10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.
Casts: Amber Banaszewski, Jacquet Bazemore, Jack Bodell, Ann Butler, Frank Caliguri, Dann Carr, Jamie Crowder, Jimmy Cvetic, Anthony DeNunzio, Richard DiBiase, Darin DiNapoli
Director: W.B. Zullo, Henry Roosevelt
Countrys: USA
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| Score | Rating Count | Release Date | RunTime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 119 | 2017-09-15 | 76 |