Woof Karrots:
The starting impulse came from the UFC looking for something to give the winner of the second semi-finals a chance to rest before going in against the winner of the first semi-finals and who had had a chance to rest during the second semi-finals
In that the original impulse of the UFC was to be an infomercial for Gracie JJ, they were very much into something they could present as "style versus style" and someone had the idea to do the same things with martial arts weapons.
They asked around and apparently everyone sent them to us.
Promoter Art Davie came over to my house and I showed him lots of fight footage. He was VERY excited.
We discussed various possibilities:
1) Top Dog vs Salty Dog;
2) Top Dog, Salty Dog, and I against three stick players from other groups;
3) Top Dog vs Salty Dog and Sled Dog versus me;
4) Top, Salty, and I against other weapons (e.g. a nun-chux group from France.)
These possibilities were discussed within the context of the gear that we currently use or no gear at all.
Art facillated amongst various concerns:
1) That no one would be in our league (I assured him that such was not the case, but he replied "You haven't seen the footage I've seen") and that the fights would be slaughters;
2) That if we fought amongst ourselves that the audience would doubt the integrity of the fight;
3) That someone would get killed;
4) That by putting us on, he would get the entire UFC shut down.
With regard to this last concern, at that point (this would be around UFC 2 or 3) and for much time thereafter the UFC had tremendous legal problems with various authorities.
I remember much later when I was judge for UFC 10 that the location (Birmingham AL?) was a last minute substitution for NY (I think) because the authorities in NY had nixed it at the last minute. It was like that for the UFC in those days-- they always had to have alternate venues. Art told me that Ref. Big John McCarthy, who was also an LEO accustomed to testifying in court, saved the event more than once by impressing a judge with his presence-- the judge felt that this was a responsible man, capable of maintaining order in the cage (I've seen him deadlift 605 for 5 reps btw)
At the time that they approached us though, they were having tremendous problems with US Senator John McCain who saw the event as "human cockfighting" and was on a personal mission from God to stop it. Thus the problem was federal, not a matter of finding a particular State in which to host an event.
And so he told us "Next time". To make a long story short, each "next time" became another "next time". Art and the rest of the crew at the UFC really wanted to do it, but then as the legal environment of the event became more secure, they didn't want to risk upsetting the apple cart by throwing us into the mix.
Art broke the news to me that it wasn't going to happen. I asked him for the letter which now graces our website and he graciously agreed.
Woof,
Crafty Dog
