Tunisha Singleton is back after a not-so-brief hiatus to explore the intersection of sports, culture, and politics, this time with a co-host. Kyle Green and Tunisha discuss their plans for a series focusing on combat sports and the people left behind as MMA has taken a turn to the right. They also share personal stories, hopes for future episodes, and discuss the importance of community and storytelling in sports fandom.

Key Topics:

• The relaunch of the podcast after a hiatus
• Personal stories and motivations behind the show
• The shift in MMA culture and politics
• The role of storytelling and community in sports
• Academic perspectives on combat sports and society

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Relaunch
01:17 The Unique Podcast Concept: With or Without Mom
02:07 Persistence and Bullying: The Motivation to Restart
03:55 The Power of Voice and Storytelling in Sports
05:42 Why MMA and Combat Sports Matter Today
07:17 The Political Shift in MMA and UFC
09:26 The Rightward Shift in Combat Sports Culture
11:48 Community, Resistance, and Identity in MMA
14:18 Academic and Practitioner Perspectives in Combat Sports
16:37 Creating a Community of Fans, Fighters, and Scholars
17:50 The Role of Media and Narrative in MMA
20:15 The Personal Journey of Engagement with MMA
24:13 Research, Practice, and the Future of Combat Sports
26:24 The Emotional Connection and Stories in Sports
27:47 Exciting Guests and Future Topics
40:32 Favorite Horror Movies and Childhood Fears
42:08 The Scariest Films and Their Impact
43:58 Running from Werewolves and Childhood Memories
45:29 The Joy of Sports and Rebuilding Fandom
50:22 The Evolution of NBA and Sports Fandom
53:34 The State of the NBA and Personal Fandom
54:43 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

Black cyberculture often revolves around persecution, appropriation, resistance, and the like. Then there's #BlackTwitter - a space for Black joy to originate, participate, and conversate. In this Blackity Black episode, T chops it up with scholar and award-winning author, André Brock. Topics of converstaion include, #BlackTwitter as the world’s largest Black group chat, understanding Black technoculture and cyberstudies, Black female identity online and research on Black collectives in both digital and physical spaces, Coach Deion Sanders and "The Prime Effect" and disparities of Black excellence between HBCU and general Black culture.

Guest Info:

• Follow André Brock on Twitter/X @docdre
• Website
• Download Distributed Blackness: African American Cyberstudies
• Read the article: From the Blackhand Side: Twitter as a Cultural Conversation

Host and Show Info:

• Tunisha's Website
• X/Twitter, @Tsingletonsays
• Show account on X/Twitter, @IHQpod
• Show account on IG, ihq.podcast

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

How do you find truth in a world built on illusion?

In this episode, T is joined by bestselling author of The Wax Pack, Brad Balukjian to talk about the blurred realities within professional wrestling. In the midst of the convo, we talk about the pursuit of truth in sport spaces, how science and travel influences Brad’s unique writing style, how 2 PhDs embrace and embody storytelling across professions, and how Brad is honoring his mission to sing the unsung.

Last and but not least, we get the scoop on Brad’s latest literary, 12,525 miles endeavor to examine the myth vs. reality dichotomy of pro wrestling in his upcoming book, The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania. The Six Pack is available for pre-order now (official release date is April 2, 2024).

Guest Info:

• Pre-order The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Wrestlemania
• Get Brad's first book: The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife
• Brad’s website
• Twitter/X
• IG
• Facebook

Host and Show Info:

• Tunisha's Website
• X/Twitter, @Tsingletonsays
• Show account on X/Twitter, @IHQpod
• Show account on IG, ihq.podcast

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK! 🎙️

Top 5 MMA Walkout Songs?
What fight would you show someone to make them a fan of MMA?

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is the subject and Tunisha is joined by friends of the show, Kyle Green (Host of "Give Theory a Chance" podcast and Associate Professor of Sociology) and Abigail Smithson (Artist, scholar, and host of the "Dear Adam Silver" podcast). In this episode Kyle and Tunisha pitch their answers to the above questions to Abby (the non-MMA follower) and in doing so, start to reveal and unpack larger questions about the global complex space that is MMA. Other questions/topics include:

• frustrations in mainstream MMA media
• the Jake and Logan Paul influence on combat sports
• power of sports media and the lack thereof in MMA
• who’s more problematic - Sean O'Malley or Colby Covington
• Is "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung the Chris Webber of MMA? 🧐

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Host Notes:
Website: tunishasingleton.com
X/Twitter: @tsingletonsays @ihqpod
IG: @ihq.podcast

Guest Notes:
Give Theory a Chance podcast hosted by Kyle Green
Dear Adam Silver hosted by Abigail Smithson

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

In this episode, Tunisha is joined by HBCU grads, MDs, and co-founders of Culture 107 Rasheed Singleton and Taj Eubanks. Culture 107 is a newly launched premium apparel and accessory company dedicated to the HBCU experience. Listen in as this fun trio chops it up about the significance of Black culture that has helped propel all of society, growing up Black in different parts of America, HBCU history, and why two doctors decided to come together and from a labor of love, launch a new company as an homage to the culture and traditions born from these prestigious HBCU institutions.

