No Holds Barred Tenth Anniversary: Dr. Margaret Goodman on Boxing, MMA, and Doping

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist, the former chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the president and board chairman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.

This is another in a series of discussions celebrating the tenth anniversary of this No Holds Barred podcast, which began in March 2006. These interviews will focus both on the legacy and issues raised over the years on this show, as well as contemporary issues and the future of the combat sports and martial arts.

We spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman by phone Monday.

There is hardly a day without a report, discussion, or analysis of doping in sports. Even a decade ago, this was not the case, particularly in the combat and contact sports. Yet today, issues like doping, as well as athlete safety, brain trauma, and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), regularly appear in the headlines and are the main topics in the news and on discussion shows. It has taken time for public awareness of these issues and the crises for sport they entail to grow to a critical mass, but that is where we are today.

"I think that public awareness, and the public, the fans that watch these sports, asking questions, demanding answers to those questions, keeping on top of the sports, and even with the athletic commissions and the media asking questions, I think changes do come," said Dr. Goodman.

"The public is more and more aware of this," she said, and urged, "I think that it's really important for the average boxing fan and MMA fan to ask questions, to find out as much information as they can."

More and more transparency on these issues and more and more people asking questions, she said, "this is what really will evoke changes."

We discussed many specific issues, including that of the many suspensions of athletes for using the banned substance meldonium; why many of these suspensions have now been lifted; drug-testing in MMA including the UFC-USADA program; the World Boxing Council (WBC) working directly with VADA on testing fighters and the WBC Clean Boxing Program; the growing list of top-rated boxers who are part of VADA's anti-doping program; the lack of uniformity in drug and medical testing of fighters, both around the U.S. and the world; Bellator MMA's booking of Kimbo Slice for a fight in the U.K. right after he tested positive for using a steroid from his February fight and was suspended for three months and had his fighter's license revoked by the Texas commission; the dangers of brain injuries in. and the relative safety of, boxing and MMA; whether or not bare knuckle boxing can be safer than boxing with gloves; the ethics of watching and covering such dangerous sports as boxing and MMA; the need for a national commission for boxing and MMA, for MMA to be included in the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, and for international regulation of these sports; the importance of the recent film "Concussion" about Dr. Bennet Omalu; how repeated sub-concussive blows to the head must be examined and not just full concussions; an upcoming WBC webinar; and much, much more.

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No Holds Barred: Dr. Margaret Goodman On Her Novel 'Death In Vegas'

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the neurologist, the former chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and the president and board chairman of VADA, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, Dr. Margaret Goodman.

Stepping into yet another role, she is the author of the new novel, "Death in Vegas". This fictional story combines drama, romance, and intrigue in an expose of the many real behind-the-scenes facets of corruption in boxing. Written to appeal to both men and women, it is a page-turner with twists and turns, but a message to tell as well. It is an entertaining and worthwhile read for anyone interested in the many issues facing boxing and the combat sports as a whole.

We spoke with Dr. Margaret Goodman by phone Sunday.

"I love the sport of boxing, as I think you can figure that out from this book," she said. "I do love the fighters. I hate the corruption that goes on in the sport. I hate the fact that not enough is not being done. You yourself are an advocate for combat sports, and so that's what I try to be at all times in my career in boxing and MMA."

Stating that it would be "impossible" for various reasons for her to write a successful non-fiction book, she said, "I wanted to use this opportunity to talk about all of the inadequacies in the sport, how the sport could be made so much better for the fighters, and I wanted to bring a new audience."

We discussed more about the particulars of this story, and how its aim is to "give respect to all the fighters out there."

But we also delved into many of the real issues raised in the book, including the need for some type of national commission to regulate combat sports like boxing and MMA, as well as the need for fighters to have their own union.

Her former role as a ringside physician and present role in VADA have made her particularly aware that, even today, performance-enhancing drugs are, she said, "rampant" in the combat sports. The issues of head trauma, concussions and sub-concussive trauma, brain damage, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy as well as what age youth should start participating in these sports, including tackle football, were also discussed.

One area that requires new attention is the level of damage caused by chokes in sports like MMA, jiu-jitsu, and various styles of grappling and wrestling. Dr. Goodman said much more study is needed, but suggested that just like medical suspensions are handed out for getting knocked out, perhaps it is time to start considering issuing medical suspensions for getting choked out. While short-term damage from chokes appears anecdotally to be relatively minor, asked whether it is scientifically known if there is long-term damage from repeatedly being choked out, she replied, we "don't have the answer yet.... We don't know."

We also discussed more on the characters in the book, how she would like to write a novel in a similar vein on MMA, and much, much more.

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

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

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

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

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

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

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No Holds Barred: The Bad News Never Ends in Boxing

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.

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