Battlecade: Extreme Fighting , sometimes referred to simply as Extreme Fighting , was a mixed martial arts promotion which hosted four events in the United States and Canada between 1995 and 1997. Although few events were held, a number of well known fighters competed for the promotion. Battlecade CEO Rick Blume is credited with coining the phrase mixed martial arts and the promotion was the first to implement weight classes in MMA.
53-526: Despite the number of fighters which the promotion was able to attract, Battlecade struggled financially and had trouble with authorities over the sanctioning of MMA bouts. Following the fourth and final Extreme Fighting event, General Media International, Battlecade sponsor and publisher of Penthouse , withdrew their financial support of the promotion. Additionally, cable television providers Tele-Communications Inc. and Request TV refused to air further Extreme Fighting events. The first Extreme Fighting event
106-444: A bankruptcy auction for US$ 11.2 million; other companies, such as MindGeek , also participated in the auction. Penthouse Global Media, Inc. was later spun off from WGCZ and renamed Penthouse World Media. The magazine's editorial content was praised and recognized by those in the academic field. In 1975, for example, Guccione was honored by Brandeis University for focusing "his editorial attention on such critical issues of our day as
159-596: A bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin. In late 1985 the group began to focus on the printer of Penthouse , Meredith Corporation . They bought shares in the company and attended their annual stockholder's meeting. The women were not allowed to speak, but they removed their coats, revealing images from a Penthouse shoot about Japanese rope bondage —among which two poses were construed by Farley to evoke dead bodies—ironed onto [their] shirts. As of 2015 : Deep (mixed martial arts) Deep (previously Deep2001 )
212-542: A cost of $ 45 million. However, the casino filed for bankruptcy the following year and was closed. In 1978, Penthouse began construction of the Penthouse Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey . However, Penthouse was unable to raise additional funding and construction stopped in 1980. The project sat idle until Donald Trump acquired the site in 1993. Penthouse sponsors
265-445: A cut in the third round of their bout. Igor Zinoviev retained his middleweight championship after fighting to a draw with John Lober . A bout between John Lewis and Vale Tudo fighter Johil de Oliveira also ended in a draw. Ralph Gracie submitted Ali Mihoubi via armbar to retain his lightweight championship. Eventual Pride competitor Kazunari Murakami defeated Bart Vale via technical knockout, while Anthony Macias submitted to
318-453: A limited number of mainstream advertisers to the magazine, it did not significantly raise the number of subscribers; total circulation is still below 350,000. Some of Penthouse ' s secondary publications, such as Girls of Penthouse , continue to feature occasional images of explicit sex, either classic sets from the 1990s issues or stills of adult video shoots staged by the company's Digital Media division. In 1974, Guccione invested in
371-459: A line of four illustrated magazines with the addition of Penthouse Max , Penthouse Men's Adventure Comix and Omni Comix . In 2023 Penthouse revived the comic label as Penthouse Comics. The first issue launched in February 2024 to 30,000 copies sold. Penthouse Variations is a monthly magazine containing ostensibly reader-generated erotic stories (primarily) and some pictures and reviews. It
424-400: A local radio personality who had been hired as a DJ and jumped into the swimming pool naked. The magazine's pictorials offered more sexually explicit content than what was commonly seen in most openly sold men's magazines of the era. It was the first to show female pubic hair , followed by full-frontal nudity, and eventually, the exposed vulva and anus . Penthouse has also featured
477-404: A number of authorized and unauthorized photos of celebrities, such as Madonna and Vanessa Williams . In both cases, the photos were taken earlier in their careers and sold to Penthouse only after Madonna and Williams became famous. However, in the late 1990s, poor business decisions were made by Guccione, from not incorporating digital marketing in the technology age to changing the content of
530-608: A reported $ 400 million net worth. An April 2002 New York Times article quoted Guccione as saying that Penthouse grossed $ 3.5 billion to $ 4 billion over the 30-year life of the company, with a net income of almost $ 500 million. In 1999, hoping to raise cash and reduce debt, Penthouse sold several automotive magazine titles from its large portfolio Peterson Automotive, raising $ 33 million in cash. However, two of their retained publications, science and health magazines Omni and Longevity lost almost $ 100 million, contributing to financial problems. On August 12, 2003, General Media,
