Known by his nickname "Mask", Lewis founded the Tapout clothing line in 1997, which eventually became a multimillion-dollar clothing company. He hit a concrete pole with such force that his car was literally torn in to two pieces, Force: The back half of the Ferrari. All of them were still featured fully dressed in their TapouT clothing. In 2007, Mask and his business partners started to appear in Tapout, a reality series that followed Mask, Dan Caldwell, and Tim Katz as they traveled around the country in a quest for promising mixed martial arts fighters to develop and potentially sponsor. During December of 2018, while memorabilia searching online I came across an ad by a seller claiming to have Charles MASK Lewis memorabilia. I will always remember him yelling that to Donald Cerrone in an episode of TapouT. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. (Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images) SANTA ANA, Calif. (CBS/AP) A Southern California jury convicted a 53-year-old man Wednesday of killing mixed martial arts promoter and. Sports collecting has always been in my blood. I had him send me more photos of the contents of the storage unit and was very shocked to see eight little urns with the words Tapout across the top and MASK down the front along with death records and funeral arrangement paperwork for Charles. The Ferrari slammed into a concrete light pole and disintegrated. More. Jeffrey David Kirby, 53, was convicted after a two-week jury trial in December of one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated, plus a sentencing enhancement for causing great bodily injury to a second victim. 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Twenty-three-year-old Lacy Lynn White, a female occupant of Lewis's Ferrari, was ejected from the vehicle and was taken to a hospital. He will be missed. He influenced a lot of people in a positive way in the mixed martial arts community, he added. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Holding a B.A. Kirby fled the scene and parked his 1977 white Porsche about a quarter-mile away from where the crash occurred, states the Times. UFC recognized Mask as one of the few pioneers in the sport of mixed martial arts and emphasized the role Mask played in encouraging and developing mixed martial artists with sponsorships. This browser does not support getting your location. He also dealt with his own personal struggles. I was also shown old news articles about a lawsuit filed by Masks sister against the co-owners of Tapout regarding Masks ashes. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. December 9, 2010 / 3:53 PM Baez argued for the aggravated term of 13 years in prison, contending in part that Kirby knew that drinking and driving as dangerous because of two prior drunken-driving convictions, but chose to do so anyway. His dream was to bring his TapouT brand to the public, and he achieved his goal though hard work and dedication. R.I.P. Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr. was born on June 23, 1963 in San Bernardino, California, USA. Jeffrey Kirby lost control of his 1977 Porsche and crashed into a Ferrari being driven by Charles Mask Lewis, the founder of the popular TapouT clothing line. Mask died on March 11, 2009, in Newport Beach, California. Mask is buried at Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino, California. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Verify and try again. He was posthumously inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009, the only non-fighter ever inducted. When I found this news out, it hurt. . We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Below I've included some comments about him from various people on-line: Mask was known for his kindness and willingness to help others who were less fortunate. [2] Lewis was known as "Mask", because of stripes of facepaint he frequently used.[1]. Mask is the first non-fighter to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame. A bold statement, but a true statement. Lewis was declared dead at the scene. Warmer storms could cause problems, DNR RIP, mens fashion trade paper dead at 116. Mask was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009 as the first non-fighter at the UFC 100 Fan Expo. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Kirby's attorney said his client had been drinking, but blamed Lewis for driving at a "frightful" speed that caused the accident. No, more than a given, actually. Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez said Kirby was racing his 1977 Porsche at speeds topping 100 mph against a 2004 Ferrari driven by Charles Lewis Jr. on winding Jamboree Road in the early morning hours of March 11, 2009. Couple find note in chimney that reveals their 290,000 house was 100 times cheaper 50 years ago. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class, Taking Vitamin D each day could cut your chances of getting dementia, study claims. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. By 2007, the company, "Tapout", had revenue of $22.5million, with a 2009 target of $225million. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. I never hurt anyone intentionally or accidentally in my life, Jeffrey David Kirby told Superior Court Judge Richard F. Toohey. 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Overall it's a pretty thorough look at the life of Charles "Mask" Lewis in terms of what shaped him and how he built an apparel brand from virtually nothing to one of great value. A few texts later I was finally in touch with the seller and got the information I was looking for to prove the authenticity of what he was selling. STEPHEN Don't just stick to the Malbec! He was pronounced. A signed photo from a friend is laid next to a photo of "Mask" as part of the memorial that has been setup at the scene of Charles "Mask" Lewis', co-founder of TapouT clothing, crash on Jamboree Road, near Eastbluff Drive in Newport Beach, Thursday morning, March 12, 2009. