The Toughman Contest, founded in 1979 in Bay City, Michigan, by late boxing promoter Art Dore (1936–2022),[1] is a chance for the novice amateur boxers (those with no more than five sanctioned wins in the past five years) to test themselves in the ring.
Toughman Contest tournaments feature the local residents of a particular city (generally, participants must live within 100–150 mile radius of where the event is to be held).
Fox and the FX aired weekly Toughman Contest shows from 2000 to 2004 featuring Matt Vasgersian and Lawrence Taylor as commentators.
[citation needed] Dozens of Toughman contests continue be held as annual events in West Virginia, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
[8] A 2007 review of boxing deaths documented six fatalities in "Original Toughman" competitions since 1979, and another ten in "Toughman-style" bouts.