'Toughman' Tony Mendoza fights for more

By Del Thompson, Journal Sports Writer | Friday, March 07, 2003

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RAPID CITY -- Life is a struggle, regardless of one's station, disposition or aspirations.

In Tony Mendoza's tenure on earth, he's been fighting, literally, for as long as he can remember. And tonight's Rapid City Toughman Contest at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center figures to be another step in the continued development of a guy who wants to take this passion for fighting to the next no-holds barred level - The Ultimate Fighting Championship. But more on that later.

For the immediate future, the 33-year old Mendoza will satisfy himself with stepping into the ring to defend his Toughman title that he won last year at the civic center.

"My Toughman experience is very broad. I've fought in Toughman contests since 1990," Mendoza said. "I've been a regional champ, a regional runner-up and been to the world finals three times. I just haven't won it, yet."

"I've had over 30 Toughman fights," Mendoza added as he recounted his resume.

Mike Bridge, owner of Contel Networks, a telemarketing company and a sponsor for Mendoza, offered even more information. "He's 32-1 in Toughmans with 31 knockouts, his only defeat was in 1997 in the world finals championship fight in Las Vegas," Bridge said. "Right now we're concentrating on Tony winning the World Toughman Contest."

Winning last year's Rapid City Toughman title qualified Mendoza for an elimination contest in either Mississippi or Michigan later this month between winners of regional Toughman contests. The top 16 heavyweights move on to Las Vegas in June for the $50,000 Toughman Finals.

Mendoza, at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, carries a primary arsenal of a heavy-handed punch and natural quickness for a guy his size. "He's a good street fighter," Bridge said as he described Mendoza in detail. "He has natural strength, he's not afraid to get hit and he hits very hard."

And as if those qualities weren't enough, Bridge adds, "He has a willingness to train for two or three hours after working 10 hours a day. He never stops training."

Mendoza works at Pete Lien and Son in the rebar shop. "Somedays we bend metal, other times we'll cut metal," Mendoza said. "One week I'll be doing some welding or loading a truck. I'm always moving around a lot."

Some time ago, Bridge mentioned to Mendoza that he might have a shot at some real money, as an extreme fighter.

"I'd never thought about it before," Mendoza said. "I tried it and fought a world champ in my very first fight. It was an eye-opener. I'd never been beaten like that before. I got my leg kicked so bad that I couldn't walk for two days. It was a heck of an experience, I wouldn't take it back for a million dollars."

From that first fight, the die was cast for Mendoza, but ultimate fighting was far beyond anything he'd experienced in Toughman contests.

"They call it ultimate fighting because there's so many different types of martial arts involved," Mendoza explained as his education in extreme fighting began. "People think it's brutal, but heavyweight boxers take more shots to the head than these guys do. You're most likely to get taken down, put in an arm-bar (a submission hold) and be forced to tap out. Boxers spar all the time, taking shots to the head, then go and have a 10-round fight."

Sensing the need for information and instruction different from any he'd received previously, Mendoza and Bridge sought out Jim Harrison in Montana, whose reputation included helping a couple of fighters like Mendoza make it into the Ultimate Fighting circuit.

After watching Mendoza workout, Harrison, impressed by his punching ability, nevertheless recommended he find a trainer who could teach him some kicks and grappling moves on the ground.

Armed with that suggestion, Mendoza hooked up with extreme-fighting trainer Josh Usera at Dynamic Martial Arts in Rapid City. "We opened up in January of 2000," Usera said. "We teach Jujitsu, Kung Fu and mixed martial arts programs."

Usera's extreme fighting class was just what Mendoza was looking for, and the Tuesday-Thursday schedule fit him. "That's what this program is geared towards, the ultimate or extreme sport fighting," Usera said. "Tony is our UFC hopeful. We usually have right around 10 to 12 individuals in this class."

Usera evaluated Mendoza and began teaching him tactics and moves designed to optimize his strengths (punching), while minimizing the potential damage from martial artists Mendoza might face.

"With his size, for how big he is, he moves really well," Usera said. "We figured between his striking abilities, if we could just teach him some kicks and some ground fighting, he should have a good chance in some of the bigger events.

"We try to teach him how to stay standing so that he can use his hands rather than getting stuck on the ground," Usera added. "A lot of guys (in ultimate fighting) want to go to the ground. If worse comes to worse, we're teaching him what to do. We want to combine his strength, which is striking, with this knowledge and he should have a good chance at succeeding in the event."

Mendoza has a pair of upcoming extreme fights; one later this month and one on April 12 in Denver. If he makes enough noise, or wins the Toughman championship, he'll probably receive an invitation to a UFC sanctioned fight or an offer to join Japan's version of extreme fighting.

"We'll mainly try to get Tony into UFC," Bridge said. "Japan's division is called 'Pride' and has better money over there. It's like WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). They're bringing in 7-foot guys with green hair and 400-pound sumo wrestlers, and they throw them in there. It's quite a show."

A show that routinely packs in crowds of 100,000 with purses possibly approaching a million dollars for the fighters in the very near future.

"This is where you'll see guys like Tony that are boxers go when they see the money is good enough," Bridge added. "So far it's pretty much been wrestlers or martial artists. There haven't been too many boxers because there's not enough money for them to come in and do the cross-training ... (But) that's where they think it's heading, that it might displace boxing (in Japan). It's real big over there."

Mendoza is currently separated from his wife, but their three children (Cole 12, Duell 11 and Madison 5) all follow their father's progress closely. At the interview, Duell was intently watching his dad train with the other members of Usera's extreme fighting class.

"The bottom line is money," Mendoza admitted. No one puts this much time into something without a payout down the line."

Mendoza contends he's only taking what abilities he has and developing them to help himself - and his kids - to a better future.

"You like to make a better life for yourself, so you don't have to work as hard, so you have more personal freedom," Mendoza concluded. "I'd like to help my kids to go to college. (Duell) says all the time he wants to go to Iowa State for wrestling, I'd like to help him do that.

"Anything to make life better for them," Mendoza added. "I've always thought that if you do something with zest, then you're already a winner."

Mendoza's choice to fight might be shocking to some, but for him it's the opportunity to make a statement, to realize a dream.

"I'd like to hold some kind of title," Mendoza confessed. "Maybe get over to Japan and Pride fighting and make $150,000 to $200,000 a fight, win, lose or draw."

If he doesn't make it, it won't be for lack of trying.

As far as Mendoza is concerned, that's just another fight for another day.

Contact Thompson at 394-8428 or at del.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com