“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” -- Oscar Wilde

The world of MMA was given its Mask. And even in his absence, his commitment to the sport, TapOut and any relationship he had was and continues to be, an undeniable truth.

Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis may have begun his work in the early days of Mixed Martial Arts as an overzealous t-shirt salesman, but in the end he had amassed more wealth than many ever have the opportunity to experience; And when I say wealth I do not mean money…I mean wealth. Charles had amassed an abundance of love, faith and optimism in so many others that it continues to pay dividends with a ripple effect. Those are the priceless things that often escape the richest of people, the world over. So while TapOut did become a Multimillion dollar company, the cash and material things of success were not the primary objective for Charles ‘Mark’ Lewis. It wasn’t the money that drove or inspired him. It only served to enable him to walk in the circles he was so passionate to be in, to send a box full of shirts to troops who proudly serve our country without giving it a second thought and to be wherever he wanted to be, encouraging whoever he wanted to encourage. He gave up what was at one point in his life, everything he owned. He parted with things that he had, when what he had only touched his life. He believed he was doing what was right and what was necessary to live his dream. If his life and commitment to it destroyed anything, it was doubt.

His message, “Believe”, was repeatedly summed up throughout the entire ceremony held in his honor, at the Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim, California. And in addition to the large number of attendees who knew Charles Lewis well, many who barely knew him or only knew of him also came to pay their respects. Those people may not have realized it when they arrived at the celebration, but Charles ‘Mark’ Lewis isn’t finished doing his work, and as a result, those same people left the Cathedral having made a new friend. His impact, his reach and the ability to show others the bigger and selfless picture that life is truly about, did not die.

The crowd there was a who’s who of MMA and Hollywood elite, all of whom had respect and admiration for The Mask. The tone of the room, while at a time of tremendous loss for so many close to him, was oddly uplifting. Skyscrape made it clear, as did many others who spoke at the podium, that Charles wouldn’t have wanted anyone pining over him, sobbing their eyes out. He would have wanted what this gathering was entitled…A Celebration.

You knew it was not an easy thing to do, you felt the sense of loss from so many in attendance yet somehow everyone there collectively honored the man in unison, sustaining his message of hope, faith and belief. The phrase ‘paying my respects’ is often nothing more than another generic slogan from the handbook for funerals, but for Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis, respects were sincerely paid.

May Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis’ soul Rest in Peace, because his words, thoughts and inspiring actions left behind, will not.

- YACMAN

To see the beautiful imagery captured by one of MMA's finest photographer's, TRACY LEE, click here: http://www.combatlifestyle.com/pics/view_album.php?id=1689