• Shop Culture 107: https://culture107.com/
• Culture 107 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopculture107/
• Taj on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.kenyattamd/
• Sheed on Intagram https://www.instagram.com/the_sheedmd/
• Sheed on Twitter https://twitter.com/The_SheedMD

Show and Host Links:
• Tunisha's website: https://tunishasingleton.com/
• Tunisha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TSingletonSays
• IHQ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ihqpod

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

ISSA TAKEOVER!
This episode flips the script and puts the host in the hot seat. Friends of IHQ Kyle Green (Host of "Give Theory a Chance" podcast and Associate Professor of Sociology) and Abigail Smithson (Artist, scholar, and host of the "Dear Adam Silver" podcast) take over the show and ask Tunisha a series of questions to get to the root of all her beautiful madness. Topics include her pro wrestling fandom, dream jobs, defending herself against some drunk loser while trying to watch UFC, and much more.

Check out:
"Give Theory a Chance" hosted by Kyle Green: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/give-theory-a-chance/id1493451695

"Dear Adam Silver" hosted by Abigail Smithson https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-adam-silver/id1430326742

19 Media Group - https://19mediagroup.com/

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

“They go back like pimps and pinky rings.”
Sherman Nelson Jr., Taekwondo 4th degree black belt, former national team coach, team leader for the 2016 Olympic Games, and color analyst of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics joins Tunisha as the featured guest. Together they have a deep conversation rooted in Black culture, community, and authenticity. Sherman shares his perspective of being a Black Girl Dad, his entry into Taekwondo at Howard University, growing the sport by creating advocates through storyful commentary, his transition into being a color analyst, and the positive response received from his commentary during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Guest Links:
Sherman on Twitter - https://twitter.com/Inanetpreacher
The tweet that started it all - https://twitter.com/TSingletonSays/status/1419379297739952130?s=20

Show Links:
• https://twitter.com/TSingletonSays
• https://twitter.com/ihqpod
• https://linktr.ee/ihqpod
• https://tunishasingleton.com/

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

Featured guest in this episode is Kyle Green Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology at SUNY Brockport. As both passionate MMA fans and academic scholars, Kyle and Tunisha discuss commonalities in higher education’s ill first impression about studying sports at a high, accredited level. In an evenly critical and comedic conversation (comedic at least for Tunisha…😏), additional topics include their co-authored publication on UFC’s narratively framed brand identity during COVID-19, potential dealbreakers in fandom, appropriate thinking vs overthinking, Kyle’s experience as an MMA practitioner leading him to Ph.D., and much more.
Also, a fun rapid-fire bit to close where these two hit:
- Is Mariah Carey the GOAT diva?
- Favorite horror movie
- Kyle’s loss against Tunisha in the most Prestigious NBA Playoff Pool of All Time
- Best cheese

Guest Links:
• Kyle’s Website - https://www.kylegreen.org/
• Kyle on Twitter - https://twitter.com/kylethegreen
• Kyle’s podcast - Give Theory a Chance https://thesocietypages.org/theory/
• Co-authored article by Kyle and Tunisha in the Journal of Emerging Sports Studies - https://journals.library.brocku.ca/index.php/jess/article/view/3386/2633

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

Esports and education is the name of this game. In this episode, Dr. Tunisha Singleton opens with a life check-in and talks about being featured in the September 2021 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. This leads into the featured conversation and upbeat chat had with James O’Hagan, Founder of The Academy of Esports, on the importance of sport - in all its forms - in the positive development of young people. Through personal stories and reflection, topics of permission and privilege in extracurricular activities and access to technology for youth in communities of color are also addressed, emphasizing the importance for school systems to drop the faulty, outdated schtick and begin building a more efficient learning experience by integrating digital communities, inclusive activity, and support of play.

Guest Links:
James O’Hagan Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimohagan

Why Esports and Education resource: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jm7rAyBeFc3XThej3fOQaiwhwRPMSmzj/view?ltclid=e4d97083-673b-4387-b51e-4fdb843edd85

TAoEsports Twitch Channel: https://www.twitch.tv/taoesports/videos/all

TAoEsports episode ft. Dr. Tunisha Singleton: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1120336407

The Academy of Esports: https://www.taoesports.com/?ltclid=a5e0471f-1f0c-48c8-9343-01cf475fb19d

Vanity Fair Sept. 2021 Article ft. Dr. Tunisha Singleton: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/08/when-fandoms-stop-playing-nice

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod

Season 2 of the IHQ Pod is here.

On Feb. 10, 2007, the first Women’s MMA fight to air on live television featured Gina Carano vs Julie Kedzie.
In this episode, Tunisha chops it up with WMMA pioneer, matchmaker, commentator, and all-around badass Julie Kedzie. Conversation crosses the professional and personal scales with insight and perspective on the cost of MMA entering the “mothership mainstream” of ESPN, her entry into Taekwondo at age 4, the good and bad complexity of the MMA community, pitting women against women everywhere, and making space for yourself in spite of cultural and gender expectations. And oh yea, Julie ALSO has an MFA in Nonfiction Literature from the University of Iowa, and we compare scholarly/academic environments with sport/athletic spaces.

Guest Links:
Julie Kedzie on TW: https://twitter.com/julesk_fighter
Writing and Fighting "Gender, Media, & Combat Sports" Panel ft. Julie Kedzie: https://youtu.be/1SY6Es_bbFY

Keep up with all the ways you can listen, contact, and support the IHQ Podcast hosted by Tunisha Singleton and Kyle Green. 😎

Follow the show here! https://linktr.ee/ihqpod