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr., the clothing entrepreneur who died in a car crash in Newport Beach is seen on a commemorative issue of TapouT magazine during his memorial service at the Crystal Cathedral, Tuesday April 14, 2009. / CBS News. Charles (Mask) Lewis, the colourful co-founder of the popular Tapout Clothing company, died in an early-morning car crash Wednesday in Newport Beach, Calif. http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hD4Bsxo5f0Sgk4IF6GxQnTDuXaUg "Colorful" and the like is an opinion that needs to be attributed to someone. Sorry! The series aired for two seasons on Versus, the network which later became NBCSN. Mask was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009, becoming the first non-fighter to enter the UFC Hall of Fame. He died October 24, 2012 from heart surgery complications. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. I first met the San Bernardino native and his Tapout brethren -- who go by the names SkySkrape (real name unknown) and Punkass (a.k.a. Jeffrey David Kirby, left, sits in Superior Court in Santa Ana, Friday morning with his attorney Mark Fredrick just prior to being sentenced to nine years in state prison in the high-speed crash Newport Beach in 2009 that killed Charles Lewis, Jr. Dan Caldwell, friend and business partner of Charles Lewis, Jr., gives a victim impact statement before the sentencing of Jeffrey David Kirby, in Superior Court in Santa Ana, Friday morning. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Please enter your email and password to sign in. This would keep his memory alive and they would be displayed with the utmost respect, as they tell a story much bigger than MMA itself. Mask was born on June 23, 1963, in San Bernardino, California. Well, I dont know how to contact Dana White and Im sure there are people much closer to Mask than Dana White deserving of them. Please enter valid email address to continue. He and friends sold T-shirts at local gyms and events before founding the clothing line TapouT in 1997. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Verified purchase. Not because I knew the guy personally, but because his passion for MMA was so infectious I felt like I knew him. By 2007, the company had revenue of $22.5 million, with a 2009 target of $225 million. Early morning traffic drives past a memorial at the accident scene where Charles "Mask" Lewis', founder of TapouT clothing, crash on Jamboree Road, near Eastbluff Drive in Newport Beach, Thursday morning, March 12, 2009. Mask was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July Mask has died in a car crash. Charles Lewis died in the crash, and his body had to be cut from the wreckage. They were sponsoring fighters, setting up booths at every event, sponsored a UFC award for the TapouT of the Night, and eventually had their own TV show. 3.0 out of 5 stars. The Scottish musician, 26, was filmed calling out a female fan who was . We have estimated Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr.'s net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. As a kid I chased down any and every lead. He is set to be sentenced Feb. 4. In this photo from Dec. 9, 2010, Kaya C.D. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. It hit with such force that the metal almost appears to have been cut rather than torn, Emergency personnel bend over the remains of the front of the Ferrari. The documentary. I don't know if I'll ever be Nike, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try. A female passenger from Lewis' car has survived but is in critical condition. Top photo: Charles Mask Lewis (center) with Dan Punkass Caldwell (l) and SkySkrape (r) at the Tapout headquarters in Grande Terrace, Calif. in 2008; Bottom photo: From left, SkySkrape, Mask and Punkass are the faces of Tapout. His death was untimely and tragic; the MMA community as a whole lost a good person. Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr., Self: History of MMA. Shortly before 1:00am on March 11, 2009, Lewis died in a high-speed car crash in Newport Beach, California. This time they were unlockable by a code that can be entered in the main menu.Released September 2011, the film Warrior was dedicated "In loving memory of our friend, Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr.". Try again later. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Do Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton Know MMA in Real Life. Are these sacred and beyond a museum needing to be returned to friends and family? Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Please try again later. Dec 16, 2012 - Explore Kathleen Blignaut's board "charles 'mask' lewis", followed by 168 people on Pinterest. Charles Mask Lewis Jr. died in a car crash on March 11, 2009, shortly before 1:00 am, in Newport Beach, California. As a "documentary," though, it seems to . What happened to Mask from TapOut? The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. 2023 Getty Images. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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MMA's Charles 'Mask' Lewis dies in Ferrari crash - 2009-03-11 24,260 views Jul 14, 2015 40 Dislike Share Save Orange County Register 42.2K subscribers A deadly collision Wednesday involved a. This image provided by PMKHBH shows Tapout co-founder Charles Lewis, who died Wednesday March 11, 2009 when his Ferrari collided with a Porsche, crashed and broke in half on an Orange County roadway, killing Lewis and injuring another, police said. Masks prominence grew with Tapouts increasing popularity in MMA circles, making the company the largest distributor of MMA merchandise in the world in 2007. They were joined by Bobby Razak, the founder of Tapout Films and the media department of the company. in journalism makes him well-qualified to look at something and ask: Why?, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Yet more rain expected to hit California in March. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Many thanks to all for the outpouring of blessings and well-wishing during this incredibly difficult time. Lacy Lynn White, Lewis girlfriend and passenger, suffered serious injuries when she was thrown from the high-speed sports car on impact. Charles "Mask" Lewis was a visionary and a pioneer, a man who loved people and strived to leave his mark on the world. 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