“ My book began as a passion piece to provide information and morphed into the most comprehensive book on early MMA history .”
Norwin resident Bill Viola , Jr . was determined to set the record straight . He wanted the world to know that it was his father , Bill Viola , Sr ., who , in 1979 , co-created the sport of mixed martial arts along with business partner Frank Caliguri , and wrote the first legitimate rule book . To accomplish this goal , he authored a book with his cousin , Fred Adams , called “ Godfathers of MMA .” The book was published in 2014 .
“ The real story of who invented the sport of MMA in America was in jeopardy of being lost forever to the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( UFC ), which has been taking credit for creation of the sport since a decade after my father originated it ,” Viola , Jr . says . “ My father and his business partner deserved credit , and I was shocked that all of the history books available were clueless . My book began as a passion piece to provide information and morphed into the most comprehensive book on early MMA history .”
Mixed martial arts is a sport that combines all disciplines of combat sports fighting , including boxing , karate , wrestling and judo , into regulated competition . The UFC , the sport ’ s largest franchise , sold for $ 4 billion in 2016 . If Pennsylvania hadn ’ t outlawed the sport in 1983 with the Tough Guy Law , Viola , Sr . and Caliguri would be at the helm of that empire .
Viola , Jr .’ s passion , however , is what ultimately sparked the interest of some of Hollywood ’ s award-winning filmmakers , who took notice and decided to make a movie .
Viola , Jr . explains that in 2015 , shortly after the exclusive preview run of his book , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Robert Zullo stumbled upon an exhibit in the Heinz History Center called “ Tough Guys ,” which recognized Pittsburgh as the birthplace of MMA . The exhibit ’ s location , right next to one that featured Franco Harris ’ Immaculate Reception , received a lot of attention . Upon seeing this exhibit , Zullo knew he had to reach out to his brother Will and childhood friend Craig DiBiase , a producer , and Henry Roosevelt , a director in New York City . He also got his Academy Award-winning cousin , Ross Kaufmann , on board , and then , later , Academy Award-nominated documentarian Morgan Spurlock (“ Supersize Me ”) signed on . Two years later , the movie “ Tough Guys ” was born .
Production began in the summer of 2015 and heavily featured Allegheny Shotokan Karate in North Huntingdon . “ We had 18 locations from Florida to New York , but the bulk of the footage and interviews were from western Pennsylvania , between North Huntingdon , New Kensington and Pittsburgh ,” Viola , Jr . recalls .
The name for the movie was an easy decision . In the late 1970s and early 1980s , Pittsburgh was the epitome of a blue collar , “ tough ” city . And , the sport of mixed martial arts would prove to be an open call for the “ toughest ” guys on the planet to fight , so “ Tough Guys ” was especially fitting for the era .
The movie featured the men who lived it . “ We were fortunate to film
“ My book began as a passion piece to provide information and morphed into the most comprehensive book on early MMA history .”
the original fighters and pioneers ,” Viola , Jr . notes . “ One of the stars was Dave Jones , who trained at my father ’ s dojo and actually worked for North Huntingdon Township as part of the ‘ road gang ’ and a laborer . Dave fought in the first fight and won by TKO . He was fearless ; I looked up to him as a kid .”
Viola , Jr . played many roles during the filming and production of “ Tough Guys .” He worked in production , consulting , and even played a 1979 version of his father during a famous scene that takes place in Denny ’ s restaurant .
The world premiere of “ Tough Guys ” took place at the American Film Institute ( AFI ) on June 15 , 2017 , at the Landmark Theatre in Washington , DC . Coincidentally , it was featured the day after the Mayweather / McGregor announcement . The film was sold out .
It then premiered on Showtime on September 15 and aired throughout all of September and October before being distributed internationally .
“ After the Showtime debut , the commemorative edition of my book , which I retitled ‘ Tough Guys ,’ hit the number-one spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list for sports ,” Viola , Jr . notes . “ It also has received critical acclaim , and we have been getting offers for a screenplay to turn the journey into a major motion picture . That is my ultimate goal . With the right team , I know this could be an Oscar-worthy drama .”
Viola , Jr . says that although he hopes people recognize his passion for MMA through his book and work on the movie , he is most passionate about teaching and sharing his knowledge . “ It ’ s a family legacy . All of my siblings are black belts , and now I am mentoring my daughter , Gabby . I also hope to have my son , William Viola IV , who was just born in September , on the mat soon .”
The “ Tough Guys ” book is available for sale on Amazon or visit ToughGuyContest . com . ■
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