The Toughman Contest, founded in 1979 in Bay City,

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

by late

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

promoter Art Dore (1936-2022), is a chance for the novice amateur boxers (those with no more than five sanctioned wins in the past five years) to test themselves in the

ring Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...

Format

Toughman Contest formats vary from state to state and are configured to each particular state’s rules and regulations. The most common format prescribes the use of standard amateur boxing rules, 16 ounces for each glove, protective headgear, and bouts made of 3 rounds of boxing. Each round is 2 minute with a 60-second rest period or interval for men and 1 minute rounds with 1 minute or 45-second intervals for women. The Original Toughman Contest plays across the US in between 75 and 100 cities each year and culminates with the World Championship. Toughman Contest tournaments feature the local residents of a particular city (generally, participants must live within 100–150 mile radius of where the event is to be held). Contestants must be at least 18 years of age, pass a standard boxing physical, and meet any other requirements of the state's boxing commission's regulations, and also sign a waiver freeing the parent company from liability. Some states, like Florida and Missouri, do not sanction the Toughman Contest and other amateur boxing contests unless it is under the rules and regulations of the USAAB.

History

The Toughman Contest was started in 1979 by Art Dore and Dean Oswald in

Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metrop ...

. Dore and Oswald wanted to prove how tough they were and opened it up to their friends determine who was the toughest. The Toughman Contest spread quickly. In its heyday, Toughman Contests were held at Las Vegas Casinos and broadcast live on multiple networks.

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

and the FX aired weekly Toughman Contest shows from 2000 to 2004 featuring

Matt Vasgersian Matt Vasgersian ( '; born 1967) is an American sportscaster and television host. Vasgersian is a play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels, as well as a studio host for MLB Network and FOX Sports. In the past, he has served as an an ...

and Lawrence Taylor as commentators. At its peak, 135 Toughman shows were conducted around the US in 2001. After 2001 Toughman was revived in West Virginia by Jerry Thomas. Toughman Contest is the most widely attended boxing series in the United States in the last three decades. Dozens of Toughman contests continue be held as annual events in West Virginia, Ohio, and Oklahoma.

In culture

The 1983 film '' Tough Enough'', starring

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

, features a Toughman Contest. Dore served as a technical advisor and inspired the character played by

Warren Oates Warren Mercer Oates (July 5, 1928 – April 3, 1982) was an American actor best known for his performances in several films directed by Sam Peckinpah, including ''The Wild Bunch'' (1969) and ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' (1974). A ...

. In 1995, Toughman licensed a video game for the Sega Genesis called

Toughman Contest The Toughman Contest, founded in 1979 in Bay City, Michigan by late boxing promoter Art Dore (1936-2022), is a chance for the novice amateur boxers (those with no more than five sanctioned wins in the past five years) to test themselves in the ...

Deaths and controversy

In 2003, Toughman faced public scrutiny following the death of Stacy Young in a "Toughwoman" bout staged as part of a Toughman competition in Sarasota, Florida. Young was a last-minute entry and faced Sara Kobie in the ring. Kobie's hits on Young led to Young's death from brain injuries. Young's family sued the Toughman company. The following year, Florida enacted the Stacy Young Act into law, requiring such competitions be sanctioned by the Florida State Boxing Commission. A 2007 review of boxing deaths documented six fatalities in "Original Toughman" competitions since 1979, and another ten in "Toughman-style" bouts.

Notable competitors

* Eric Ostergren (1st annual winner 1979 - Bay City) * David Richardson *

Grady Brewer Grady Lamont Brewer (born December 22, 1970) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2015. A former IBA and International Boxing Council (IBC) Light Middleweight titleholder, he is the 2006 winner of the ESPN reality ...

Eric "Butterbean" Esch Eric Scott Esch (born August 3, 1966), better known by his nickname "Butterbean", is an American retired professional boxer, kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler who competed in the heavyweight division. He is also a televis ...

Shad Gaspard Shad Javier Gaspard (January 13, 1981 – May 17, 2020) was an American professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his time with WWE, where he performed under his real name, or mononymously as Shad. Gaspard signed with World Wrestl ...

Chris Greeley Christian D. Greeley is a former representative in the Maine state legislature. He was a Republican. He represented District 22 in the House of Representatives for four consecutive two-year terms, from 2002 to 2010, at which point he was prohibit ...

Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...

Hardbody Harrison Harrison Norris Jr. (born August 22, 1966), is an American Gulf War U.S. Army veteran, retired professional wrestler and former 2001 Toughman heavyweight champion, best known by his ring name Hardbody Harrison and sometimes Hardbody Harris. In ...

Lavar Johnson Lavar F. Johnson (born June 11, 1977) is an American bare-knuckle boxer and former Heavyweight mixed martial artist. A professional from 2004 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, the WEC, Strikeforce and Bellator MMA. Background Johnson is ...

* Mighty Mo *

Matt Mitrione Matthew Steven Mitrione (born July 15, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MM ...

Tommy Morrison Tommy "The Duke" Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008, and held the WBO heavyweight title in 1993. He retired from boxing in 1996 when he tested positive for HIV. Mo ...

Sean O'Haire Sean Christopher Haire (February 25, 1971 – September 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and kickboxer, better known by his ring name Sean O'Haire. Haire was best known for his appearances with the profession ...

Brett Rogers Brett Charles Rogers (born February 17, 1981) is an American former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Rogers has fought in EliteXC, Strikeforce, and Bellator. Ba ...

Joe Schilling Joseph Francis Schilling (born January 13, 1984) is an American professional Muay Thai kickboxer and mixed martial artist who most recently competed for Bellator Kickboxing in the Middleweight division, and in the Middleweight division for Bell ...

Matt Serra Matthew John Serra (born June 2, 1974) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the co-star of Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight and co- ...

Mr. T Mr. T (born Laurence Tureaud, May 21, 1952), is an American actor. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A-Team'' and as boxer Clubber Lang in the 1982 film ''Rocky III''. He is also known for his ...

Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...

* Phil Barone *

Chad Beverly Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

Michael Henderson * Arnold Dean Mackey Toughman Heavyweight Champion Jackson, MI. April 11, 1981

References