Tough Guys

"Tough Guys" is a gripping documentary that tells the untold story of the origins of mixed-martial arts fighting in the US. Set in the gritty steel towns of Pennsylvania in the late 1970s, the film follows the visionary promoters Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri as they create a new sport that pits barroom brawlers, wrestlers, boxers, and martial artists against each other in brutal, no-holds-barred matches. As the Tough Guys' popularity soars, the film chronicles the colorful cast of fighters who step into the ring, the controversy that ensues, and the political backlash that ultimately leads to a nationwide ban on mixed-martial arts fighting. With riveting footage and interviews, "Tough Guys" takes viewers on a wild ride through the birth, rise, and fall of a sport that would go on to become a global phenomenon.

Tough Guys is currently unavailable to stream in undefined on the streaming services we have in our catalogue

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Tough Guys include David Foster: Off the Record, Gleason, Blackfish, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, Mission Pluto, The Man Who Wanted to See It All.