583-694: A result, a number of Japanese fighters, such as Ryo Chonan and Ikuhisa Minowa , started their careers fighting in DEEP before moving on to larger and more famous MMA promotions. Deep is also known as one of the few major Japanese organizations to cultivate Korean talent, including Dong Hyun Kim , Chan Sung Jung , and Doo Ho Choi - all of which have moved on to successful careers in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Deep began promoting bouts with female fighters at its 13th event on July 13, 2003. On February 22, 2008, Deep implemented
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#1732802474145636-482: A shoot. As the magazine grew more successful, Guccione openly embraced a life of luxury; his former mansion is said to be the largest private residence in Manhattan at 22,000 square feet (2,000 m ). However, in contrast to Hugh Hefner , who threw wild parties at his Playboy Mansions , life at Guccione's mansion was remarkably sedate, even during the hedonistic 1970s. He reportedly once had his bodyguards eject
689-458: A significant increase in sales. PH.UK closed in late 1998. Starting with the January 2005 issue, the new owners significantly softened the content of the magazine. Penthouse no longer showed male genitalia, real or simulated male-female sex, nor any form of explicit hardcore content (it does still feature female-female simulated sex on occasions). While this change was followed by the return of
742-514: A subsidiary of FriendFinder Networks Inc. In February 2016, Penthouse Global Media – a new company headed by Penthouse Entertainment managing director Kelly Holland – acquired the Penthouse brand from FriendFinder Networks. Penthouse Global Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 11, 2018, to address debt-related issues. Penthouse Global Media, Inc. were acquired by WGCZ Ltd., operators of XVideos , on June 4, 2018, after winning
795-400: Is a Japan -based mixed martial arts promoting and sanctioning organization. It is promoted by Shigeru Saeki who is also the former Public Relations Director of Pride Fighting Championships . Their inaugural event took place in 2001 and featured Paulo Filho and Royler Gracie . On May 17, 2008, Deep announced a partnership with ZST to share fighters, co-promote shows and eventually unify
848-465: Is a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione and published by Los Angeles –based Penthouse World Media, LLC . It combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictures of women that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore pornographic pictures of women. Although Guccione was American, the magazine was founded in the United Kingdom in 1965, and first published simultaneously in
901-403: Is a spin-off magazine from Penthouse Letters . It was initially published in 1978. Variations focuses on "kinkier" topics of sexuality , such as bondage , fetish clothing , exhibitionism , voyeurism , foot fetishism , water sports , female dominance , bisexual exploration , transsexualism and sadomasochism , among others. In 1983, Penthouse teamed up with Vestron Video to launch
954-505: Is on their back with their legs being smashed atop of them). Ralph Gracie returned to action and was declared Extreme Fighting Lightweight Champion after defeating Steve Nelson via submission in the first round of their bout. Despite arrangements made with the Kahnawake tribal council for the event to be held, Montreal authorities arrested a number of the evening's competitors, the referee, announcer, and Battlecade's matchmaker following
1007-526: The Stolen Honeymoon sex tape featuring Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee . It also began to regularly feature pictorials of female models urinating , which, until then, had been considered a defining limit of illegal obscenity as distinguished from legal pornography. A different approach to restoring sales was attempted by the UK version of the magazine in 1997. Under the editorship of Tom Hilditch ,
1060-609: The "1X" car of driver Randy Hannagan in the World of Outlaws sprint car series. The magazine previously sponsored cars in the Formula One circuit from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Teams included Hesketh Racing and RAM Racing . January 2011, Penthouse announced the first 3D HD porn channel, to be available from the second quarter of 2011. Shot using dual lenses, it would consist of available Penthouse HD Channel lineup covering over 30 platforms in more than 15 countries. It
1113-622: The 30-year life of the company. Penthouse magazine began publication in the UK in March 1965. In September 1969, in an attempt to compete with Hugh Hefner 's Playboy , the first American edition was published. Guccione offered editorial content that was more sensational than that of Playboy , and the magazine's writing was far more investigative than Hefner's upscale emphasis, with stories about government cover-ups and scandals. Writers such as Seymour Hersh , James Dale Davidson , and Ernest Volkman exposed numerous scandals and corruption at
