News Item: Toughman
Contests prohibited in Florida under statute 548.008
On a tip from CBZ founder and publisher Mike
DeLisa, the CBZ scoured the Florida law statutes and has
ascertained that Art Dore's Toughman Contests are unquestionably
and unequivocally banned in the state of Florida.
Maybe. But more on that later.
According to Florida law statute 548.008:
"No professional or amateur toughman or badman match, as
described in this section, may be held in this state. Such
competition includes any contest or exhibition where participants
compete by using a combination of fighting skills. Such skills may
include, but are not limited to, boxing, wrestling, kicking, or
martial arts skills. Any person participating in or promoting a
professional or amateur toughman or badman match is guilty of a
misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in
statues 775.082 or s. 775.083."
Those two statutes mandate a $500 fine and a
maximum of 60 days in jail.
So pray tell, how was Art Dore able to stage
his atrocious and grotesque Toughman Contest in my hometown of
Sarasota, Florida on June 9th and 10th?
The CBZ has come into possession of a letter
sent by Wendy Dore to the Florida Department of Alcohol and
Firearms. The letter is dated December 15, 1999. In this
letter, addressed to John Szabo, Dore states "As we discussed
and both agreed with our conversation with Mr. Chris Medford (of
the Florida Athletic Commission) that this statute is intended to
prohibit "No Holds Barred" events that use " a
combination" of skills. The Original Toughman Contest
definitely does not fall into this category as we are only
'amateur boxing.'"
Amateur Boxing? She has to be kidding, or
delirious. Or both.
Art Dore's Original Toughman Contest bears
as much resemblance to amateur boxing as slam dancing does to
ballet. Not one person involved with boxing, amateur or pro, can
tell you with a straight face that the morons who get into the
ring at Dore's Toughman Contest, to fight for no money and only
the title of "Toughest Man in Town," have even the
slightest bit of boxing ability. No jabs are thrown, and as soon
as the bell rings, barroom brawlers without even the tiniest bit
of boxing sense, ring generalship, or semblance of defense, three
criteria used for scoring a boxing match, start launching punches
at each other from all angles. The first jerk to tire out, loses.
And maybe gets killed to boot. The biggest name ever to emerge
from the Toughman Contest is a fat buffoon named
"Butterbean." If anyone thinks Butterbean is a boxer,
then watch out for the flying cows.
23-year old Eric Crow died after
injuries received in a Toughman Contest in 1997 in Kansas City
Missouri. The doctor who cleared Crow to fight was a
chiropractor. Not even the densest dolt could tell you
chiropractors are qualified to spot the symptoms of serious head
injuries.
Wrong part of the body, pal.
At the Sarasota Toughman Contest at Robards
Arena, sponsored by Budweiser, the Drag Queen of Beers, the CBZ
searched ringside in looking for anyone resembling a physician.
None were found, but a man dressed in a tee shirt did have a box
of surgical gloves on the ringside table in front of him. The CBZ
took a chance, and the man identified himself as Dr. White.
He said his specialty was "burns." Figures.
Acting on a complaint from the CBZ, the
Sarasota Police Department is currently undergoing an
investigation of Dore's Toughman Contest. If city lawyers
determine that Wendy Dore's interpretation of the rules is in fact
correct, that the law was intended for Toughman Competitions using
a "Combination" of skills, then the law should be
rewritten immediately to close that flimsy loophole. Dore's
toughman Contests are banned in 18 states and throughout all of
Canada, and everyone, including Dore, knows that the intention of
the Florida law was to keep his butt and the butts of his Toughmen,
out of the state of Florida.
Attention to all Florida lawmakers and
lawmen. If Dore comes back to Sarasota next year for the 4th
consecutive year, and someone is killed like Eric Crow was from
improper medical supervision, who do you think that dead person's
family is going to sue? Only Art Dore?
If a person is killed, Robards Arena,
the city of Sarasota and the State of Florida are going to have to
answer a lot of tricky questions. And the answers to these
questions could ad up to millions of dollars in damages.
Does everyone involved need this
aggravation? Is the revenue Dore generates in Sarasota worth
putting people's lives in danger: even if these undereducated
and unruly chumps sign a waver saying they fully understand and
accept the dangers inherent with exchanging punches with another
nasty human being?
The answers to these questions will tell us
an awful lot about the integrity and brilliance of all those
involved.
Sarasota is a town known for it's glorious
arts and entertainment venues, such as the Florida Studio Theater,
the Golden Apple Dinner Theater and the Van Wezel Entertainment
Center. Does Art Dore's Toughman Contest fit the image Sarasota is
trying to project?
It's hard to believe that is the case.
Stay tuned for further developments.
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