On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses catch wrestling, also known as catch-as-catch-can wrestling, with Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com (http://scientificwrestling.com).

Catch wrestling is a style of wrestling where, to put it simply, both pins and submissions can win a match. It is a style that was immensely popular early in the twentieth century, when professional wrestling was to a degree a legitimate sport, and was on a par in popularity in America with baseball and boxing.

After virtually going underground for decades, the popularity of mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, and various styles of grappling have helped revive interest in catch wrestling. Today Jake Shannon, among others, both writes about this discipline and helps train people in it.

We spoke with him by phone Friday night about the movement to revive catch wrestling, its storied if often cloudy history, and what would have to take place for it to make a comeback as a popular spectator sport. This is a fascinating topic with someone who has studied it thoroughly and currently practices and teaches this discipline, and thus provides important perspective for all the combat sports.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-02-19T18_23_35-08_00.

You can also download No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?ddzuq2w6j6u41hw. 

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 at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).

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

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions (http://www.beezid.com). 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 (http://www.beezid.com).

American Top Team (http://americantopteam.com). 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 (http://www.ussambo.com), 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 (http://www.ussambo.com).

BJJMart.com (http://bjjmart.com), your premier source for all Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear, videos, books, and much more.

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

http://eddiegoldman.com

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the head grappling coach at the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, Neil Melanson.

Neil had served for seven years in the U.S. Navy and for five years as a Special Agent in the Federal Air Marshal Service, doing counter-terrorism work. His quest to become a mixed martial arts fighter was cut short after he lost sight in one eye due to suffering from Behcet 's disease. Now he trains both professional and amateur fighters and gym students in various styles of grappling, for both grappling competitions and mixed martial arts.

He has also become one of the growing number of devotees of catch wrestling, also known as catch-as-catch-can wrestling. In this style of wrestling, you can win by submission or pin. A century ago, catch wrestling was one of the most popular professional sports in America and the world.

Neil has trained under the legendary Gene LeBell, and now helps train MMA legend Randy Couture, including in catch wrestling and how it applies to mixed martial arts.

In our recent phone interview, we discussed many of the prominent styles of grappling, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and catch wrestling. We compared the techniques and methods of these great grappling disciplines, and discussed how they applied to mixed martial arts.

We also examined the relatively small but blossoming movement to revive catch wrestling. Could the establishment of a new infrastructure of tournaments and training centers for catch wrestling resuscitate it as both a competitive and spectator sport sometime in the future? Many people would like that to occur, but there is a long, long way to go until anything close to that happens. We thus discussed some of the things that could be done to expand the reach of this sport, the rules for catch wrestling, and more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-03-10T19_24_47-08_00.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).

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

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions (http://www.beezid.com). 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 (http://www.beezid.com).

American Top Team (http://americantopteam.com). 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 (http://www.ussambo.com), 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 (http://www.ussambo.com).

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

http://eddiegoldman.com

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the main lessons of the three main combat sports shows televised this weekend in the U.S.

The best of the three was the M-1 Challenge XXVI mixed martial arts card, which took place Friday, July 8, at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California, and was telecast live on Showtime. In the main event, heavyweight M-1 contender Kenny "Deuce" Garner won by a second-round KO over Pat Bennett. In the co-main event of this card, which had five fights televised, Arthur Guseinov knocked out Tyson Jeffries with a picture-perfect spinning back fist in the first round of their middleweight fight.

The next best show was also on Showtime, but featured boxing. On Saturday, July 9, from Carson, California, Brandon Rios retained his WBA lightweight title with a third-round stoppage of Urbano Antillon in an all-out battle. Also, Carlos Molina upset Kermit Cintron, winning a clear-cut, 10-round unanimous decision in their junior middleweight bout.

The biggest disgrace occurred on the HBO-televised boxing card from Atlantic City, New Jersey, also on July 9. Junior middleweight Paul Williams was given a majority decision victory over Erislandy Lara in a fight which virtually no one except two of the judges thought Williams had won.

We thus discuss the significance of these three shows. We also comment on some recent developments in grappling, including plans for the 2011 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championships, which take place September 24-25 in Nottingham, England, and the attempts to revive catch-as-catch-can wrestling as a real sport.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-07-11T03_00_36-07_00.

You can also download No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?nl7xfpl6zw41pn2. 

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 at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).

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

M-1 Global (http://www.m-1global.com). 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 (http://www.m-1global.com), and the M-1 Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244) for news, videos, and live streaming events.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions (http://www.beezid.com). 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 (http://www.beezid.com).

American Top Team (http://americantopteam.com). 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 (http://www.ussambo.com), 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 (http://www.ussambo.com).

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

http://eddiegoldman.com

On this audio edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reviews the impressive twelfth-round TKO victory by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez over Ryan Rhodes, and the highly unimpressive Strikeforce card, which both took place Saturday, June 18.

The brightest spot for the Strikeforce card was the use of catch wrestling by Josh Barnett in his second-round submission victory over Brett Rogers. Could catch wrestling, with victory by pin or submission, and the style used when professional wrestling was to a degree a real sport in the early twentieth century, make a comeback? We ask that question, but others will have to provide the answer.

You can play or download No Holds Barred at http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2011-06-19T12_45_31-07_00.

You can also download No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?ssdaaolb35153nn. 

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 at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=150801513&s=143441.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter (http://iancarpenter.com).

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

M-1 Global (http://www.m-1global.com). 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 (http://www.m-1global.com), and the M-1 Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/M-1-Global/145250878842244) for news, videos, and live streaming events.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions (http://www.beezid.com). 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 (http://www.beezid.com).

American Top Team (http://americantopteam.com). 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 (http://www.ussambo.com), 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 (http://www.ussambo.com).

Thanks, Eddie Goldman

http://eddiegoldman.com