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#17328024741451166-713: The Australian winery Tomich Wines. In March 1975, Penthouse published an article headlined "La Costa: The Hundred-Million-Dollar Resort with Criminal Clientele", written by Jeff Gerth and Lowell Bergman . The article indicated that the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California , was developed by Mervyn Adelson and Irwin Molasky using loans from the Teamsters Pension Fund and that
1219-734: The Penthouse Video label. In 1991, Penthouse Video signed a deal with A*Vision Entertainment to release videos designed for an adult audience. In 1970, the Penthouse Club in London, England operated a casino. However, the next year the casino license was revoked by the gaming authorities. In 1972, Penthouse opened the Penthouse Adriatic Club casino on the island of Krk in Yugoslavia (now Croatia ) at
1272-543: The UK and the US in March 1965. From September 1969, an "American Edition" was made available in the US. Since 2016, Penthouse has been under the ownership of Penthouse World Media (formerly known as Penthouse Global Media Inc.), which filed for bankruptcy in 2018. Its assets were subsequently acquired in June of that same year by WGCZ Ltd., the owners of XVideos , when it won a bankruptcy auction bid. Later on, Penthouse Global Media
1325-505: The beginning of her career as an adult film star. It was later revealed that Lords was underage throughout most of her career in pornography and was only 16 when she posed for Penthouse . The same issue also caused controversy with nude pictures of Vanessa Williams that caused her to be stripped of her Miss America crown. In 1998, Penthouse changed its format and began featuring sexually explicit pictures (i.e., actual oral, vaginal, and anal penetration ), beginning with photos from
1378-461: The decision and pledged to keep the print version of the magazine alive. The magazine's symbol was initially a single skeleton key , and in January 1973 became three keys. It was conceived by Bob Guccione and was in the table of contents of every issue from number 1 onward. According to the magazine in January 1973: In 1982, Guccione was listed in the Forbes 400 ranking of wealthiest people, with
1431-493: The event. Tulsa, Oklahoma hosted the third Extreme Fighting event on the night of October 18, 1996. In one of the most recognized bouts from the short-lived promotion, kickboxer and eventual UFC Heavyweight Champion Maurice Smith defeated Marcus Silveira via technical knockout to become the new Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Champion. Matt Hume and Erik Paulson , who both went on to become well known trainers after their fighting careers ended, battled until Paulson suffered
1484-585: The event. Deep has yet to host an event outside Japan. In February 2011, it was announced that Deep and the MMA division of Smash had formed an amateur promotion named the Japan MMA League (JML). On May 25, 2013 ( 2013-05-25 ) the all-female MMA promotion Jewels announced that it would cease operations as an independent company, with Yuichi Ozono, then head of Jewels, stepping down and Shigeru Saeki from Deep, formerly supervisor, taking
1537-408: The film Chinatown and the end credits read A Paramount - Penthouse Presentation . In 1976, Guccione used about US $ 17.5 million of his personal fortune to finance the controversial historical epic pornographic film Caligula , with Malcolm McDowell in the title role and a supporting cast including Helen Mirren , John Gielgud , Teresa Ann Savoy , and Peter O'Toole . The film, which
1590-436: The first round. Neither the middleweight or lightweight titles were defended on the final Extreme Fighting card, as champions Igor Zinoviev and Ralph Gracie did not appear. Zinoviev was unable to compete because of a separated shoulder . Gracie's scheduled opponent, Luta Livre fighter Eugenio Tadeu, was unable to attend the event and Battlecade could not find a replacement in time. Penthouse (magazine) Penthouse
1643-856: The highest levels of the United States Government. Contributors to the magazine included Isaac Asimov , James Baldwin , Howard Blum , Victor Bockris , T. C. Boyle , Alexander Cockburn , Harry Crews , Cameron Crowe , Don DeLillo , Alan Dershowitz , Edward Jay Epstein , Chet Flippo , Albert Goldman , Anthony Haden-Guest , John Hawkes , Nat Hentoff , Warren Hinckle , Abbie Hoffman , Nicholas von Hoffman , Michael Korda , Paul Krassner , Michael Ledeen , Anthony Lewis , Joyce Carol Oates , James Purdy , Philip Roth , Harrison E. Salisbury , Gail Sheehy , Robert Sherrill , Mickey Spillane , Ben Stein , Harry Stein , Tad Szulc , Studs Terkel , Nick Tosches , Gore Vidal , Irving Wallace , and Ruth Westheimer (Dr. Ruth). The magazine
