If there was a fighting tournament...
featuring all the classic action heroes (in their prime), who would win? Let's say it is held under mixed martial arts rules (no biting, eye gouging, etc.) and features Jackie Chan, Sonny Chiba, Tony Jaa, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Wesley Snipes, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Sven-Ole Thorsen, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Willis. An epic 16-man tournament!
As far as I know, Arnie and Willis have no combat sport or martial arts experience so they probably wouldn't last long. Arnie obviously has strength on his side but was huge in his prime (6' 2", 260lbs) and would tire out after about 90 seconds.
Stallone has a boxing background but only has limited experience so he would probably be defeated next. His only advantage would be his strength superiority over the smaller guys like Jaa and Li.
Statham is another with limited experience. But, he does train in kickboxing and is very fit. His knowledge of only one style would likely be his downfall against a Judo or Jujitsu man.
Jet Li was the Chinese national Wushu champion several times. He is just 5' 6" but is incredibly fast. He may not posses alot of power but could surely outwork his opponents and tire them out before pouncing in on them. Could struggle against the big guys, though.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson also has little fighting experience, besides the WWE. But, he is big (6' 4", 255lbs) and tough. Would probably defeat some of the smaller guys with ease, but would struggle against the likes of Lundgren and maybe even Seagal.
Thorsen holds a black belt in Shotokan Karate and won several national titles in the discipline, and was also a sergeant in the Danish army. He is 6' 5" and weighed over 300lbs during his bodybuilding days. I'd imagine him to be very powerful but slow, immobile and poorly conditioned. I think he would be a perfect opponent for someone like Bruce Lee.
Seagal, although a 7th dan black belt in Aikido, also holds black belts in Karate and Judo. He would try to get close to his opponents and use his Judo and Aikido throws to get them to the ground, where he could control them with his size (he is 6' 4" and only God knows how much he weighs). However, he probably would not be able to handle the striking prowess of the others, plus he never really seemed to be in great shape. I think he be next to go.
Snipes holds a 5th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. If he could use his Jiu-Jitsu effectively, he could win the tournament but I do not think he would be able to out-grapple big guys Seagal or The Rock.
Tony Jaa is a Muay Thai kickboxer, but at 5' 6", he is the smallest man in the tournament. This could be a major disadvantage against guys like Norris, nevermind Lundgren.
Chan is probably the most physically fit of the bunch (along with Lee) and can hit hard but I believe his Kung Fu could only take him so far. His speed would be invaluable against the Karate guys, though.
Sonny Chiba is among the most experienced martial artist in the tournament (on paper, at least), having learned directly from Choi Bae-dal, the founder of Kyokushin, and holding a 4th dan black belt in Ninjutsu and Kyokushin Karate, a 2nd dan black belt in Goju-ryu Karate and Judo, and a 1st dan black belt in Kendo and Shorinji Kempo. At 5' 10", he is one of the not-so-small guys, and his varying styles would stand him in good stead against the one-dimensional guys.
Van Damme also comes from a Shotokan Karate background, and has experince in full-contact Karate and kickboxing. His fight record is 20 wins (all by knockout) and 2 losses. Because of this, I believe he would have a good chance of winning the tournament.
Dolph Lundgren: A third dan black belt in Kyokushin Karate, and a former European Champion in the disipline. At 6' 5", 245lbs and with a military background also, he would be a force to reckon with. He would also be alot quicker and fitter than the other big guys due to his athletic build rather than a bodybuilder's.
Chuck Norris: Holds a black belt in Machado Jiu-Jitsu and Karate, an 8th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and a 10th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. Was also 6-time World Karate Champion and inventor of Chun Kuk Do. Is rumoured to be super-human. I think his well roundedness (punches, kicks, submissions, etc.) would place him among the favourites.
Bruce Lee, the inventor of Jeet Kun Do and practitioner of many other fighting styles, could use his speed, stamina and surprising strength to out-work and hit harder than his opponents. His lack of height may be a problem but as his fighting style combines techniques from various Kung Fu styles, western boxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, Judo and Jujutsu he could use certain skills to exploit the different weaknesses of his opponents.
Feel free to recomend other competitors and how you think they'd do.