Shawn Tompkins, a friend of many who read this blog passed away.
He was only 37 years old and apparently had a heart attack.
(In this pic, Shawn sitting and laughing, in the red shorts Wanderlei Silva, Closest to camera Josh Haines, and dk in white shirt)
Shawn was one of the most alive, vibrant and wonderful guys I have known, and his death is devastating.
I am sitting here in tears, and I still can not believe it.
Some of the most memorable moments of my life took place because of Shawns generosity and friendship.
The night Randy Couture fought Brock Lesner for the UFC heavyweight championship, was a worknight for Shawn, being Randy’s coach.
That night after the fight Shawn showed up a bit bruised and bloody himself after sparring with Randy before the fight. What was one of the biggest nights career wise for Shawn, the most famous MMA trainer in the world, Shawn hooked up with my wife and I right after the fight to introduce us and show us around. That night I got to meet many of the pro UFC fighters, and got invited into the club with Shawn by Kim Couture, Randy’s wife.
Shawn also flew out to San Diego to train all of us during thinktank, and brought his favorite fighter and close friend Sam Stout. Shawn married Sams beautiful and wonderful sister, Emilie.
Shawn was always there for me, to hold trainings during Pubcon and Affiliate Summit, to introduce me to any of the big fighters I wanted to meet. There was always a smile on his face, but he was never afraid to train the fighters hard.
Oddly, a few hours before I heard of Shawns death, I was telling a story about him. In fact it is the way I will always remember him. Jenny (whiteshorts) and I were at the Couture gym in Vegas. The gym was closed, except for the pro fighters, who meet to have their MMA training there each day. Every weekday from 4 to 6, the biggest names in the UFC would get together at the Couture gym, and Shawn would lead the training. That day, Jenny and I were screwing around out on the matt where the fighters were training.
Jenny and I were in a bit of a blocked in area surrounded by padded walls, thinking we were out of the way. We are watching Wanderlei Silva and Shawn play Rockem Sockem Robots with each other. I swear neither of them were blocking, and both of them were hitting at full force, full contact, no pulling of the punches at all. They both had smiles on their faces, and were pounding each other so hard, I swear you couldn’t just hear the hits, you could feel them. Shawn was a pretty boy, with a lovely face, and bleached white hair, but he could hit like a mother f$%ker.
As they pounded each other, hit after hit, boom, boom, boom like the back of a lowrider blasting base, they were inching toward Jenny and I. We started hiding more and more into our little corner, with these two charging bulls moving toward us. They may have known they were heading toward us, or they may not of. Jenny and I were laughing hysterically while these two killing machines were pounding closer and closer to us.
Jeanny and I both knew we were in the presence of something magestic, like sitting in your tent while tigers are fighting each other just outside the door.
Shawn will be forever alive in my mind, just the way he was then, bleach blonde hair, throwing punches that could break a mans jaw, and taking hits full in the face by one of the hardest hitters there ever has been, all the time with this classic smile on his face.