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1696-425: The late 1970s and continuing for several years there after), it was inevitably the beginning of its decline. Observers have commented that Guccione created an empire and also destroyed it. On January 15, 2016, a press release emanating from then-owner Friend Finder Networks announced that Penthouse would end its print operations and move to all digital. However, managing director Kelly Holland quickly disavowed
1749-467: The magazine and publishing control gradually slipped away from him. In a desperate attempt to boost sales, the magazine began to showcase more "fetish" content, including subjects such as urination, bondage, and " facials ." When this was featured, companies no longer wanted their products associated with or featured in Penthouse and quickly had their advertising removed. For the magazine, once respected and successful (and would outsell Playboy beginning in
1802-409: The magazine was rebranded as PH.UK and relaunched as middle-shelf "adult magazine for grown-ups". Fashion photographers (such as Corinne Day of The Face magazine) were hired to produce images that merged sex and fashion. The magazine's editorial content included celebrity interviews and tackled issues of sexual politics. The experiment attracted a great deal of press interest, but failed to generate
1855-428: The parent company of the magazine, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Immediately upon filing, Cerberus Capital Management entered into a $ 5 million debtor-in-possession credit line with General Media to provide working capital. In October 2003, Penthouse magazine was put up for sale as part of a deal with its creditors. On November 13, 2004, Guccione resigned as chairman and CEO of Penthouse International,
1908-454: The parent of General Media. Penthouse filed for bankruptcy protection on September 17, 2013. The magazine's then-current owner FriendFinder 's current common stock was wiped out and was no longer traded on the open market. In August 2013, FriendFinder's stock was delisted from Nasdaq because it consistently failed to trade for more than $ 1. As of 2015, General Media Communications, Inc. publishes entertainment magazines and operates as
1961-441: The people named in the case included Marc Bell, Jason Galanis, Fernando Molina, Charles Samel, and Daniel C. Stanton. In December 1984, a group of radical feminists began a civil disobedience campaign against Penthouse which they called a National Rampage. Led by Melissa Farley and Nikki Craft , they went into stores selling copies of the magazine and ripped them up, and they also burned an effigy of Bob Guccione in front of
2014-551: The promotions. Deep was established in 2000 as "Deep 2001", and the first event was promoted on January 8, 2001. In 2003, Deep 2001 changed its name to Deep. Deep started playing the role of a subcontractor for Pride Fighting Championships since Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE) started promoting the Pride Bushido series in September 2003, which focused training Japanese fighters at middleweight and lightweight . As
2067-457: The resort was a playground for organized crime figures. The owners, along with two officials of the resort, Morris B. Moe Dalitz and Allard Roen, filed a libel lawsuit for $ 522 million against the magazine and the writers. In 1982, a jury absolved the magazine of any liability against the lawsuit from the owners. The plaintiffs appealed, but in December 1985, before a new trial could begin,
2120-423: The same means against his opponent, UFC 6 competitor Rudyard Moncayo. Zinoviev defeated Sperry in the finals by technical knockout to become Extreme Fighting Middleweight Champion. In addition to the two tournaments held that night, the event featured Ralph Gracie and a bout between Carlson Gracie Jr. and John Lewis which ended in a draw after twenty minutes. On April 26, 1996, a second Extreme Fighting event
2173-624: The strikes of Allan Goes . Angolan fighter João Roque - who went on to compete in the UFC, DEEP , and Shooto - defeated Abdelaziz Cherigui via armbar. The final Extreme Fighting event was held in Des Moines, Iowa on March 28, 1997. Kevin Jackson , Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler and winner of the UFC 14 middleweight tournament, defeated John Lober via arm triangle choke . In what
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2226-574: The tournament, moving on to defeat Gary Myers via guillotine choke in the finals. With his victory over Myers, Silveira became the Extreme Fighting Heavyweight Champion. This event also featured a four-man middleweight tournament, showcasing judoka Igor Zinoviev and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Mario Sperry . Zinoviev defeated his first opponent, Harold German, an accomplished but notably outweighed New York-based boxer, by submission via strikes. Sperry won by
2279-481: The two sides settled. Penthouse issued a statement that they did not mean to imply that Adelson and Molaskey are or were members of organized crime. In turn the plaintiffs issued a statement lauding Penthouse publisher Guccione and his magazine for their "personal and professional awards". Total litigation costs were estimated to exceed $ 20 million. In 2006, Guccione sued Penthouse Media Group for fraud, breach of contract, and conspiracy, among other charges. Some of
