Storyline
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.
Cast & Crew
BV
Bill Viola
Himself
LeadFC
Frank Caliguri
Himself
DC
Dann Carr
Himself
JB
Jacquet Bazemore
Himself
JC
Jimmy Cvetic
Himself
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Henry Roosevelt's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Tough Guys is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
