WEST VALLEY CITY -- So who is the toughest man in town? The answer to that question is at stake tonight and Saturday night at the E Center in the Utah edition of the Toughman competition.
Forty or so contestants will eliminate each other in the two-day event by squaring off in three boxing rounds of one-minute each with gloves and headgear worn."It is real competition," said Art Dore, who has been organizing the testosterone-laced competitions for over 20 years. "You can see they have been training. There are some . . . tough guys. They have confidence and you can just tell."
The event airs on the FX cable channel on Fridays and is organized in different cities by Dore who has used his battles to raise such tough customers as Mr. T and Tommy Morrison.
Jeff Jensen is one Utah man who just wants to put himself to the test.
"I have always been afraid of confrontation," said the 6-foot-1-inch, 250 pound heavyweight. "I want to face the fear head on. There are not many places in life where we can come face to face with our fear."
Jensen is a family man who is supported by his wife and parents in his fight. He has trained for a year for these two evenings of competition.
Thursday night at the Hard Rock Cafe, Jensen and the other warriors attended the mandatory weigh in where they filled out paperwork, stepped on the scales and were announced to the competition complete with nicknames from Dore. The winners of the two men's and the women's divisions will advance to the national competitions where they will compete against winners from other cities.