Documentary
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.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
We Could Be King
Fight Life
Germany: A Summer's Fairytale
Dangerous Breed: Crime. Cons. Cats.
Armbryterskan från Ensamheten
Vice Versa: Chyna
Our Little One
You'll Never Walk Alone
Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
If You Build It: 30 Years of Field of Dreams
Extreme
The B Side Fighter
Fury
The Rock vs. John Cena: Once in a Lifetime
Ghetto Fights 3
Skateboarding's First Wave
This Is Hannibal
Dig!
Les yeux dans les Bleus
The Comeback
SIMILAR MOVIES
We Could Be King
IMDB 6.3 | Apr , 2014
Germantown and Martin Luther King High Schools were bitter rivals for over 40 years. This past year, a budget crisis caused Philadelphia to lay off over 4000 employees and close 37 schools, including Germantown High. Now Germantown must merge with their former rival, King. Against overwhelming odds, a 27-year old first time head coach and a new principal fight to inspire young men from difficult circumstances to come together and lift each other toward a better future.Fight Life
IMDB 7 | Jan , 2012
Chronicles the daily lives of professional MMA fighters from all different levels over the course of one year.Germany: A Summer's Fairytale
IMDB 6.8 | Oct , 2006
A documentary of the German national soccer team’s 2006 World Cup experience that changed the face of modern Germany.Dangerous Breed: Crime. Cons. Cats.
IMDB 7 | Nov , 2022
Offers an intimate look into the life of controversial third generation pro-wrestler Teddy Hart as his layers are peeled back to expose his unique and fascinating world.Armbryterskan från Ensamheten
IMDB 5.3 | Oct , 2004
The tiny village in the far north of Sweden called Ensamheten (Solitude) has sixteen inhabitants. They all share an unusual passion - armwrestling.Vice Versa: Chyna
IMDB 7.8 | Jun , 2021
The rise and fall of wrestler Joanie Chyna Laurer, whose life was cut short in 2016. Her contributions to the WWE business and her pioneering work and her gripping tale of the "comeback" starting in 2015.Our Little One
IMDB 7 | Jun , 2023
Warm, poetic, educational, and emotional story will paint for us the phenomenon of Dražen Petrović, one of the greatest basketball players in the world who, despite his premature death, left an incredible mark on people's lives.You'll Never Walk Alone
IMDB 7 | May , 2017
Documentary about the song “You'll Never Walk Alone,” the most famous sports anthem of the world.Giannis: The Marvelous Journey
IMDB 7.1 | Feb , 2024
A documentary that chronicles the extraordinary odyssey of NBA mega-star Giannis Antetokounmpo from an impoverished childhood in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to the very top of the basketball world.If You Build It: 30 Years of Field of Dreams
IMDB 0 | Aug , 2021
More than just a baseball movie, Academy Award®-nominated "Field of Dreams" is an enduring story of family, resilience and hope. This documentary looks at how the film was made and explores the themes that continue to resonate with audiences 32 years later. Features interviews with actors Timothy Busfield, Frank Whaley, and Dwier Brown, producer Larry Gordon, and FOX Sports' lead MLB play-by-play announcer Joe Buck.Extreme
IMDB 5.9 | Mar , 1999
EXTREME is a visually stunning 45-minute journey into the soul of adventure featuring a cast of world champion athletes. Combining incredible extreme sport action with narration from the athletes and an eclectic, contemporary soundtrack, EXTREME explores the paradox of human nature: facing fear from the edge of life.The B Side Fighter
IMDB 0 | Dec , 2025
Fury
IMDB 8 | Nov , 2021
Aleksandra, an uncompromising mixed martial arts fighter, and the painful path to achieving her goal of qualifying for amateur world championship in Las Vegas.The Rock vs. John Cena: Once in a Lifetime
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2012
This documentary traces John Cena and The Rock's individual paths to success in WWE and take an in-depth look at the lives of these polarizing figures.Ghetto Fights 3
IMDB 5 | Oct , 2006
Ghetto Fights 3 was released Oct 10, 2006 by the Navarre Corporation and presents a brutal glimpse of America's urban underbelly with a third collection of real-life street-fight footage taken straight from the nation's toughest inner-city 'hoods. Set to a blazing hip-hop soundtrack, this hard-hitting and totally authentic documentary captures all the nonstop action as thugged-out gangstas engage in violent and often shocking bare-knuckle beatings. This DVD takes viewers to ground zero in urban America. Witness the day-to-day struggles of average individuals and the solutions they fire off.Skateboarding's First Wave
IMDB 0 | Apr , 2015
Explore the origins of skateboarding culture through the lens of the 1965 Palisades Skateboard Team, who reinvented a childhood hobby into a sport, bringing it to the vanguard of popular culture. Features interviews with the team members reflecting on how the sport has changed, 50 years later.This Is Hannibal
IMDB 5.5 | Aug , 2012
Devon Nicholson dreamed of becoming a World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler since he was a child. After years of sacrifice Devon finally achieves his dream and earns a WWE contract. Little does he know his whole world is about to change with one visit to the doctor.Dig!
IMDB 6.7 | May , 2004
A documentary on the once promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The friendship between respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor, escalated into bitter rivalry as the Dandy Warhols garnered major international success while the Brian Jonestown Massacre imploded in a haze of drugs.Les yeux dans les Bleus
IMDB 7.4 | Jul , 1998
This documentary follows the French soccer team on their way to victory in the 1998 World Cup in France. Stéphane Meunier spent the whole time filming the players, the coach and some other important characters of this victory, giving us a very intimate and nice view of them, as if we were with them.The Comeback
IMDB 6 | May , 1980
After an absence of five years, six times Mr Olympia winner Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a comeback and attempts to take the World Body Building Championship for the 7th time.