Tough Guys (2017): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2017, Tough Guys is a documentary film directed by Henry Roosevelt, running about 76 minutes.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Tough Guys stars Bill Viola as Himself, Frank Caliguri as Himself, Dann Carr as Himself and Jacquet Bazemore as Himself, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, Tough Guys has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Tough Guys page.

If you liked it. Fans of Tough Guys tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.