Great Outdoor Fight 1993

From The Great Outdoor Fight

Following the Golden Age (1966-76) of the Great Outdoor Fight, the tournament entered what became known as the "80s Slump", a time symbolized by uncharismatic Champions and overly simplistic fighting styles. The low point of that era was undoubtedly the 1986 victory of Fight-Bot. While estimates vary on its exact length, this troubling period is generally agreed to have ended with Ted Parrish's 1993 upset victory over Doyle Riggle. This turnaround came as a relief to many, as the disgusting actions of Mikhail Gouzenko the previous year had cast a shadow on the Fight's then-fading legacy in popular culture.

Parrish, the son of a Texan brain surgeon and a Japanese concubine, was anything but the typical "Muscle Man" stereotype of an 80's Champion. He was, in fact, a chiropractor who spent the majority of the 1993 Flight tending to the wounded men of Doyle Riggle's army. His utilization of nerve points in his takedown of Riggle was considered by many contemporary Fight commentators as a form of "New-Age" style, something which had been absent in the 80's Slump. Parrish disagreed in later years, arguing that he "just did what I knew how". Regardless, the chiropractor from Texas proved to be someone capable of capturing both waning media attention and the hearts and minds of previously disinterested fighters around the world. The next year would see a major upswing in the number of entries into regional qualifying rounds.

The dynamic 1994 victory of Marc Burkett cemented this comeback of the Great Outdoor Fight in the public imagination.

The 1993 Fight is also notable for being the first (and thus far, the only known) fight ever attended by Ishihiro Yagi as a spectator.