CV Productions, Inc.

Did You Know?

• The first codified set of mixed martial arts rules was an eleven-page rule book written by Bill Viola in 1979.
• Jack Bodell, a referee for CV Productions, was a U.S. Secret Service agent charged with protecting President Jimmy Carter at the time of the competitions.

History

The abbreviation CV comes from the last names of co-founders Bill Viola of Irwin, Pennsylvania and Frank Caliguri of Arnold, Pennsylvania, both Pittsburgh martial arts pioneers. They sought to answer the hypothetical question of who would win between Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, or Bruno Sammartino. Throughout 1979, they developed a series of mixed martial arts competitions, advertising them as "Anything Goes" with legalized striking, throwing, grappling, punching, kicking, ground fighting, and submissions. The first Tough Guy championship took place on March 20, 1980 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. The company organized over ten competitions across Pennsylvania under banners including "Battle of the Brawlers", "Battle of the Tough Guys", "Tough Guy Contests", and later "Super Fighters" (Super Fighters League - SFL) throughout 1980.

Banning mixed martial arts

On November 6, 1980, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission ordered CV Productions, Inc. to cancel an upcoming show in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, threatening intervention by the Pennsylvania State Police. CV Productions ignored the warning, arguing the Athletic Commission lacked jurisdiction over combined fighting competitions. The Greensburg show proceeded on November 6 and 7, 1980, leading to further government scrutiny. Separately, Ronald Miller, 23, died after entering a Dore-sponsored Toughman boxing competition in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, which had no association with CV Productions. The Pennsylvania Legislature investigated all fighting events and ultimately outlawed mixed martial arts. Pressure from the Athletic Commission led to a congressional hearing and the passage of Senate Bill No. 632 Session of 1983, known as the Tough Guy Law, which banned all MMA-style events in Pennsylvania and specifically named CV Production's Battle of the Brawlers and Tough Guy contests. The law defined modern mixed martial arts by prohibiting any competition involving physical contact bouts where opponents attempt to knock each other out using boxing, wrestling, martial arts tactics, or any combination, including punches, kicks, and choking. Pennsylvania set the first legal precedent for mixed martial arts in United States history. Viola and Caliguri were advised to stop promoting events in 1981. Pennsylvania legalized mixed martial arts on February 27, 2009, ending a thirty-year struggle.

Heinz History Museum

On June 23, 2011, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum of the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, unveiled an exhibit documenting the first mixed martial arts league in the United States. The exhibit includes memorabilia such as rare posters, fight gear, press materials, and photos from the competitions. It began as a front display and will become a permanent addition to the boxing and wrestling sections of the Sports Museum. Anne Madarasz, co-director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, noted that the exhibit adds a new chapter tracing the roots of mixed martial arts in the United States back to the Pittsburgh region.