Issue 173

December 2018

A documentary reveals the real Charles Lewis.

The 'Mask' worn by MMA maverick, Charles Lewis comes off in the eponymous documentary by renowned fight filmmaker Bobby Razak, a BJJ black belt himself. Razak draws back the veil on the complex and tragically short life of the man now remembered principally for founding TapouT back in 1997. 'Mask' – Lewis's sobriquet – was a key figure in MMA's journey from underground movement to commercial juggernaut and TapouT captured the zeitgeist of the early UFC, and will forever remain cult.

As the MMA world celebrates 25 years of the UFC this month (December 2018), it's a timely moment to watch Mask, a touching, at times painful trawl through the brilliant, free-spirited life of Lewis, who emerges as a charismatic, but flawed figure, carrying a permanent sense of pain. Some of the revelations are truly shocking. Lewis, of course, was the first ever Lifetime Achievement award winner in the Fighters Only World MMA Awards, in 2009, the year of his tragic death.

It was 1 am on March 11, 2009, when Lewis died in a high-speed car crash in Newport Beach, California. His Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale collided with a 1977 Porsche before hitting a concrete lighting pole. Investigators presumed that the two vehicles were traveling alongside one another at high speed. Lewis was declared dead at the scene. Live fast, die young, they say. Perhaps it has made Lewis more of an icon. But it remains deeply tragic, nonetheless. In this documentary, the mask is really off, and it paints an intriguing, moving, endearing portrait of a troubled, yet inspiring soul.

Real MMA iconography is on display here. As the documentary demonstrates, Lewis was so ahead of his time. In 2007, Lewis had created and produced the reality television series, TapouT, where he, and his colleagues, Punkass and Skyscrape travelled across the USA in a touring bus, seeking out up and coming mixed martial arts fighters. It was on air for two seasons on cable 'lads' channel Versus, before being binned. There's plenty of it on YouTube, and it's also worth a watch. It clearly marks a strain of genius, and is a huge influence on today's programing in this field. It was far ahead of its time, and is of course, an inspiration to the likes of Dana White. TapouT, through Lewis, knew how to brand and blossom.

Mask's director, Bobby Razak, who grew up in Tottenham, in North London, but who I have bumped into over the years at many events in the USA, where he is largely based, is arguably the best MMA director in the world, borne out by the hundreds of commercials and dozens of fi lms he has made. Mask has been beautifully, and skilfully crafted, not only looking back at the life of the MMA apparel pioneer Lewis, but documenting a time which charts the rise and fall of the TapouT clothing brand, which grew organically from initially selling out of the boot of a Mustang at MMA events, to a company which in just over a decade had an annual revenue of $225 million.

Razak met Lewis almost two decades ago, and footage from that period paints a picture of an endearing, unbridled free spirit but also an emotionally troubled character. Seeing Bobby in London recently, where he is starting work on a movie in production for next year with the filmmaker Jesse Quinones, Razak expressed his sense of relief at the documentary being completed. And Razak, who was given a box of tapes of Lewis's life after he had died, has given Lewis a voice that will endure through the documentary, showing his purity, yet his vulnerability. It is extremely touching.

Razak knew Lewis well. Or at least, the version of Lewis which he experienced. "I knew with Charles he was in a persona. Everything was very controlled and strategic. He never wanted to show what his true persona was, which is why he called himself Mask." But Razak had to remain true to being "a journalist and a documentarian" and has put it all in there, warts and all.

Razak is personally affected by his own documentary, insisting that he needed "an emotional break" after editing hundreds of hours of footage put together over many years. A painstaking labor of love.

What stands out so powerfully is Lewis talking about his issues, his problems, his raw open emotion in plain sight for the viewer to see. "I look forward to not watching it again," explains Razak. The filmmaker himself might need a break from it, but rest assured, Mask is a must-watch for MMA fans.

Afterword:

*Article written in December 2018*