and Jan Zaveck on a media conference call about what to expect in this fight.

We also comment on the policy statement issued this week by the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics entitled "Boxing participation by children and adolescents".

In this statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, these organizations "oppose boxing as a sport for children and adolescents" because of "the risk of head and facial injuries", including concussions and other neurologic injuries.

As more people and organizations are becoming aware of the health dangers caused by concussions, we examine this statement and assess what it might mean for the future of the combat sports.

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:

No Holds Barred: Keisha Morrisey on the Agbeko-Mares Refereeing Disgrace

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 06:50:00 +0000

(Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Keisha Morrisey.

In the August 13 bantamweight title fight in Las Vegas, Nevada, between Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares, referee Russell Mora let Mares land countless low blows without even deducting a point, much less disqualifying him. In the eleventh round, Mora even counted for a knockdown after Agbeko went down from a clear shot to the groin by Mares. This was one of the worst refereeing jobs in modern boxing history, and made the majority decision victory awarded to Mares virtually meaningless.

Outrage has been virtually unanimous among those who saw the fight (except, of course, from the referee), and many are calling for an immediate rematch, as well as nullifying the decision. The New Jersey commission suspended all three judges after their absurd decision in the Lara-Williams fight earlier this year, so it will be instructive to see what action if any the Nevada commission takes regarding Mora.

We spoke by phone late Saturday night right after the Agbeko-Mares fight with Keisha Morrisey. We discussed the refereeing in this fight, what it says about the continuously declining state of boxing, what should be done next, and much more.

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:

No Holds Barred: Sergio Martinez, Darren Barker, Lou DiBella, Kristal Hart, Khan-Judah Critique

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 18:08:00 +0000

(Photo: John James/DiBella Entertainment)

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Darren Barker about their October 1 fight in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

We spoke with both Martinez and Barker at the kickoff news conference for this fight held Wednesday, July 20, in New York. We also spoke with Martinez's promoter Lou DiBella about this fight and why none of the major sanctioning bodies recognize Martinez as middleweight champion, even though Martinez is the linear champion and has not lost since capturing the title last year against Kelly Pavlik. Plus, we spoke with TV host Kristal Hart about this fight and how it epitomizes both the good and bad in boxing.

We open the show with a critique of the Amir Khan-Zab Judah fight, won by Khan with a fifth-round knockout on Saturday, July 23, in Las Vegas. While Khan was dominating the entire fight, the stoppage was controversial since what was ruled as the knockout punch appeared to be below the line separating legal and illegal blows which the referee specified in the prefight instructions. And we criticize the promotion for this fight.

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:

M-1 Global. Founded in 1998, M-1 Global has staged over 100 mixed martial arts events worldwide including the M-1 Selection tournaments and M-1 Challenge events, in Eastern and Western Europe, North America, and Asia. While discovering and developing the world's next generation of superstar fighters, M-1 Global's greatest asset is the number one heavyweight in mixed martial arts history, Fedor Emelianenko. Make sure to catch their shows from around the world, including on Showtime in the U.S., and visit their web site, M-1Global.com, and the M-1 Facebook page for news, videos, and live streaming events.

No Holds Barred: George Kimball and the State of Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 06:56:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman pays tribute to the noted sports and boxing journalist George Kimball.

After a long battle with esophageal cancer, George Kimball passed away Wednesday, July 6, at age 67, in New York.

While many reminiscences are being written about his life, we are focusing on his contributions to the battle for boxing reform. The lead boxing writer for the Boston Herald for 25 years, George was one of the few newspaper reporters who helped launch the Boxing Writers' Rankings Poll in 2000, and remained a registered voter in it until its demise some years later. We also read comments about his passing from Howie Sirota, who founded the Boxing Writers' Rankings Poll.

On October 18, 2008, we conducted an interview with George in Atlantic City before the Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik fight. We discussed the book he had just written, Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing. This marvelous book traced the intertwined careers of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran. We spoke with him right after he had participated in a forum on the book with trainer Emanuel Steward, promoter Bob Arum, and announcer Larry Merchant.

