‘Tapout’ Founder Honored at Memorial
Loretta Hunt Apr 15, 2009
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Tears, laughter and many fond memories filled
the Crystal Cathedral on Tuesday, as the mixed martial arts
community congregated to pay tribute to Charles “Mask” Lewis
Jr.
One of the co-founders of the ultra popular Tapout clothing brand, Lewis died in a car crash March 11 in Newport Beach, Calif., while driving home with his girlfriend Lacy White. Lewis was 45 years old.
Lewis’ death and, more aptly, the exuberant life he led as a
fixture at MMA events for the last 12 years was celebrated in song,
video, pictures and by numerous standout speakers who recalled
their experiences with the face-painted entrepreneur in front of
more than 1,500 in attendance.
Attendees included fighters Josh Barnett, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Leonard Garcia, Frank Shamrock, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, trainers, managers and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta. Many notable figures in the sport traveled cross-country to pay their respects.
Reed Harris, one half of the team that steered the WEC on to a deal with the UFC and a spot on the Versus channel, described Lewis as one of the sport’s ultimate protectors. Harris pointed to an occasion during the sport’s leaner days when Lewis helped guerilla-market the fledging WEC outside the Mohegan Sun Arena to anyone he could stall passing by, including a petrified elderly couple on their way to the five-cent slots.
“I turned to Scott [Adams, his partner] and said, ‘This guy really has our back,’” recalled Harris.
Harris, and virtually all who took to the podium, spoke of Lewis’ gift for communication. Harris replayed a lengthy voice message Lewis had sent him a week before his death in which Lewis crooned out his pet name for the promoter for over a minute before hanging up. Messages like this were one of Lewis’ calling cards.
Iconic referee “Big” John McCarthy called Lewis an “innovator” and a “trailblazer” in the sport, as he and the Tapout Crew went on to support fighters famous and undiscovered alike through their clothing sponsorships.
“If you went to Charles and asked for anything, if you had a request or needed something, it was always the same answer. It was one word. Done,” said McCarthy. “He never refused anyone that I saw; he never turned anyone down. He would do anything you needed, even if it was giving the Tapout shirt off his back and I saw him do that too many times to count.”
Andrea Richter, a producer of “The Ultimate Fighter” and the first season of the Lewis-driven series “Tapout” on Versus, shared numerous heartfelt messages Lewis had sent her by e-mail or phone text during their collaboration together.
“He was constantly pushing and encouraging everyone around him,” said Richter. “He’d always text me things like, ‘Do greatness Drea -- leave average to the lazy.”
Richter also read deeper pennings from Lewis that touched on his need to inspire and make a difference in other’s lives.
“I just want to mean something someday,” read one of Lewis’ e-mails to Richter. “Be more than someone who could have been, hopefully more than meets the eye, more than face paint, someone that will honestly make you proud.”
Caldwell and Katz were the final two to take the stage and commemorated Lewis’ originality and individualism. Katz also welcomed Lewis’ girlfriend White, who survived the crash with a broken hip and arm, to the stage. Wearing an upper-body brace and arm cast tagged with the Tapout logo, White was commended by Katz for the positive influence she’d had on Lewis in the last two years.
There was no shortage of friends and colleagues that could elaborate on Lewis’ perseverance and fortitude in chasing his dream and his unwavering belief that he could achieve success in an unproven sport he had an endless passion for.
Conveying that message to a room of supporters young and old, it was obvious that Lewis’ message to “Simply Believe” in oneself could be applied to much more than just a T-shirt.
Lewis is survived by his son, Boaz, 16; his daughter, Cheyenne, 13; sisters Sharon Dunlap and Carla Lewis; brothers Charles, Cameron and Scott, as well as countless admirers.
One of the co-founders of the ultra popular Tapout clothing brand, Lewis died in a car crash March 11 in Newport Beach, Calif., while driving home with his girlfriend Lacy White. Lewis was 45 years old.
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Attendees included fighters Josh Barnett, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Donald Cerrone, Leonard Garcia, Frank Shamrock, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, trainers, managers and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta. Many notable figures in the sport traveled cross-country to pay their respects.
Lewis’ legacy was well represented beyond the single-word T-shirt
line he and co-founder Dan “Punkass” Caldwell, friend Tim
“Skyscrape” Katz and eventual business partner Marc Kreiner
nurtured into a multimillion-dollar empire in a little over a
decade.
Reed Harris, one half of the team that steered the WEC on to a deal with the UFC and a spot on the Versus channel, described Lewis as one of the sport’s ultimate protectors. Harris pointed to an occasion during the sport’s leaner days when Lewis helped guerilla-market the fledging WEC outside the Mohegan Sun Arena to anyone he could stall passing by, including a petrified elderly couple on their way to the five-cent slots.
“I turned to Scott [Adams, his partner] and said, ‘This guy really has our back,’” recalled Harris.
Harris, and virtually all who took to the podium, spoke of Lewis’ gift for communication. Harris replayed a lengthy voice message Lewis had sent him a week before his death in which Lewis crooned out his pet name for the promoter for over a minute before hanging up. Messages like this were one of Lewis’ calling cards.
Iconic referee “Big” John McCarthy called Lewis an “innovator” and a “trailblazer” in the sport, as he and the Tapout Crew went on to support fighters famous and undiscovered alike through their clothing sponsorships.
“If you went to Charles and asked for anything, if you had a request or needed something, it was always the same answer. It was one word. Done,” said McCarthy. “He never refused anyone that I saw; he never turned anyone down. He would do anything you needed, even if it was giving the Tapout shirt off his back and I saw him do that too many times to count.”
Andrea Richter, a producer of “The Ultimate Fighter” and the first season of the Lewis-driven series “Tapout” on Versus, shared numerous heartfelt messages Lewis had sent her by e-mail or phone text during their collaboration together.
“He was constantly pushing and encouraging everyone around him,” said Richter. “He’d always text me things like, ‘Do greatness Drea -- leave average to the lazy.”
Richter also read deeper pennings from Lewis that touched on his need to inspire and make a difference in other’s lives.
“I just want to mean something someday,” read one of Lewis’ e-mails to Richter. “Be more than someone who could have been, hopefully more than meets the eye, more than face paint, someone that will honestly make you proud.”
Caldwell and Katz were the final two to take the stage and commemorated Lewis’ originality and individualism. Katz also welcomed Lewis’ girlfriend White, who survived the crash with a broken hip and arm, to the stage. Wearing an upper-body brace and arm cast tagged with the Tapout logo, White was commended by Katz for the positive influence she’d had on Lewis in the last two years.
There was no shortage of friends and colleagues that could elaborate on Lewis’ perseverance and fortitude in chasing his dream and his unwavering belief that he could achieve success in an unproven sport he had an endless passion for.
Conveying that message to a room of supporters young and old, it was obvious that Lewis’ message to “Simply Believe” in oneself could be applied to much more than just a T-shirt.
Lewis is survived by his son, Boaz, 16; his daughter, Cheyenne, 13; sisters Sharon Dunlap and Carla Lewis; brothers Charles, Cameron and Scott, as well as countless admirers.
