Why Toughman has reached its peak
... have reached the glass ceiling of popularity. Since 1979 there have been at least 12 deaths resulting directly from participation in Toughman. Most recently, 27-year-old Steven Burress died January 31 from injuries received in a Toughman Contest in Dayton, Ohio. Opponents of the amateur boxing events label them everything from organized street fights to legalized murder. Currently banned in 24 states (and counting) and highly regulated in16 others– including South Carolina– the platform for toughman-style fighters to showcase their talents is getting increasingly smaller. Only 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, have no regulations on the events. Those calling for the abolition of toughman-style events say labeling them a sport is a stretch, to say the least. They say many participants are unskilled, out-of-shape and have no idea what they’re getting themselves into. Though the mention of Toughman may cause one to conjure up thoughts of overweight ruffians mixing it up barroom style, that’s not always the case. Don Steele, a professional boxer and sanctioned official for the state of South Carolina, said most combatants in South Carolina’s King of the Ring contests are surprisingly fit. "They are in pretty good shape, believe it or not," said Steele. "It takes a lot for guys to put on 16-ounce gloves and swing them as hard as you can for one minute . . . if you think you can swing one pound at the end of your hands for a minute, give it a try." Rebutting the claim that Toughman events are deaths waiting to happen, Steve Coppler, president of Toughman, said it’s "the safest form of boxing," noting that at least 47 fighters have died since 1979 in amateur and professional boxing events. No data are available, however, to determine exactly how many sanctioned bouts have taken place in that time span. While Dore and Coppler may have a vested interest in Toughman– and reason to defend their investment– finding willing participants ready to defend their position isn’t hard. The events are, after all, voluntary. Eric Boose, who played collegiate football at Washington State University and Idaho State University and is hoping to box professionally one day, recently competed in his first Toughman Contest in Tacoma, Wash. Boose echoed sentiments found in most circles of Toughman competitors. "Doing this makes me feel good – why cut off an opportunity for somebody? The people who are talking about banning this, it doesn’t affect any of them. If I didn’t think I was qualified, I wouldn’t have been in there – that was fun." Unlike Boose, not everyone hopes to use Toughman as a springboard to a professional career. Most participants do it simply for the thrill. Francisco Ayala, a college senior in Illinois (where Toughman was recently outlawed) has participated in several toughman-style matches at a local establishment. "They should reinstate boxing," said Ayala. "We don’t prevent people from climbing thousands of feet into the air on some rock because they are putting their lives in danger . . . why is it okay to take some people’s freedom away and not others?" Despite the willingness of fighters, fans and promoters to continue putting on toughman-style competitions, the sport is– in my opinion– fighting a losing battle (pardon the pun). Everyone from local congressmen to Tim Lueckenhoff, national president of the Association of Boxing Commissions, are lobbying to make Toughman and its imitators illegal. "Everyone should ban it," said Lueckenhoff. "It’s not a safe sport. Most have wised up, but there are still some who think it’s a safe sport. They’ll need to have a death in their state before they wise up and make this a priority." Lydia Robertson, a fight coordinator for Toughman, understands the position of those who see the events as brutal and inherently dangerous. Robertson, formerly of the Arkansas Boxing Commission, has been affiliated with Toughman 17 years. Anyone who has witnessed a toughman-style fight can clearly see combatants aren’t professionals, but Robertson believes Toughman, whether sport, spectacle or entertainment, should go on. "You don’t get the sweet science of boxing, but you do get a toe-to-toe brawl," said Robertson. "We don’t try to pretend this is miniature golf." In states where toughman-style fights are...