CANTON − Medieval madness swept over the Hall of Fame Village on June 7 as fighters sparred in body armor while wielding swords in a bizarre sporting spectacle.
Smoke, pyrotechnics, rabid fans, strobe lights, heavy metal music, and a ringside announcer gave the Armored MMA event the slick production value and entertainment sizzle of a professional wrestling event. But the fighting was undeniably authentic as swords clanged and fighters tussled.
Covered from head to toe in armor plating and peering through helmet slits, brawlers took opponents to the canvas and waged raw and violent battles inside the caged circular ring.
"Fighter, No. 1, are you ready?’ the answer growled into a microphone, his words echoing throughout the Center for Performance sports dome. “Fighter, No. 2, are you ready?”
Next, the crowd was asked if they were ready. Fans roared loudly and rowdily in response. This was fight night at the Hall of Fame Village, a 100-acre sports and entertainment campus and destination next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fans were treated to both exhibition and professional contests. Fights were three one-minute rounds.
The wild sport naturally spurs a lot of questions. Such as what’s the story behind Armored MMA? Who’s crazy enough to get in the ring and risk serious injury? And what’s the appeal for fans?
Here are five cool and interesting things about the Armored MMA and the Hall of Fame Village event.
1. Mickey Guida is the main man behind Armored MMA
Armored MMA is a relative newbie in the combat sports world.
Tennesse resident Mickey Guida, 36, is a fighter in the sport first and foremost. That’s his love and passion.
But he also is the driving force behind the business side of Armored MMA as its president. It started with humble beginnings about five years ago.
Competitive armored combat goes back two decades or more, starting in Russia, Guida explained. Historically speaking, the sport is far older overall, he noted.
The idea of true knights going out there and beating each other up … it’s been around more than (traditional) sports," said Guida, who said he’s changing his last name to Gallus, which is what he fought under in Canton.
Guida opened a gym in Nashville. Early fights drew about 200 fans. Events also took place in a honky-tonk dance hall. Arenas were next, drawing crowds near 1,00. Production quality evolved from garden flood lights to hiring subcontractors to professionally stage events, which now boast video screens, multi-color lights and a booming sound system pumping out aggressive rock music.
But the organization has grown, drawing thousands of people at events and touring the country. During an interview before the Hall of Fame Village fights, Guida gave a candid, heartfelt, insightful and sometimes humorous glimpse into the strange sport.
He doesn’t shy away from the fact the sport is unapologetically violent. Pointing to his own body armor, he noted it doesn’t cover his entire body because it would be too heavy and cumbersome.
A helmet weighs around 15 pounds. Armor adds another 40 pounds, give or take. Swords or axes are wielded. Shields, too.
And how rough is medieval MMA? “It shocks the system getting hit hard,” Guida said.
Injuries are a reality just like any physical sport, Guida said. And he’s felt the brutality of it himself, taking an axe to the head, which knocked him out.
The blow was so savage that he thought his eyes may have dropped out of his head. Another time, he lost a chunk of his arm in a fight, a souvenir of the outrageous athletic endeavor.
2. The HOF Village event featured a Canton fighter
Armored MMA draws all walks of life. Members of the military, accountants, first responders and other backgrounds, including competitors with mixed martial arts experience in the UFC, which is the NFL equivalent of the combat sports world.
Those clashing at the Village included Ohio residents, as well as some from outside the state. But the event also featured 28-year-old Robert Forgues of the Canal Fulton area, who works in building maintenance at Sterilite Corp. in Massillon. He filled in for a fighter who had to pull out of the Canton event.
He got interested in the sport about five years ago, but he’s been fighting for about 18 months.
“It does something to you that other things don’t do,” Forgues said. “I took a deep dive in it.”
Some Cleveland area fighting groups have served as a “stepping stone” to armored combat, he said.
Forgues has around 50 armored combat fights under his belt. None of them were to the level of facing Guida in the cage at the Hall of Fame Village, however. Mom and dad, Debbie and Dennis Forgues, were ringside, cheering him on with gusto.
Forgues lost a decision to Guida, who controlled the fight from the onset and roughed up his lesser experienced opponent considerably. But Forgues had his moments, including taking Guida to the floor. And he was a clear crowd favorite.
Mom beamed with pride following the match.
“It’s great to see how Canton wanted him to win,” she said. “So many people were behind him.”
She admitted to being nervous for her son’s well-being. “It’s what he wanted to do, so I’m behind,” said with a grin. “But please don’t get hurt.”
3. Why did so many fans show up for the crazy sport?
Armored MMA attracted all ages.
From young boys to grandfathers. Plenty of young adults, too. Some had never been to armored combat. Others have attended medieval-themed festivals and events, where armored combat was featured.
Others merely like a sport that’s not football, baseball, basketball or hockey. Something delightfully different and wonderfully weird. The Hall of Fame Village fight card checked that box.
Others are love anything medieval. That was obvious from attendees who wore period garb.
“Medieval culture is huge,” Guida said. “And all we’re doing is formalizing it.”
4. What are the rules?
I won’t pretend to know the finer points and nuances of the sport after seeing it for the first time.
But points are awarded to fighters for landing sword hits or blows to different body parts. Takedowns and reversals, similar to wrestling, also rack up points. Winners are decided on a scorecard or by a knockout or technical knockout. Unlike regular MMA fighting, there are no submission holds.
Points also can be deducted if there’s a body armor failure.
5. Armored MMA is wildly fun
Critics may argue that armored combat in modern times is utterly nutty. But that’s the appeal, that’s the fun factor.
Is it over the top? Absolutely. Does Guida resemble a carnival barker when hyping the crowd? Yep.
“There’s pageantry,” he admitted with a smile.
But it’s not professional wrestling, he assured. Not even close. For one, the fights are not scripted, Guida said. And the violence is unrelentingly real as evidenced by battered and woozy fighters during the Hall of Fame Village extravaganza.
“The risk is so high,” he said.
Guida stated the obvious: Fighters are trying to bash each other’s brains out and walk out the winner. But it’s also done in homage to medieval times; competitors display chivalry, honor and respect, he said.
Hard to imagine all the pussy those guys were walking over just to get to the cage.
There was a suit with sensor a decade ago. It would register a kill shot. I would have liked to have seen this. They talked about armed combat with different weapons, like gladiator days. Be cool if you could disable limbs like enders game
I’m in!,
I have a civil war saber, I hate horses but I can ride a motorcycle
Haahahahahaahahahahahhaha X2 Hahahahahaahahahahaahhahaa
Screen Name checks ouTTT
Better than slap fighting