Chuck Norris Wanted Jean-Claude Van Damme—So Cannon Killed Lone Wolf McQuade 2

Here’s something you might not know about Bloodsport—yeah, the 1988 underground tournament movie that basically made Jean-Claude Van Damme a household name. Believe it or not, the studio in charge (Cannon Pictures) actually thought it was so terrible, they almost just tossed it straight to the VHS bargain bin and called it a day.

Wait, They Almost Shelved Bloodsport?

According to Nick De Semlyen's recent book "Last Action Heroes", Bloodsport wasn't just sitting on a shelf collecting dust for a few months—the studio head, Menahem Golan, decided it was "unreleasable." Seriously. He thought it was so weak, it spent about fourteen months completely on hold.

Golan's lack of faith in the movie had ripple effects, too. There was talk of making a sequel to Lone Wolf McQuade—this time bringing together Van Damme and Chuck Norris (fun fact: Norris helped mentor JCVD early on), which sounds like martial arts movie gold, but Golan shut it down. He actually wanted Michael Dudikoff for the role instead. Not that Dudikoff’s a bad action guy, but come on, that’s not exactly a dream team.

JCVD: From Limo Driver to Editor

Here’s the absolutely bonkers part: Jean-Claude Van Damme didn’t just sit back while his dreams fizzled. After shooting wrapped on Bloodsport, he actually went back to his old job—driving a limo. But he still believed in the movie, so he pestered the studio to let him have another crack at it. Long story short, they finally agreed to give him (and veteran editor Carl Press, whose credits include The Towering Inferno) a shot at recutting the film.

The two of them focused on punching up the fight scenes (because let’s be real, that's why you watch Bloodsport) and trimming the fat on the melodrama. Their cut was a lot livelier, and this version actually got the studio’s okay to see the light of day.

Cannon Pictures’ Money Problems and the Bumpy Release

1987 had not been kind to Cannon. Three big-budget duds (Over the Top, Masters of the Universe, and the absolute mess that is Superman IV) nearly tanked the place. By 1988, when it was time to release Bloodsport, they could barely scrape together any advertising money. The movie didn’t even get a proper U.S. launch—it went out first in Asia and Europe, where word-of-mouth actually got it making money before America even got a look.

By the Numbers

• Budget: $2.3 million (pocket change, even for 1988)
• Domestic U.S. box office: $11.7 million
• International total: Over $50 million
• VHS sales: Apparently, one of the best-selling Warner Bros. tapes of its era

So basically, Cannon thought they had a turkey, botched any sort of normal release, and it still became a cult sensation. Just for reference: Cannon did actually release Superman IV in its "special" state, so their tastes weren’t exactly bulletproof.

JCVD just posted a tribute to Chuck Norris, his old mentor, on Instagram. Say what you will about Van Damme, the guy knows who helped him out when he was starting out.

What Happened Next

Bloodsport’s surprise success changed everything for Van Damme. He got shoved right into two more Cannon movies (Cyborg and Death Warrant), but by the time the latter came out, Golan had split from the company. If Van Damme had been stuck in a long Cannon contract, who knows—maybe he’d still be making low-rent knockoffs with Dudikoff. (By the way, it’s kind of tragic how Cannon’s penny-pinching derailed Dudikoff’s career post-American Ninja. He should have gone bigger.)

Bloodsport 101: What’s It Actually About?

The story’s pretty straightforward: Frank Dux (Van Damme), an American soldier, heads to Hong Kong to compete in the ultra-secret, super-violent Kumite tournament. He has to dodge military officers who want him back stateside, survive the brutal training, manage a fling with a journalist (Janice Kent, played by Leah Ayres), and then try not to get killed in the ring. Simple, but very effective.

So what do you think: Is Bloodsport still JCVD’s best movie, or does something else take the title? Either way, you can’t deny this is the one that launched him—and it almost never happened. Let me know your pick in the comments.