2332-527: The weight division system created by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for its male fighters. On December 19, 2009, Deep started to use a UFC -style octagon for their Cage Impact events. At a press conference held in Macau on December 1, 2010, DEEP announced its first international event, which was to be held in Macau in 2011. However, low levels of interest and dismal tickets sales led DEEP to cancel
2385-610: The welfare of the Vietnam veteran and problems of criminality in modern society". In 2013, director Barry Avrich made a film about Guccione's life entitled Filthy Gorgeous: The Bob Guccione Story . It was produced by Jeremy Frommer and Rick Schwartz , who have since created a premier website inspired by Bob Guccione as an extension of the film called Filthy Gorgeous Media. The September 1984 issue of Penthouse magazine would eventually become controversial because of its centerfold, Traci Lords . Lords posed nude for this issue at
2438-721: Was eventually released in late 1979, was produced in Italy (made at the Dear Studios in Rome) and was directed by Tinto Brass . In 2001, Penthouse Presents began running on Hot Choice . Guccione also created the magazines Omni , Viva , and Longevity . Later Guccione started Penthouse Forum , which predominantly featured erotic writing and stories. In 1993, Penthouse published an adult comic book spin-off entitled Penthouse Comix , featuring sexually explicit stories. After an initial success, Penthouse Comix expanded into
2491-416: Was founded on humble beginnings. Due to Guccione's lack of resources, he personally photographed most of the models for the magazine's early issues. Without professional training, Guccione applied his knowledge of painting to his photography , establishing the diffused, soft focus look that would become one of the trademarks of the magazine's pictorials. Guccione would sometimes take several days to complete
2544-530: Was held in Montreal, Quebec , Canada. Marcus Silveira and Igor Zinoviev were victorious in separate bouts. An eighteen-year-old Carlos Newton , who would go on to become a champion in the UFC , made his professional debut that night, fighting eventual K-1 USA Grand Prix '98 competitor, and a man almost twice his size, in Jean Riviere. Newton lost the bout via submission by a small package(when an opponent
2597-533: Was his lone professional MMA bout, Kenny Monday , another Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, defeated John Lewis via technical knockout. Matt Hume proved victorious against Miletich Fighting Systems founder Pat Miletich , who suffered a fight-ending broken nose. Allan Goes defeated Todd Bjornethun via triangle choke , while Erik Paulson fought Paul Jones to a draw. Finally, Maurice Smith defended his heavyweight title against Kazunari Murakami. Their bout ended decisively, as Smith knocked Murakami out in
2650-505: Was launched on 1 March 2011. In January 2015, Penthouse announced its entry into the wine and spirits industry . The line of products were to debut at the 2015 Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. Called Libido Libations , the spirits line is distributed by Prestige Imports LLC and produced by The Melchers Group BV . The wine offerings are the result of a partnership with California vintner John Crossland and Randal Tomich of
2703-731: Was on the cover of the first US edition in September 1969. The first Pet of the Year in the US was Stephanie McLean , pictured on the cover of the September 1971 issue. In 2024, Penthouse started releasing physical copies of comic magazines. At the height of its success, Guccione, who died in 2010, was considered one of the richest men in the United States. In 1982 he was listed in the Forbes 400 ranking of wealthiest people. An April 2002 New York Times article reported Guccione as saying that Penthouse grossed $ 3.5 billion to $ 4 billion over
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#17328024741452756-462: Was planned to be held in Brooklyn, New York on November 18, 1995. Pressure from state politicians forced the event to be moved to Wilmington, North Carolina on a single day's notice. This event featured a four-man heavyweight tournament which was won by eventual American Top Team co-founder Marcus Silveira. Silveira defeated Victor Tatarkin of Russia by submission via strikes in the semi-finals of
2809-518: Was spun off from WGCZ and rebranded as Penthouse World Media. The magazine's centerfold models are known as Penthouse "Pets", and customarily wear a distinctive necklace in the form of a stylized key which incorporates both the Mars and Venus symbols in its design. The first "Pet of the Month" was Denise Johns, who was also pictured on the cover. The first US Pet of the Month was Evelyn Treacher, who
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