We also discussed with him why such an era of so many great rivalries can't happen today, why media coverage of boxing is harder to do today than it was in the past, the changed role of publicists, the decline of newspapers, the Internet and television and the future of boxing, and more. As part of our tribute to him, we replay that interview on No Holds Barred.

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:

No Holds Barred: Floyd Mayweather, Richard Schaefer, Keisha Morrisey

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 01:12:00 +0000

(Photo by Keisha Morrisey)

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses some of the latest downs and ups in the world of boxing, and reports from the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz news conference in New York, which took place Tuesday, June 28.

After a 16-month hiatus from the ring, the unbeaten Mayweather will return on September 17 against the WBC welterweight champion Ortiz in a fight in Las Vegas and on HBO Pay-Per-View. Both fighters have also agreed to undergo Olympic-style drug-testing administered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), including random, unannounced blood and urine testing.

We spoke with Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, about the issue of drug-testing and the importance of this fight. We also got some comments from Floyd Mayweather on drug-testing, which may surprise some people, as well as on this fight.

After the news conference, we sat down with our correspondent and colleague Keisha Morrisey, who also covered the news conference, to discuss the Mayweather-Ortiz fight, the problems in the marketing of boxing, the latest hometown decisions in boxing, and more.

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:

No Holds Barred: Carl Froch, Glen Johnson, and the Ethics of Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 31 May 2011 01:07:00 +0000

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the June 4 fight between WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch and Glen Johnson. This fight takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and will be televised in the U.S. on Showtime and in the U.K. on Sky Sports.

The Froch-Johnson fight is the last semifinal bout in the lengthy Super Six World Boxing Classic, with the winner taking on unbeaten WBA champ Andre Ward in the finals.

We spoke with both Carl Froch (27-1, 20 KOs) and Glen Johnson (51-14-2, 35 KOs) on a media conference call last week about this fight.

We also address the issue of ethics in boxing, or the lack thereof, and the need for a code of ethics in sports, and especially in the contact and combat sports. We discuss this both in relation to the experience of the World Boxing Classic, both positive and negative, and to boxing in general.

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:

No Holds Barred: Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz, Kristal Hart, Maidana-Morales Fight of Year Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:37:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz about their fight coming up on Saturday, April 16, and recaps the surprisingly delightful and brutal battle between Marcos Maidana and Erik Morales on April 9.

Many observers expected a one-sided affair, and even a brutal beatdown, when slugger Marcos Maidana took on the aging but classical Mexican veteran Erik Morales in a junior welterweight fight on April 9 in Las Vegas. But as their battle ensued, it not only proved to be highly competitive, but riveting and dramatic as it advanced from round to round. With his right eye cut in the first round and then swollen shut, Morales managed to fight on and stay in the fight until almost the end. While Maidana, now 30-2 with 27 KOs, won a majority decision over Morales, now 51-7 with 35 KOs, this war was a genuine fight of the year candidate. We analyze the context of this fight, how it looked going in like another example of the kinds of fights which have stripped boxing of any credibility, and how it ended up becoming one of the most compelling if brutal fights of recent memory. And we compare it to the main events on the major mixed martial arts cards this past weekend.

This coming Saturday, April 16, there is yet another fight which could turn out to be a surprise to the skeptics and cynics, who are usually correct in their (and our) assessments of professional boxing. Unbeaten WBC welterweight Andre Berto (27-0. 21 KOs) will fight Victor Ortiz (28-2-2, 22 KOs), who is moving up from the junior welterweight division. This fight will take place at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut, and be shown live in the U.S. on HBO.

While Berto is the favorite, Ortiz, who once was touted by his promoters, Golden Boy Promotions, as the next big thing, is not happy with being viewed as an opponent. His loss to Maidana and draw with Lamont Peterson have removed him from consideration as an elite fighter, and that may serve as motivation for him to attempt to make a statement in what some consider a showcase fight for Berto. But Berto is highly confident as well, which may make for another week of a surprisingly competitive and thrilling main event in the major card in boxing.

We spoke with both Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz at the kickoff news conference for this fight in New York. We also spoke with Kristal Hart, who hosts The Kristal Hart Show in New York on Manhattan Neighborhood Network, about what to expect in this fight.

