The heavyweights stumbled to their separate corners as the bell signaled the end of the second round of the semi-final fight. The lights were so dim it was hard to make out the crowd of about 5,500 people watching the Saturday night matches. One fighter's cheekbones were already starting to turn black and blue. Blood had been running from his nose since the first round.
The fighter approached his opponent one last time when the whistle sounded. It was hard to hear the sound of the blows above the loud music, but the fighter took every unheard fist to his face, gave out his share and then shook his opponent's hand after the bell sounded the fight's end. The judge's decisions were in and the referee raised the hand of the bloody fighter. He moved on to the finals and the other fighter exited the ring to the soudman's sense of humor, which, this time, happened to be the sound of a screaming baby.
These fighters were here for the 16th annual Toughman Contest in Huntington, W.Va. They were boxing for the title of the toughest man and woman in town. The conquest of this title had a price attached to it. A win, had a pricetag of up to $1,000. A loss, could result in a hospital bill or possibly death.
Toughman is described by, founder, Art Dore as a clean, back to basics kind of fighting. Professionals are not allowed in the competition. Dore wanted hometown boys with very little or no boxing skill and a lot of guts to compete to be the toughest man in town.
Toughman has been blamed for several deaths nationwide.
On June 14, 2003, a woman named Stacy Young fought at a Toughman event in Sarasota, Fla. Young died two days later, according to a civil suit filed on request of Young's husband, Robert.
Young was a 30-year- old mother of two girls. She died as a result of brain damage she suffered in the Toughman Contest, the suit said.
The suit blamed Toughman's founder, Art Dore, and other individuals involved with Toughman, for Young's death. It said that the fighters did not have proper equipment, that Toughman failed to give adequate medical care at the event and that the referee did not protect Young during the event.
"Mrs. Young's death resulted directly from the Defendants' callous disregard for the safety of the participants in a barbaric, vicious, unregulated, bloody boxing match," the suit said.
Toughman does not consider their boxing events to be any more dangerous than many other sporting events, Joelle English, head of public relations for Toughman, said.
The contests are not as dangerous as people say they are, English said.
Although English did not comment on any deaths linked to Toughman, she said that many of the rumors are not true. One story said that a man died after a Toughman Contest in Russia and we do not even have Toughman Contests in Russia, English said.
English said that Toughman welcomes the state's athletic commissions to the fights.
"They are ringside," English said.
Jerry Thomas, the Toughman promoter for West Virginia, keeps a close eye on his events. He announces ringside, while his brother, Tommy Thomas, referees the events.
Thomas has been promoting Toughman in West Virginia for 25 years, has promoted fights worldwide and has not had anyone die from a Toughman event.
Huntington's Toughman Contest had its share of injuries, but no tragedies.
Four people were transported from the Big Sandy Superstore Arena to the hospital after Friday night's event, January 16. Fourteen others were treated on location, said an employee of Jan Care Ambulance Services.
The scariest moment in Saturday night's rounds came when 18-year-old, high schooler, Randy Hensley fought his second match of the night.
Hensley was one of the 34 fighters that moved on to the Saturday round of fights.
Hensley, from Wayne County, said his mom was there to watch him on Friday night. Hensley had won his lightweight fight by a technical knock out (TKO) in the second round. Hensley said his mom had wanted him to lose so that he would not have to fight again at Saturday's fights.
"She's afraid I'll get hurt," Hensley said.
Saturday night, Hensley won his first fight, moved on to his second and was carried out on a stretcher after he was knocked out by a left hook thrown by Adam Collins.
"He went down hard," Collins said.
The referee immediately stepped in and motioned Collins to his corner. Medical attention was only steps away for Hensley. The ringside medics mobilized Hensley, placed him on a stretcher and carried him out for a routine check.
The crowd applauded Hensley as the medics took him out and according to Jerry Thomas, Hensley was OK the day after the fight.
The fights went on and fighters were eliminated. The crowd cheered for their favorites and at the end of the night the champions were chosen, the crowds headed out and no one died.
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