A true story from a book called "USA Crab Bucket" by Tomohiro Machiyama. The book is a collection of columns about the dark underbelly of America, and this is the one that left the most unsettling aftertaste.
The Toughman Contest is a boxing tournament open to anyone, with a $500 or $1000 cash prize for the winner. However, who you fight is purely a matter of luck, and contestants must sign a waiver stating that they hold the promoters harmless for anything that happens.
In 2003, a 30-year-old mother with young children entered the women's division of the tournament. Because her opponent was an ex-military veteran, she was beaten severely in front of her own children and died from a cerebral hemorrhage.
The dead woman's husband sued the promoter, but lost the lawsuit because of the aforementioned waiver. Although a state law was eventually passed bearing the woman's name, effectively banning such tournaments in Florida, the contests are still held in other states, and the promoters are reportedly making a fortune.
Controversies: In Tampa, Florida, in 2003, a 30-year-old mother of two fought another woman, sustained head trauma, and died two days later. According to an ABC article, this meant four Toughman competitors had died within a span of nine months.
Since 1979, eleven Toughman competitors had died as of the spring of 2008. Most of them were in their 20s and 30s, but a 58-year-old competitor also died in 1998. According to another source, eight Toughman competitors died between 1981 and 2005, while fourteen professional boxers died during the same period.
The organizers claim they take the utmost safety precautions and have not issued any particular apologies.
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