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:

No Holds Barred: How Much Boxing Can You Still Enjoy?

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 11:03:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the Fernando Montiel-Nonito Donaire bantamweight title fight coming up Saturday, February 19, as well as the March 5 Saul Alvarez-Matthew Hatton and May 7 Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley fights.

While a fight like Montiel-Donaire will likely provide excitement in the ring, the stench of the self-destructive politics of boxing is so pervasive that it is hard to enjoy much of anything these days in this declining business. We discuss the collapse of the boxing reform movement, and how the clock of doom is ticking for what is left of boxing.

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:

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

No Holds Barred: Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward, Sakio Bika, Super Six World Boxing Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:06:00 +0000

(Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the super middleweight title fights which will be held this Saturday, November 27, between Carl Froch and Arthur Abraham, and Andre Ward and Sakio Bika.

In the last fight of the third stage of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs), originally from Yerevan, Armenia, and now fighting out of Berlin, Germany, and Carl Froch (26-1, 20 KOs) of Nottingham, United Kingdom, will fight for the vacant WBC super middleweight title at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland. Both have already earned spots in the semifinals of the Super Six, although the outcome of this fight will determine their seeding.

In a non-tournament fight but one where he has to defend his WBA super middleweight title, Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) of Oakland, California, U.S., will fight Sakio Bika (28-4-2, 19 KOs) of Sydney, Australia, via Douala, Cameroon, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. Ward has also earned a berth in the Super Six semifinals, along with Glen Johnson.

In the U.S., Showtime will telecast the Froch-Abraham fight on same-day tape-delay along with a live telecast of the Ward-Bika fight, at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the west coast). In the U.K., the Froch-Abraham fight will be on Primetime on pay-per-view, and also streamed live on http://www.primetimelive.co.uk/. It will also be shown on ARD in Germany, as well as in other countries.

We spoke with Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Andre Ward, and Sakio Bika on media teleconference calls to get their views on what to expect in their fights. We also discuss the coming conclusion of the Super Six World Boxing Classic, which remains the best thing in boxing today.

In addition, we address a number of major topics in boxing, including the stunning one-punch, second-round knockout by middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) over Paul Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) in their rematch Saturday, November 20. That should make Sergio Martinez the leading candidate for fighter of the year for 2010.

We also discuss the lightweight title fight between champion Juan Manuel Marquez and challenger Michael Katsidis in Las Vegas, also on Saturday, November 27, which will be shown on HBO in the U.S. And we comment on a several controversies in boxing, including the David Haye-Audley Harrison non-fight and the role of gambling, the latest legal problems of Manny Pacquiao, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

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 http://americantopteam.com/.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

No Holds Barred: Lopez-Marquez, Johnson-Green, More on the Real State of Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 21:20:00 +0000

Photo: Tom Casino/Showtime

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews some of the latest thrilling and galling developments in boxing.

We discuss the TKO victory by featherweight Juan Manuel Lopez over Rafael Marquez and the knockout by now-super middleweight Glen Johnson over Allan Green on Saturday, November 6, and what they mean for boxing. We analyze the rejuvenation of the Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament on Showtime, and the implications of unbeaten IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute signing to fight on Showtime. We also expose the dangers that promoting the Lopez-Marquez fight as one which featured "the Puerto Rico-Mexico boxing rivalry" poses to both boxing and society in general. And we explain how more of the recent actions of the promoters, networks, and boxing media have only hastened boxing's doom, especially in the U.S.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

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

MMA WORLD EXPO. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City, featuring the Renzo Gracie Open No-Gi 2010 tournament, a Muay Thai tournament, MMA fighters from the Bellator Fighting Championships, training seminars, vendors, panel discussions, and more to come. The second annual MMA WORLD EXPO, in association with Madison Square Garden Sports, takes place Friday, November 12, and Saturday, November 13, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

No Holds Barred: The Vitali Klitschko-Shannon Briggs Tragic Farce

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 17:55:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman analyzes the one-sided beating by WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko of Shannon Briggs on Saturday, October 16, in Hamburg, Germany. Briggs managed to survive 12 rounds of punishment from Klitschko, but, according to news reports, had to be hospitalized and taken to an intensive care unit in Hamburg after the fight. We thus discuss the background to this fight and what it says about boxing.

