No Holds Barred: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Mayweather-Pacquiao Cancellation and Future of Drug Testing

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman about the cancellation of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight after the two camps failed to agree on how to conduct the prefight drug testing, and what should be the future of drug testing for the combat sports. Dr. Goodman is a neurologist, the former chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the medical correspondent for No Holds Barred.

Among the many topics we discussed was why the last-minute compromise offered by the Mayweather camp, for an end to blood testing 14 days before the fight, would have been inadequate in preventing dope cheating. We discussed various methods widely used by dope cheats, including the use of EPO, and how many athletes beat even the current random tests. We stressed the need for regulatory and sanctioning bodies in the combat sports to update their antiquated procedures if they are serious about dealing with this issue. We also discussed the use of performance enhancing drugs in other sports such as baseball.

We discussed how the collapse of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is yet another milestone in the collapse of boxing, and how other sports like mixed martial arts are benefiting from it. But we also discussed how the issue of doping in mixed martial arts is not being properly addressed and must be, lest that sport sooner or later suffers a similar fate as boxing. And, of course, we skewered most (but not all) of the combat sports media, which still refuse to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth on these issues.

We closed with some suggestions for those who are honest and serious about cleaning up these sports to work together to intensify the education of the public on these issues, and to influence policy-making regarding drug testing.

Will all these anti-doping efforts eventually succeed? A lot depends on how the public and the fans react, and this discussion helps outline a course of action for those who truly want clean sport.

If you would like to support No Holds Barred financially, you can send a gift through our PayPal account. Just click the "DONATE" button on the No Holds Barred pages at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ or http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/. Any size gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: Travis Tygart of U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Mayweather-Pacquiao and Drug Testing

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the issue of drug testing and the apparently cancelled Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight with Travis Tygart, the chief executive officer of USADA, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

USADA, which sees its mission as to "preserve the value and integrity of athletic competition through just initiatives that prevent, deter and detect violations of true sport", was initially approached to provide information about drug testing to the organizers of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. USADA is the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American, and Paralympic sport in the U.S.

According to numerous news reports, plans to hold this fight March 13 were scrapped when the Pacquiao camp refused to agree to the demands of the Mayweather camp for Olympic-style, random blood testing of both fighters for banned substances.

In a lengthy interview, Travis Tygart explains why only conducting urine testing for banned and dangerous substances is ineffective, why blood testing is needed to test for substances like human growth hormone, and why this is necessary to protect the clean athletes while catching the dope cheats. We discuss the need for random, out-of-competition testing, as well as debunk the various excuses given against blood testing, such as it weakening an athlete, the expense of the test, their safety, etc.

"Our clean athletes are demanding for more testing," he stated in this interview.

Defending the rights of these clean athletes is paramount, which is why all supporters of honest sport should also demand that these state-of-the-art testing procedures be utilized in professional sports worldwide.

If you would like to support No Holds Barred financially, you can send a gift through our PayPal account. Just click the "DONATE" button on the No Holds Barred pages at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com/ or http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/. Any size gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Mayweather-Pacquiao Drug-Testing Controversy

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Dr. Margaret Goodman about the heated drug-testing controversy which threatens to derail the proposed fight between top pound-for-pound boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao on March 13, 2010, in Las Vegas. Dr. Goodman is a neurologist, the former chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and also the medical correspondent for No Holds Barred.

In a lengthy interview recorded Sunday evening, we discuss why it is "the right thing" for the regulatory bodies of sports like boxing and mixed martial arts to adopt the protocols of the World Anti-Doping Agency and have random prefight blood testing of all fighters for widely-used banned and dangerous substances, including EPO and human growth hormone. Thus far, the Mayweather camp has insisted on such testing, while the Pacquiao camp has vehemently opposed that.

Dr. Goodman explains why the current testing procedures used by the various athletic commissions are "behind the times" and must be changed. We discuss how the controversy around the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is further killing and discrediting boxing, and why the motivations of the Mayweather camp in bringing this issue to the fore are far less important than the need for such testing to protect the health and safety of the fighters.

This interview provides scientifically-based information and analysis that most of the media either does not or will not dare discuss, but it is all right here for you on No Holds Barred.

If you would like to support No Holds Barred financially, you can send a gift through our PayPal account. Just click the "DONATE" button on the No Holds Barred pages at http://nhbnews.blogspot.com or http://nhbnews.podomatic.com. Any size gift, large or small, is greatly appreciated.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: Frank Lotierzo on Manny Pacquiao Triumphant

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the noted boxing writer and historian and former fighter, Frank Lotierzo, about the dominant 11th-round TKO victory by Manny Pacquiao over Miguel Cotto November 14 in Las Vegas.

In an in-depth discussion, we analyze the fight itself, the brilliant use of boxing technique by Manny Pacquiao, the place of Pacquiao in boxing history, the potential for a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, how the careers of Pacquiao and Mayweather compare, and much more. This is another meaty discussion for fight fans and aficionados, and you do not want to miss it, right here on No Holds Barred.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: A Different Kind of Pacquiao-Cotto Preview

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman presents a preview of the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto welterweight title fight, which takes place Saturday, November 14, in Las Vegas, and will be televised around the world, including on HBO pay-per-view in the U.S.

