Post by Patrick Bateman (original) on Sept 9, 2008 16:00:36 GMT -5
I know there is already a thread but I thought you guys might let this slide.
It was November 2006 and I was pretty new to AKA and our trainer Lynn brought in a special guest trainer for the day. That man was Evan Tanner. I looked around the room and we were all wide eyed. Amazed that a well known fighter was coming in to train us. Evan and I talked afterwords and he took my number. I did not hear from him until Dec.30th 2006.
On December 30th 2006 I got a phone call from a guy saying "hey buddy. It's Evan. " I thought and said "Evan who?" and he said "Evan Tanner." I said "hey brother what's up?" He then told me the idea he was having and how he wanted some help. And was wondering if I could. I asked what it was. And he informed me it was building houses for some guys that may not have a place to live as they train. I was sold.
I flew out 2 weeks later. Not knowing what to expect. When I got their I saw Evan. And he came up with his familiar "hey buddy." I then spent the next 2 weeks helping build houses. Doing framing with Evan. And wiring cable with him. Every morning Evan wanted to go for a run. I asked if I could tag along. He said "of course buddy." We then ran every single morning for those 2 weeks together. Everyone else was to tired to do it. We ran up and down the mountain 15 miles. And would not say a word to each other. But pushing each other harder and harder seeing who would break first. When neither of us did. We would talk when we would get to the top of our run. About an hour a day.
It was at this time when Evan and I bonded. He told me about his life and were he came from. And I told him about mine. And we were both amazed at how much we had in common. We were both cable installers,framers,working as ditch diggers, working at bars, and now pro fighters. I talked to him about my son. And that's when he said "you are one of those guys huh?" and I responded "one of what guys?" He said "a guy that's going to be a lifelong friend." We finished the homes. And Evan went back to his apartment (yes 1 bedroom apartment. He built houses for other people when he didn't even have his own).
Over the next few months Evan would come up and stay at my house when he would go on his nature outings. And he and my son loved each other (my son is now almost 3) and he would laugh and play and didn't care what other people thought. He just was Evan.
He called me after I got my staff infection asking if he needed me to have him come up and help out. Asking if I needed my lawn mowed. Evan Tanner mowing my yard this I have got to see I thought to myself. Evan came up. And stayed at my house for a couple days. He mowed my lawn when I kept asking him not to. But that is the way Evan was. If someone needed him he was there.
The last time I talked to Evan was after his fight against Kendall. I called him up and told him "It's ok brother don't worry about it." and he said "it's just the hand I was dealt. I'll be ok. How are you?" Even when Evan was low he worried about the people he cared about.
I will not pretend to be Evans best friend because I wasn't. But we were good friends that would do anything for each other. One day when my son get's older and see's pictures of him and Evan and ask who this guy was I have to tell him. "that's your Uncle Evan. He was one of the good guys."
I will miss you my friend.
It was November 2006 and I was pretty new to AKA and our trainer Lynn brought in a special guest trainer for the day. That man was Evan Tanner. I looked around the room and we were all wide eyed. Amazed that a well known fighter was coming in to train us. Evan and I talked afterwords and he took my number. I did not hear from him until Dec.30th 2006.
On December 30th 2006 I got a phone call from a guy saying "hey buddy. It's Evan. " I thought and said "Evan who?" and he said "Evan Tanner." I said "hey brother what's up?" He then told me the idea he was having and how he wanted some help. And was wondering if I could. I asked what it was. And he informed me it was building houses for some guys that may not have a place to live as they train. I was sold.
I flew out 2 weeks later. Not knowing what to expect. When I got their I saw Evan. And he came up with his familiar "hey buddy." I then spent the next 2 weeks helping build houses. Doing framing with Evan. And wiring cable with him. Every morning Evan wanted to go for a run. I asked if I could tag along. He said "of course buddy." We then ran every single morning for those 2 weeks together. Everyone else was to tired to do it. We ran up and down the mountain 15 miles. And would not say a word to each other. But pushing each other harder and harder seeing who would break first. When neither of us did. We would talk when we would get to the top of our run. About an hour a day.
It was at this time when Evan and I bonded. He told me about his life and were he came from. And I told him about mine. And we were both amazed at how much we had in common. We were both cable installers,framers,working as ditch diggers, working at bars, and now pro fighters. I talked to him about my son. And that's when he said "you are one of those guys huh?" and I responded "one of what guys?" He said "a guy that's going to be a lifelong friend." We finished the homes. And Evan went back to his apartment (yes 1 bedroom apartment. He built houses for other people when he didn't even have his own).
Over the next few months Evan would come up and stay at my house when he would go on his nature outings. And he and my son loved each other (my son is now almost 3) and he would laugh and play and didn't care what other people thought. He just was Evan.
He called me after I got my staff infection asking if he needed me to have him come up and help out. Asking if I needed my lawn mowed. Evan Tanner mowing my yard this I have got to see I thought to myself. Evan came up. And stayed at my house for a couple days. He mowed my lawn when I kept asking him not to. But that is the way Evan was. If someone needed him he was there.
The last time I talked to Evan was after his fight against Kendall. I called him up and told him "It's ok brother don't worry about it." and he said "it's just the hand I was dealt. I'll be ok. How are you?" Even when Evan was low he worried about the people he cared about.
I will not pretend to be Evans best friend because I wasn't. But we were good friends that would do anything for each other. One day when my son get's older and see's pictures of him and Evan and ask who this guy was I have to tell him. "that's your Uncle Evan. He was one of the good guys."
I will miss you my friend.