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.

No Holds Barred: The Bad News Never Ends in Boxing

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:01:00 +0000

Photo: TMZ.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the latest round of scandals, corruption, tragedies, and absurdities in the sport of boxing.

We examine the rapid decomposition of what had been the best thing in boxing, the Showtime Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament, where all three fights in stage three of that tournament, and the tournament itself, appear to be in jeopardy. We discuss the crises facing boxers after they leave the limelight, including Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, and Mike Tyson, none of whom boxing has found a place for after their best days in the ring were gone, and even for current top boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., the latest darling of the scandal and gossip mongers.

And we analyze what may turn out to be the biggest threats both to the athletes and the sports themselves for the contact and combat sports: the brain damage caused by concussions in these sports, and the onset of the brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

We also preview the junior middleweight fight between 39-year-old Shane Mosley and 29-year-old Sergio Mora, which takes place Saturday, September 18, in Los Angeles, and which will be telecast live in the U.S. on HBO pay-per-view. We hear comments from both Mosley and Mora from a recent media conference call, to which all concerned about the combat sports should listen.

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.

No Holds Barred: John Perretti on Alexander-Kotelnik and Cloud-Johnson; Arreola-Quezada Preview

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:03:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with former world kickboxing champion, former UFC and Extreme Fighting matchmaker, and our current senior correspondent, John Perretti, about the Devon Alexander-Andriy Kotelnik and Tavoris Cloud-Glen Johnson fights, which took place August 7 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) retained his WBC and IBF 140-pound titles with a unanimous decision over Kotelnik (31-4-1, 13 KOs). Cloud (21-0, 18 KOs) retained his IBF light heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over Johnson (50-14-2, 34 KOs).

As is our usual approach, we candidly delved into the lessons learned about the talents of each of these fighters at the current stages of their careers. We analyzed some of their major shortcomings, especially those of the 23-year-old Alexander, whom some have touted as the next big superstar in boxing. We criticized the way the HBO announcers called and scored these fights. We explained why, at this point at least, Alexander is likely to fall short in any title unification fights with WBA champion Amir Khan or the unbeaten WBO champion Timothy Bradley.

Also, this coming Friday, August 13, heavyweights Cristobal Arreola (28-2, 25 KOs) and Manuel Quezada (29-5, 18 KOs), who have trained together and have both lost their previous fights, will fight at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, in the main event on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights". We spoke with both Arreola and Quezada on a recent media conference call about their approaches to this important fight.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

No Holds Barred: Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Jorge Linares, Rocky Juarez, Robert Guerrero, Joel Casamayor

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 19:38:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the main card featuring the rematch of the 2009 fight of the year in boxing, when WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez faces Juan Diaz Saturday, July 31, in Las Vegas.

When they first fought on February 28, 2009, Marquez won by a ninth-round TKO. The non-stop, see-saw action from both boxers in that fight earned it fight of the year honors for 2009.

After a losing performance at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009, the 36-year-old Mexican legend Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) returns to a more natural weight for him to defend his lightweight belts in this fight.

Following the first Marquez-Diaz fight, the 26-year-old Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), from Houston, Texas, a former world lightweight champion himself, also had an unsuccessful try at a higher weight. He won a controversial decision against Paulie Malignaggi at junior welterweight, and then, in an immediate rematch, dropped a clear-cut decision to Malignaggi, both in 2009.

Now the rematch of their universally-acclaimed first battle is set, and at lightweight. It will headline a stacked card which will be shown on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S., and take place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While most major boxing pay-per-views feature one top-level fight preceded by a series of purposeful mismatches or just plain bad fights, the rest of this televised card should provide interesting, important, and competitive fights.

Only recently, many considered Venezuelan fighter Jorge Linares to be the future of boxing. But a shocking first-round knockout loss to little-known Juan Carlos Salgado in October 2009, followed by a less-than-stellar majority decision win over journeyman Francisco Lorenzo in March 2010, have raised questions about the potential of the 24-year-old Linares.