This is a different kind of preview, however, from that offered almost everywhere else, in that we do not limit ourselves to the question of which fighter stands the best chance of winning this fight in the ring.

We open by noting the damage suffered by the sport of boxing as a whole by placing such major fights on pay-per-view. We play an excerpt of a media conference call held prior to the November 7 Fedor Emelianenko-Brett Rogers mixed martial arts fight, which was telecast live in the U.S. on CBS and was viewed in 5.46 million households, with Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime. He opined why boxing is no longer on network television in the U.S., and why MMA is.

We next play an excerpt from the November 8 edition of The Boxing Truth Radio, hosted by Ricardo Lois and John Chavez, where Eddie Goldman explained the global economic, political, and social factors which work in Pacquiao's favor. This type of analysis is essential to understanding the historical context in which this fight is taking place, and also what factors other than who deserves to win might play a role in the outcome of the fight.

In the longest segment on this edition of No Holds Barred, we discuss this fight with our correspondent, the award-winning boxing writer Charles Farrell. He is of the opinion that Cotto has the best chance of legitimately winning this fight. Cotto, he argues, unlike Pacquiao, is a true welterweight whose power and size should have him prevail. He also dismisses Pacquiao's dominant wins over Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya as victories over shot fighters, which the 28-year-old Cotto is far from being.

We discuss these views, as well as the opposing arguments which favor Pacquiao, regarding both his skills and power as a fighter and the advantages he has with the boxing establishment. While Charles is fairly certain that Cotto will win, Eddie is not, so various possible scenarios for this fight are outlined.

We also discuss what possible fights lie ahead for both men, including the likelihood of the winner facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and these next fights taking place in a major league baseball stadium. And we explain why we have no problem with people watching this fight for free online, even on so-called pirate streams. But we all agree that whichever fighter wins Saturday night, the real winner will be promoter Bob Arum, who promotes both men.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell Deconstructs Haye-Valuev

On this edition of No Holds Barred, the first of two back-to-back shows, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our correspondent Charles Farrell about the most important boxing event of this weekend, where the former cruiserweight world champion David Haye captured the WBA heavyweight title from Nikolai Valuev in Nuremburg, Germany, Saturday, November 7.

Haye won this bout with a majority decision, but this fight was so dreadful and had such little action that during it, Sky Sports announcer and former lightweight world champion Jim Watt wondered, "Do you score the round on one punch?"

We thus deconstruct this fight with Charles Farrell, and bemoan not only what so much of heavyweight boxing has become, but also cast doubt on much of what was said regarding this fight. We discuss why Haye chose such a defensive game plan, why Haye was able to win a relatively close decision in Germany where so many fighters have been robbed, the likelihood of Haye now fighting one of the Klitschkos, the presentation of the fight in the arena, the significance of holding such a fight in Nuremburg, the superiority of the announcing on Sky Sports compared to that on the American networks, how Haye has shrewdly positioned himself in the heavyweight division, the return of John Ruiz, why the boxing establishment has had enough of Valuev, and much more.

You will not hear this type of brutally frank analysis elsewhere, so make sure to check out this edition of No Holds Barred.

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/.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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

No Holds Barred: Charles Farrell Reviews Abraham-Taylor, Froch-Dirrell, and Rachael Cordingley

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with our colleague and correspondent Charles Farrell, the award-winning boxing writer and fight manager, about the somewhat disappointing first round of fights in the super middleweight tournament known as the World Boxing Classic, held Saturday, October 17.

In those fights, undefeated former middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) won with a brutal twelfth-round knockout of former undisputed middleweight world champion Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) at the O2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany, while WBC champion Carl Froch (26-0, 20 KOs) won an ugly split decision over previously unbeaten Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KOs) at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England.

We discussed these fights themselves; why Abraham emerged as the clear winner of all the fighters Saturday night; why the devastating knockout of Taylor, the third in his last five fights, should signal the end of his career as a boxer; how both Froch and Dirrell gave dismal performances, and the supposed controversy over the outcome of their fight; an evaluation of the next fight in this tournament, when Mikkel Kessler faces Andre Ward November 21 in Oakland, Calif., as well as the second and third rounds of this tournament; why, despite its less-than-inspiring start, the tournament could still be successful; how potential dropouts in the tournament could endanger it; why so many people remain so cynical and negative about everything in boxing, as happens in the last stages of a dying romantic relationship; and why so much of the boxing public is instead talking about Carl Froch's girlfriend, Rachael Cordingley.

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/.

MMA World Expo, an event designed for the mixed martial arts community offering hands-on instruction from professional trainers and athletes, educational sessions with the who's who of the MMA world, and an exhibit hall filled with the industry's top suppliers and services. MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, October 24th, and Sunday, October 25th, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

GRACIEMAG, the most reliable source of information on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. GRACIEMAG represents Jiu-Jitsu philosophy and features news, profiles, history, photos, videos, and tips and secrets of the mother of all martial arts. Published since 1996 in Brazil, GRACIEMAG: The Jiu-Jitsu Lifestyle, is in both English and Portuguese, and is also online at GRACIEMAG.com.

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