Godfathers of MMA: The Birth of An American Sport

Godfathers of MMA: The Birth of An American Sport is non-fiction mixed martial arts book inspired by CV Productions Inc.
Overview
In 1979, Bill Viola Sr. and Frank Caliguri established CV Productions with the intention of creating a new sport that combined martial arts, boxing, wrestling, jujutsu and various forms of combat sports. The company's “anything goes” Tough Guy Contest introduced regulated mixed martial arts competition to America and launched the first MMA league, later rebranded as “Super Fighters.”
The book chronicles mixed martial arts a decade before the term became popular or the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was created. It details the Toughman (boxing) vs Tough Guy (MMA) controversy and the Tough Guy Law which outlawed mixed martial arts in 1983. Godfathers of MMA: The Birth of An American Sport documents the sports early history, and legal issues with the Pennsylvania State Legislature and Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission.
Bill Viola Sr.as the author of the first codified set of mixed martial arts rules in 1979.
CV Productions as introducing open regulated mixed martial arts competitions to the United States March 20, 1980 in Pittsburgh, PA with the inaugural Tough Guy Contest.
The “Tough Guys” later rebranded Super Fighters as establishing the first MMA league in the United States.
The Tough Guy Law (1983) drafted to outlaw mixed martial arts competition by prohibiting:
“ANY COMPETITION WHICH INVOLVES ANY PHYSICAL CONTACT BOUT BETWEEN TWO OR MORE INDIVIDUALS, WHO ATTEMPT TO KNOCK OUT THEIR OPPONENT BY EMPLOYING BOXING, WRESTLING, MARTIAL ARTS TACTICS OR ANY COMBINATION THEREOF AND BY USING TECHNIQUES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PUNCHES, KICKS AND CHOKING.”
In Popular Culture
*The Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, established a permanent exhibit to honor the Godfathers of MMA and recognize Pittsburgh as the birthplace of modern sport of MMA in the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
*Godfathers of MMA: The Birth of An American Sport is the basis for the documentary film Tough Guys (2016).

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