Now with a record of 28-1 with 18 KOs, Linares will face 2000 Olympic silver medalist Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout on this card.

The 30-year-old Juarez, from Houston, Texas, also has something to prove, as he has come up short in several shots at a world title. He is also coming off a technical decision loss to Jason Litzau in April 2010 and a unanimous decision loss to unbeaten titleholder Chris John in September 2009.

This card also features a ten-round junior welterweight fight between 27-year-old Robert Guerrero (26-1-1, 18 KOs) of Gilroy, California, and the ageless Joel Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs), an Olympic gold medalist representing Cuba in 1992.

Guerrero, who had taken some time off from boxing to care for his wife, who has leukemia, last scored an eighth-round TKO over journeyman Roberto Arrieta in April 2010. A former titleholder at featherweight and super featherweight, he hopes to campaign regularly at lightweight or junior welterweight now.

Casamayor has already held world titles at super featherweight and lightweight. While he won a tune-up fight in November 2009, his last major fight was a loss by TKO in the eleventh round to Juan Manuel Marquez in September 2008. That was a very close fight up until the time of the stoppage, which some questioned, and the veteran Casamayor should certainly be well-rested for this fight with the younger Guerrero.

Also on this card will be a fight which should be the toughest test yet for 23-year-old Danny Jacobs (20-0, 17 KOs), of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. Many have criticized his opposition thus far as being too soft, but that should not be the case here, when he faces the unbeaten 30-year-old Russian fighter Dmitry Pirog (16-0, 13 KOs). Jacobs and Pirog will meet for the vacant WBO middleweight belt.

To preview this card, we spoke with Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz, Jorge Linares, Rocky Juarez, Robert Guerrero, and Joel Casamayor on a series of media conference calls. We also analyze the historical context of these fights, and offer thoughts on their significance.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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

Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.

No Holds Barred: Andre Ward-Allan Green Preview, Al Bernstein

noreply@blogger.com (Eddie Goldman) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 08:07:00 +0000

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman previews the Andre Ward-Allan Green super middleweight fight scheduled for this Saturday, June 19, and speaks with one of the best boxing announcers in the world, Al Bernstein.

WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward (20-0, 13 KOs) will both defend his title and continue his quest to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic when he takes on Allan Green (29-1, 20 KOs). Ward won his first fight in this tournament with an 11th-round technical decision over Mikkel Kessler, from whom he captured that WBA belt. Green is making his debut in the tournament, replacing Jermain Taylor, who withdrew after being brutally knocked out by Arthur Abraham in the first round of fights.

The Andre Ward-Allan Green fight will take place Saturday, June 19, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. It will be televised live in the U.S. on Showtime.

On a recent media conference call, we got comments from both Andre Ward and Allan Green about how they view this fight and what to expect in it.

We also explain why this tournament is one of the best things happening now in the beleaguered and declining sport of boxing.

On Monday, June 14, there was a media roundtable in New York with the veteran boxing broadcaster Al Bernstein to celebrate his 30 years in boxing. At its conclusion, we had a chance to sit down for a lengthy interview with him, which lasted about 30 minutes.

We spoke about how he got into boxing, the role of the broadcaster, the influence of the legendary announcer Don Dunphy, boxing and mixed martial arts, what changes he would like to see in boxing, some of the many absurd conspiracy theories in boxing, the Super Six World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament, whose fights he has been calling for Showtime, his latest boxing venture on the Internet, and more. This is a rare chance to hear the thoughts of someone most people just see and hear analyzing fights, commenting on his own career and life, and the sport in which he has become one of the most universally respected broadcasters.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

Make sure to visit the official boxing forum for No Holds Barred, the MySpace Boxing Forum.

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

BJJMart.com, your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

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

Bragging Rights Corner, for news and always independent opinion about the sport and business of boxing. Check out their web site at http://www.braggingrightscorner.com.

FightBeat.com, for news, results, interviews, and free exclusive videos from the worlds of boxing and mixed martial arts.