CV Productions, Inc.
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| Private | |
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, PA, United States |
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Key people
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Bill Viola (founder & president) Frank Caliguri (founder) |
| Website | cvproductionsinc |
CV Productions, Inc., is a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based mixed martial arts company, founded in 1979. It is considered the first MMA based company in the United States and responsible for creating the blueprint for modern mixed martial arts competition. The company promoted the first regulated league of mixed martial arts style competitions beginning in 1980 with the intention of creating a new mainstream sport. The league events pitted combatants from all fighting disciplines including boxers, kick boxers, martial artists, wrestlers, grapplers, and all around “tough guys.” Competitors could win by opponent’s submission, knockout or judges' decision (based on the 10 point “must” system). The competitions were promoted as “Anything Goes - striking, throwing, grappling, punching, kicking, ground fighting, and more.” The shows were immediately dubbed by the media as “Organized, Legalized, Street Fighting,” a phrase coined by KDKA TV's Dave Durian.
CV is an abbreviation for its co-founders’ last names, Pittsburgh martial arts pioneers Bill Viola of Irwin, Pennsylvania and Frank Caliguri of Arnold, Pennsylvania. The promoters set out to address the hypothetical question: "Who would win between Muhammad Ali (boxer), Bruce Lee (martial artist) or Bruno Sammartino (wrestler)?" Viola and Caliguri spent much of 1979 developing the foundation for a series of mixed martial arts style competitions. They concentrated on an untapped market by providing a true platform to settle the dispute of which style of fighting was superior. The events were advertised as “Anything Goes,” and “legalized striking, throwing, grappling, punching, kicking, ground fighting, submissions and more.” Fighters from all disciplines were eager to compete and earn bragging rights. The first Tough Guy championship would take place March 20, 1980 in New Kensington, PA. The company organized a league of events and promoted more than 10 competitions across Pennsylvania under the banner of “Battle of the Brawlers,” “Battle of the Tough Guys,” “Tough Guy Contests” and finally rebranded "Super Fighters” (Super Fighters League - SFL) throughout 1980. Notable locations included the Stanley Theater, now the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh.,Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center.
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