What happened to Mask from TapOut? The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. 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. gloves. 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. Kirby, who ran an audio-visual business, drove off after stopping at the crash site for between three and five seconds, Sunshine testified. Jurors in Santa Ana found him guilty on the manslaughter charge on Wednesday night. Learn more about merges. clothing line co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. "desecrated" his remains by removing ashes from his urn and kept the rest of his ashes from his family, a lawsuit claims. Kirby, 53, fled the scene but was arrested later and charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence while intoxicated. Kirby's attorney said his client had been drinking, but blamed Lewis for driving at a "frightful" speed that caused the accident. SANTA ANA, Calif. (CBS/AP) A Southern California jury convicted a 53-year-old man Wednesday of killing mixed martial arts promoter and founder of the TapouT clothing line, Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr., in a drunken-driving car crash. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Charles. Everyone wanted them and I started getting more texts and calls from people claiming to be Masks friends and family. Dan Caldwell) at an MMA expo in Long Beach last August as part of my Image section cover story about the boom in MMA apparel. I did this for many years and have amassed quite a collection of baseball, football and hockey memorabilia. How fitting! R.I.P. ). Newport Beach Police investigate the accident scene where TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. died after racing with a 1977 Porsche driven by Jeffrey David Kirby at speeds topping. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. I respect that you're trying to do something just like I'm trying to do something. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Mask was the colorful co-owner of Tapout. Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr. was born on June 23, 1963 in San Bernardino, California, USA. We all want to feel like were David taking on Goliath. For a brief instant, I had met the man behind the Mask. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. He could just be Mask and that was whatever he wanted Mask to be. Charles Mask Lewis Jr. was a businessman, promoter, and television personality, best known as the founder of Tapout, a multinational sports clothing corporation. I once heard someone say that he was just as important to MMA has the 4 oz. Charles Lewis died in the crash, and his body had to be cut from the wreckage. He was a remarkably gifted athlete himself, who battled and beat cancer, eventually winning an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. This browser does not support getting your location. TapouT announced the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. in a statement and said a memorial service was being planned. 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. Year should not be greater than current year. It stated the guy was selling a coat and hat that was indeed owned and worn by Charles Mask Lewis of Tapout. This account has been disabled. I spent several hours with him after that, each time walking away impressed how much he seemed to be genuinely grateful for each fan, clasping their hands in his, mugging for photos, hoisting toddlers on his broad shoulders for snapshots. Her March 11 began as every one of them has since her brother's death three years ago. 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. One of my favorite pieces is Mark Colemans shoes from when he won Pride 2000 and have recently obtained the fight worn shorts. Jeffrey David Kirby, is lead in handcuffs from Superior Court in Santa Ana, Friday morning after being sentenced to 9 years in state prison in the 2009 high-speed, street racing crash in Newport Beach that killed Charles Lewis, Jr. San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California, USA, Newport Beach, Orange County, California, USA. Add to your scrapbook. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. When he became Mask he was a different person, he could be someone else. Its unlikely, Man charged with hiding explosive in suitcase at Pa. airport; Allegiant flight was bound for Florida, Repeat drunken driver convicted of second-degree murder for Orange crash that killed pedestrian, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Teacher at Irvines Beckman High School arrested after recording devices found in restroom, Final bones of 50-year-old Laguna Hills mall are coming down, Real snow falls at Disneyland not the fake soapy stuff, Killer keto? Search above to list available cemeteries. There was a problem getting your location. My friends and I would have small fight parties and we would watch these absolute masterpieces with awe. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Lewis was a pioneer in mixed martial arts, which combines wrestling, martial arts and boxing. Known by his nickname "Mask", Lewis founded the Tapout clothing line in 1997, which eventually became a multimillion-dollar clothing company. Wife is shocked after husband of 15 years asks for permission to have an affair: 'I don't know what to do'. Charles Lewis Jr., 45, of Huntington Beach, helped create a company called TapouT, a mixed martial arts empire said to be worth $100 million. I did some research and found these to actually be small urns that had been made by Skrape, co-owner of Tapout to be given to Masks closest friends at his memorial service. I found out he has two children and he was very close to his former co-owners of Tapout, Tim Skrape Katz and Dan Punkass Caldwell. My first big purchase was Tank Abbotts Ultimate Ultimate 95 fight worn Tiger Asic shoes. RIP my brother. Newport Beach Police investigate the accident scene where TapouT co-founder Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. died after racing with a 1977 Porsche driven by Jeffrey David Kirby at speeds topping 100 mph on Jamboree Road in Newport Beach in the early morning hours of March 11, 2009. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. It split into two pieces. He was posthumously inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2009, the only non-fighter ever inducted. 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. TapouT announced the death of Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr. in a statement and said a memorial . Mixed martial arts figure Charles Lewis "Mask", co-founder of the TapouT clothing line arrives at the premiere of "Watchmen" at the Grauman s Chinese. (TerribleT), Mask was an inspiration to all, and this is a great loss for MMA. [1] His Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, a race version of the Ferrari 360 Modena collided with a 1977 Porsche before hitting a light pole. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Released September 2011, the film Warrior was dedicated "In loving memory of our friend, Charles 'Mask' Lewis Jr.". He died on March 11, 2009 in Newport Beach, California, USA. Katz said about his friend and founder of the company, Charles "Mask" Lewis Jr., who died in an automobile accident in March. In 1997, Lewis and his two friends began selling mixed martial arts apparel from the back of their Mustang. Probably of limited appeal. As per reports, Mask was slated to portray the role of the fight promoter in Warrior prior to his death in 2009. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Charles Lewis, Jr. (June 23, 1963 March 11, 2009) was an American businessman, promoter and entertainer. Weve updated the security on the site. I was also able to buy fight worn shorts, gloves and shoes used by Tito Ortiz, Ken Shamrock, Mark Coleman and Fedor Emelianenko, just to name a few. Do Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton Know MMA in Real Life. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. cemeteries found in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. SANTA ANA A San Clemente man wept, apologized and asked for forgiveness Friday moments before he was sentenced to nine years in prison for his role in a high-speed, alcohol-fueled crash during a street race in Newport Beach that killed a millionaire mixed-martial arts entrepreneur. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? All of them were still featured fully dressed in their TapouT clothing. Lewis spun off the road, slamming his red Ferrari into a concrete light pole and was killed instantly. He could face up to 13 years behind bars when he is sentenced on February 4. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Charles Lewis Jr., a.k.a Mask, founder of the Tapout brand of mixed martial arts apparel label, has died in a Newport Beach car accident, reports our L.A. Now compatriot Ari B. Bloomekatz. Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - In sad news from the world of mixed martial arts, TapOut founder Charles Lewis, a man better known to . After a question about the spiritual undertones of the sport -- the good vs. evil, the abundance of crosses and crusader imagery -- he leaned forward, flashed a wide Chesire Cat smile, and whispered almost conspiratorially. I joined some forums, found some collectors looking to sell and started buying. Lewis, who was known as Mask by fans of mixed-martial arts, was killed instantly. 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