Canadian MMA trainer Tompkins dead at 37
Posted August 14, 2011 11:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The MMA community lost one of its greatest contributors Sunday when renowned Canadian trainer Shawn Tompkins died suddenly. He was 37.
The Tillsonburg, Ont., native, who is famous for establishing Team Tompkins at his gym in London, Ont., before moving to Las Vegas four years ago, was staying with a friend in Hamilton, where he went to sleep Saturday night but did not wake up Sunday morning.
He was discovered by his friend at approximately 11 a.m. and later pronounced dead.
Tompkins, who was the first trainer to UFC veterans Sam Stout and Mark Hominick and former IFL and WEC star Chris Horodecki, leaves a huge legacy on MMA.
He built a great reputation, in particular for his Muay Thai teaching, and in August 2007 was hired as head instructor at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas.
In 2009 he left and moved across town to become lead trainer at TapouT Research and Development Training Center.
But he never left behind his Canadian roots, still cornering and acting as a big brother to his original students. All the while, he remained always accessible to fighters, fans and media.
Tompkins, who was married to Stout’s sister Emilie, was the first athlete to support Sportsnet’s (Showdown) Joe Ferraro back when he was a fight promoter.
“I owe a lot to him for my career,” said Ferraro. “Now that he’s gone, it’s a huge void for me. My friend’s gone.”
Tompkins, who was thrilled when MMA was finally sanctioned in his home province earlier this year and was in the corner of a number of fighters for their first bouts on Ontario soil, also fought four times in MMA as a professional in 2000-2001, losing all of them by TKO.
