Tough Guy Contest
| Private | |
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Fate | Outlawed 1983 |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Defunct | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Owner | Bill Viola, Frank Caliguri |
The Tough Guy Contest, founded in 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by CV Productions, Inc., introduced regulated mixed martial arts competition in the United States and established the first MMA league.
The Tough Guy contest was also promoted as "Battle of the Tough Guys" and "Battle of the Brawlers" before rebranding to "Super Fighters."
The Tough Guy Contest was an elimination style mixed martial arts tournament billed as “Anything Goes” and “Organized, Legalized, Streetfighting.” The inaugural field of 64 fighters was broken into light and heavyweight divisions.
Bill Viola wrote the first codified set of mixed martial arts rules in 1979. Fighters were required to use open fingered padded gloves and permitted to use any combination of martial arts skills, including but not limited to boxing, wrestling, grappling, karate, judo, and jiu-jitsu techniques. Bouts were 3 two minute rounds judged using a 10-point-must system. Fighters could win by knockout, technical knockout, submission or decision. Fighters were broken into weight classes, required to wear Olympic style headgear, and subject to a doctor’s approval to fight.
The Tough Guy concept was created by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania martial artists Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri in 1979. They founded CV (Caliguri and Viola) Productions to promote and package mixed martial arts as a legitimate sport. The combination of multiple martial arts disciplines as a sport was unprecedented at the time and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission had no jurisdiction over martial arts competitions until 1983.
The first series of Tough Guy competitions were held March 20 to 22, 1980 at the New Kensington, Pennsylvania Holiday Inn ballroom. The finals were held April 18, 1980 at the Stanley Theater. Return fighters in subsequent shows solidified the league. The national finals were scheduled for Las Vegas with a proposed $100,000 prize.
The league regulated over 130 mixed martial arts bouts across Pennsylvania including notable locations in New Kensington, Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Philadelphia, and Greensburg before the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office ordered CV Productions to cease and desist in January 1981.
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