Columnist Dean Juipe: Toughman gets booted from Nevada

Dean Juipe

Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003 | 9:58 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

For all of its perceived and real failings, Nevada does have some clout when it comes to regulating sports that involve hand-to-hand combat. The state, via its Athletic Commission, strives to set the proper example and, occasionally, exerts itself by going against the accepted grain.

And every now and then the NSAC really does something for the positive good.

Such was the case Monday when the board voted against relicensing one Art Dore, whose claim to fame as such was developing and promoting Toughman competitions.

Henceforth, the state will outlaw fights in which the competitors are more or less taken off the street. That comes as bad news to only a couple of parties: Dore, of course, and the new Cannery casino, which had Toughman events -- including a police vs. fireman competition -- scheduled for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

"I don't like it," commission member John Bailey said, when Dore's agenda item came up for review. "I don't think it's appropriate. The benefits do not outweigh the risks."

Bailey positioned himself as the opposition leader to the Toughman concept, and he was adamant that nothing Dore could say or do would sway his opinion on the matter. It was a brilliant strategic move and one his NSAC counterparts eventually came to follow.

The item was voted down (or, technically, placed on "hiatus") in a unanimous vote by a panel that includes two doctors and places a heavy reliance on its medical staff and safety considerations.

"I listened to the doctors," said NSAC chairman Luther Mack in explaining his vote. "Plus, there was an attitude, too, from this particular guy that wasn't conducive (to him becoming licensed)."

Dore tried to sound agreeable as commission members quizzed him, but the facts were not in his favor. Toughman claims to have used some 5,000 fighters and has been licensed in "15 to 20" states, but the deaths of two Toughman competitors (in Texas and Idaho) last year served notice of the dangers, and the elusiveness of Dore (and his fighters) in previous dealings with the NSAC is an issue that was raised as well.

Overall, Toughman has had at least four deaths since 1995.

"It's just not acceptable," said Dr. Margaret Goodman of the NSAC's medical advisory board. She went on to detail the unregulated nature of Toughman and similar competitions, where there are no such things as record keeping, medical suspensions or licensing of fighters.

Toughman volunteers do use headgear and 16-ounce gloves, yet the risk is absolute said Dr. Flip Homansky of the NSAC. "Headgear itself does nothing to prevent serious head injury," he said.

"It's a nightmare," added NSAC member Dr. Tony Alamo, joining the crusade.

"I'm apprehensive based on what I've heard today," chimed in the fifth NSAC member, Skip Avansino, thereby sealing Dore's fate.

What he'll do is go elsewhere, of course, yet that figures to become more difficult with Nevada (and Indiana) having already issued a Toughman ban.

His "sport," if you want to call it that, is trash and savagely barbaric.

Chasing it out of Nevada not only gets the year off to a nice start, it was the right thing to do.