Retro Video From Rockford Toughman Contest Shows Wild Brawl

A recently surfaced video from a 1984 Toughman Contest shows two local residents in an absolute slugfest.

What Is A Toughman Contest?

A Toughman Contest pitted local amateur fighters against each other to show, well, who was the tougher man. The concept started in Michigan in the late 1970s before spreading throughout the U.S.

Judging from videos of the competitions, there were no uniform rules across the various competitions. One state might require headgear, while another might be a little more lax and let the fighters rumble with only their fists to protect their heads.

The video from a 1984 event in Rockford is the latter.

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This isn't MMA or something you'd see in the UFC. The way Vice.com described it was "regular guys" battling in the ring for cash and trophies.

Some questioned the safety of the Toughman contests. ABC.com reported on a span in 2003 when the event saw four Toughman-related deaths in just nine months.

Who Participated In Rockford's Toughman Contest?

An announcer in the video from the 1984 event in Rockford shows two competitors, but it is difficult to make out their names when they are introduced by the ring announcer. It is a video from 1984, after all.

One guy is announced as being 18 years old and from Monroe Center. His opponent is Gary Gustafson, who is greeted with loud cheers when it is announced he is from Belvidere.

The two have an absolute battle with the 6'4'' Gustafson getting the best of Monroe Center man.

The Rockford Toughman events continued at the MetroCentre (now BMO Center) into the early 2000s before they eventually faded away.