There was once a point in time when wearing a Tapout t-shirt wasn’t hip or popular. It meant something other than the fact that the wearer is probably a d-bag. With the rise of the UFC (and by proxy Mixed Martial Arts as a legitimate sport and not a freak show) fight gear has become significantly more popular to wear as a fashion statement. And behind it all were three guys determined to bring the sport, and their t-shirts, to the masses. Before they were seven figures in revenue every year, and their shirts adorned nearly every fan of the fight game, they were just three guys being outrageous enough to establish themselves and their clothing brand.
Charles “Mask” Lewis, Dan “Punkass” Caldwell and Tim “Skyscrape” Katz didn’t merely try and push a clothing line for mass consumption: they were pushing themselves as wild characters behind it. Dressed up in costumes and with wild makeup at old times, they aren’t just guys behind a clothing brand. They strive to be more than that, to be icons outside the sport in the same way Sonny Vaccaro has been for AAU basketball. Tapout, which aired for two seasons on the Versus Network, followed the three as they went about the business of building up their brand in 2007 and 2008. Running twenty episodes, the show combined the sort of male-bonding exercises begun in shows like Jackass but with a trio of guys dedicated to their company, one another and the sport of MMA.
The show has a pretty simple format: the three travel the country, looking for fighters they want to wear their brand while interacting with fighters they know and/or endorsed Tapout at the time of shooting. From the ups (like discovering new fighters on their way up through the ranks) and the downs (having several fighters leave the company over monetary disputes, et al.), and the points between, we follow the three on the road and in the office as they go about running a business in a decidedly non-corporate manner. Building contacts, visiting current endorsees and generally having massive amounts of fun on the road in a Winnebago specially outfitted for them.
And without the three guys being loud and intriguing personalities this would be a really boring show. There isn’t much the three do that is particularly noteworthy or interesting, as we’ve seen plenty of shows in other sports about agents and other various businessman associated scouting clients, doing business deals, et al. It’s how they do it that makes it interesting as Lewis, et al., are all wild personalities and seem to enjoy the mere fact that they all work together more than most. One imagines that without the cameras they’d act exactly the same way as there friendship is real and genuine.
What they do is boring for the most part, as there’s only so many different ways you can interact with fighters and engage in regular business practices, but the three are such vibrant personalities that it becomes entertaining. Hearing Lewis discuss with then endorsee Matt “The Terra” Serra about sponsorship money as Serra leaves him for another clothing line, and Lewis candidly discussing that for him it’s more about being loyal to someone than giving them the biggest check merely to wear the clothing, gives an insight into the brand (and the men behind it) that’s hard to match. Lewis and gang put their money where their mouth is, showing up at events for their fighters and being loud supporters as often as possible. They aren’t just designing t-shirts and making business calls; they are active throughout the show in being where there fighters are.
With the tragic death of Lewis in a car accident, Tapout has yet to find its way back on the air and with them release a “Complete Series” one imagines that out of respect for him they couldn’t continue with the show. But it’s a lasting legacy for a man who dedicated his life for something with such passion; in the future, when the history of MMA is written, Tapout the clothing line and Tapout the show will be integral parts of explaining its origins.
Presented in a Dolby Digital surround in a widescreen presentation, this is a good but not great transfer. This isn’t an a/v centered show, focusing more on getting dialogue cleanly and clearly while making sure the picture is watchable at a minimum.
None.
Tapout the television show may have finished before it was due because of circumstances but leaving it as is with the death of “Mask,” with 20 episodes of his legacy in MMA, is perhaps the better decision.
> Image Entertainment presents Tapout (The Complete Series). Running time: 892 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: October 19, 2010.
