Pat Reeves died this week, and his death saddened
a lot of us. He was the heart and soul of the fight game community here for
more than a decade. I was not nearly as close a friend as many others, but
every time I saw Pat, we talked a spell, whether at Foley’s gym or at the
fights. I interviewed him often, whether for the blog or the Standard-Examiner.
I admired the guy, not only for his fighting skill and passion, but for his
desire to share his skills with others, to teach and be a mentor. Besides training at Foley's, Pat was also a member of the Assassins fight team.
I love the above photo of Pat. It reminds of the first
time I saw him fight. He took on tough opponent, Drayton Woods, from southern
Utah who went on the attack on Pat. From the ground, Pat
weathered the storm and maneuvered his foe into a triangle choke. The guy
fought it hard, but he succumbed. Pat’s joy and love of MMA is captured in that
photo. We ran that photo, or one similar, in the Standard-Examiner, in our recap of the card.
Pat never ducked a fight – he even had a couple pro
boxing matches -- and he had bravado. A year after the first fight I mention he
was on a card at Raptors field in Ogden, against a contemporary named Gabe
Francis. Pat dared him to hit his face. Gabe obliged him. The punches did little
to stem Pat’s enthusiasm but unfortunately they drew a lot of blood, forcing a doctor’s
stoppage. (18 months later, Pat got another shot at Francis, and this time he
won in the first round, via a triangle choke).
Pat won a regional belt in 2013, traveling to Vernal
and beating the very tough Daniel Stratton to take the Rocky Mountain Fight
Championships title. He won in round 4, a championship round, by – you guessed
it – a triangle choke. Pat’s lean, tall, rangy physique was ideal for the
triangle choke. I wasn’t at that bout, but I interviewed Pat at Foley’s gym a
few days later. He was wearing his belt. I wish I could find the photo I took
of him with the belt. He took a lot of deserved pride in that win. He defended
the belt successfully once before losing it in the cage.
I got to see Pat’s final two wins, and his last
fight, a loss to a world-class fighter, fellow Ogden colleague Steven Siler.
Pat was a well-established pro who fought not only the best regional opponents,
but the elite too. Besides Siler, he also tangled, and acquitted himself well,
against Lance Palmer, in Orem a few years ago.
One time, several years ago when we were chatting at
Foley’s gym, Pat told me he wanted to do something to help others, to use some
of the blessings he had received to give others a boost. I believe Pat achieved
this goal the past couple of years with “The Pack,” a group of MMA fighters
that he trained and trained with at Foley’s. Until very recently, “The Pack”
was a fixture of fighters working hard at Foley’s. Until the day I die I will treasure
the memories of Pat working with these MMA hopefuls in the cage, patiently
sharing his wisdom with them, watching sparring, sparring with them, going over
the mechanics of the sport, patiently improving their skills. Eric Munoz, who
recently retired, is just one example of an MMA hopeful that, through Pat’s
guidance, moved from MMA novice to respected, talented amateur veteran who
earned a regional belt.
It’s going to be very hard to go to Foley’s gym and
not see Pat there. When I learned of his death Monday, I moved away from my
work desk, and found a place to shed some tears. We won’t forget Pat, and not
forgetting will include taking some harsh lessons from his untimely death and
helping others who will face some of the challenges that overwhelmed Pat in his
final days.
Right now, we honor our friend. Here’s a link to Pat’s obituary. On Sunday at 1 p.m. a celebration of his life will be held at Foley’s
gym in Ogden, 375 31st Street, an appropriate spot to honor Pat because he honored so many of us
there, and at other gyms and arenas. Also, Friday, beginning at 5:30 p.m., Foley's will host a night dedicated to Pat with some martial arts instruction (Bang Muy Thai courtesy of Jarrett Kelton), some grappling and a silent auction, all to remember Pat and help his young family. Admission is free.
-- Doug Gibson
