Author | Bill Viola Jr, Dr. Fred Adams [1] [2] |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Mixed Martial Arts |
Published | 2017 |
Publisher | Kumite Classic Entertainment [3] |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print, Kindle [4] |
Pages | 447 |
ISBN | 978-0-9961633-0-9 |
Tough Guys is non-fiction mixed martial arts book inspired by CV Productions Inc., and the Tough Guy Contest. [1] [2] [5] The book was written by Bill Viola Jr., and Dr. Fred Adams and published by Kumite Classic Entertainment in 2017. [6] [7] [8] [9] It was the basis for the 2017 film Tough Guys which made its network television debut on Showtime. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Tough Guys was originally published under the title Godfathers of MMA (2014). [1] [2] [15] The Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, discovered the book and subsequently established a permanent exhibit to recognize Pittsburgh as the birthplace of modern sport of MMA in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. [3] [16] [17] [18]
New York based MinusL Productions secured the rights to produce a documentary film about the history of MMA and used the book as the basis for the film named Tough Guys co-starring Bill Viola Sr., the author's father. [12] Tough Guys made its world premiere June 15, 2017 at the AFI Docs Film Festival in Washington, D.C. [19] [20]
The book was updated and rebranded as Tough Guys (2017) and published the same day as the network television debut of Tough Guys on Showtime. [2] [21] The re-released commemorative edition peaked at No. 1 on the Amazon individual sports charts September, 2017. [5] [6] [22] [17] [18]
The book is a noted MMA resource and historical reference for early competition. [5] [23] [24] [25] Tough Guys documents mixed martial arts in the late 1970s-1980s. [26] [27] In 1979, Bill Viola Sr. and Frank Caliguri established CV Productions Inc. and created a new sport that combined martial arts, boxing, wrestling, jujutsu and various forms of combat sports. The “anything goes” Tough Guy Contest [12] [20] [8] introduced regulated mixed martial arts competition to America and launched the first MMA league, later rebranded as “Super Fighters.” [27] [28] [15]
Tough Guys chronicles mixed martial arts a decade before the term became popular or the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created. [12] [23] [29] It details the Toughman (boxing) vs Tough Guy (MMA) controversy, the death of Ronald Miller and the Tough Guy Law which outlawed mixed martial arts in 1983. [24] [30] Tough Guys documents the sports early history and legal issues with the Pennsylvania State Legislature and Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. [27] [24] It concludes with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania outlawing mixed martial arts. [24] [31]
Author | Bill Viola Jr, Dr. Fred Adams [1] [2] |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Mixed Martial Arts |
Published | 2017 |
Publisher | Kumite Classic Entertainment [3] |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print, Kindle [4] |
Pages | 447 |
ISBN | 978-0-9961633-0-9 |
Tough Guys is non-fiction mixed martial arts book inspired by CV Productions Inc., and the Tough Guy Contest. [1] [2] [5] The book was written by Bill Viola Jr., and Dr. Fred Adams and published by Kumite Classic Entertainment in 2017. [6] [7] [8] [9] It was the basis for the 2017 film Tough Guys which made its network television debut on Showtime. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Tough Guys was originally published under the title Godfathers of MMA (2014). [1] [2] [15] The Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, discovered the book and subsequently established a permanent exhibit to recognize Pittsburgh as the birthplace of modern sport of MMA in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum. [3] [16] [17] [18]
New York based MinusL Productions secured the rights to produce a documentary film about the history of MMA and used the book as the basis for the film named Tough Guys co-starring Bill Viola Sr., the author's father. [12] Tough Guys made its world premiere June 15, 2017 at the AFI Docs Film Festival in Washington, D.C. [19] [20]
The book was updated and rebranded as Tough Guys (2017) and published the same day as the network television debut of Tough Guys on Showtime. [2] [21] The re-released commemorative edition peaked at No. 1 on the Amazon individual sports charts September, 2017. [5] [6] [22] [17] [18]
The book is a noted MMA resource and historical reference for early competition. [5] [23] [24] [25] Tough Guys documents mixed martial arts in the late 1970s-1980s. [26] [27] In 1979, Bill Viola Sr. and Frank Caliguri established CV Productions Inc. and created a new sport that combined martial arts, boxing, wrestling, jujutsu and various forms of combat sports. The “anything goes” Tough Guy Contest [12] [20] [8] introduced regulated mixed martial arts competition to America and launched the first MMA league, later rebranded as “Super Fighters.” [27] [28] [15]
Tough Guys chronicles mixed martial arts a decade before the term became popular or the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created. [12] [23] [29] It details the Toughman (boxing) vs Tough Guy (MMA) controversy, the death of Ronald Miller and the Tough Guy Law which outlawed mixed martial arts in 1983. [24] [30] Tough Guys documents the sports early history and legal issues with the Pennsylvania State Legislature and Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. [27] [24] It concludes with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania outlawing mixed martial arts. [24] [31]