Bad Ass 

Our esteemed bad asses include a wide variety of Charlotteans -- boxers, cops, bodybuilders, martial artists, professional athletes and a masochistic rock singer with a fondness for blood and barbed wire. Of course, we denizens of the Loaf's editorial department had to take ourselves out of the running. With all the hardcore sitting and typing we do, we could have dominated the list (cough), but we're just too modest to do that kind of thing. A few quick clarifications: Yes, the list is subjective. And no, it's not meant to be definitive. So if you're a bad ass and didn't make the list, please refrain from going after any of the people featured in the story to prove that you're really the toughest hombre around. And more importantly, please refrain from coming after me. With that said, here in no particular order are Charlotte's Top 10 Scariest Bad Asses. Come get some!

Don Evans
Age: 45:
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 218 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because he'll have you crying for your momma five minutes into his military-style fitness class at the Tower Club at Charlotte Plaza.

Bad Ass Credentials: Don has been mercilessly whipping Charlotte's corporate types into shape for over 10 years.

Bad Ass Background: Growing up in Charlotte, Evans was an all-around jock. He wrestled, boxed, and ran track and field. He also had a knack for motivating others, and naturally gravitated towards a career as a personal trainer. As a "fitness specialist" at the Tower Club at Charlotte Plaza, Evans runs a "Back to Basics" fitness class based on the intense physical training used by the Navy Seals and the Marines. The class starts promptly at 6am, and Evans conducts the class dressed in fatigues and combat boots and wearing commando greasepaint. "The more realistic you make it the more people get motivated," he says. "I'm dealing with corporate people, and a lot of them have never had any type of military training. So when I'm barking orders at them it helps if I look as realistic as possible."

Evans' personal exercise regimen is just as intense. He trains about five days a week, for two hours, mixing it up with cardio, weight training, calisthenics, plus his weekly classes. "I can scream and holler at my students all I want, but if I'm not in good shape and right there with them, they're not going to buy it. It gives me more credibility, and helps them go that extra step."

Roland Payne
Age: 39
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 230 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because he was crazy enough to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship back when there were no time limits, no weight class, and the only rules were you couldn't bite or eye-gouge.

Bad Ass Credentials: The aptly named Payne is trained in a variety of martial arts styles, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; Thai Boxing; Wing Chun; Shotokan Shoot Fighting, a form of wrestling and submission; and Muay Thai, an aggressive and brutal form of Thai boxing.

Bad Ass Background: Payne started his ass-kicking ways when he joined the wrestling team back in high school. "I was in a lot of fights when I was a kid," he says. "I never started one; I just finished them."

Part of Payne's training regimen back in his fighting days included kicking the steel beam of a portable basketball goal to toughen his shins -- usually around 200 shots for each shin.

"The funny thing about most Americans is they don't like things that are hardcore and real," he says. "As soon as they get a little busted up or see some blood, they want to call it quits. They don't understand you have to go through that to learn what your body is capable of. That's why most black belts couldn't beat their way out of a wet paper bag with directions. There's a difference between a martial artist and a fighter. I consider myself a fighter."

Payne was involved in a potentially nasty incident a few months ago when he was in, of all places, Park Road Shopping Center. While sitting in his car, a guy walked over and started talking about how he had locked his keys in his car, and asked for a ride downtown. "I was headed downtown anyway, so I said why not." But soon Payne sensed something wasn't right. "He was acting real nervous and started talking about how he had all this money hidden and was afraid whether or not it was still there. Things just weren't adding up. I realized he was trying to lead me into an ambush."

Payne says the guy suddenly dropped his hand behind his hip, like he was going for a weapon. "I hadn't carried a gun for the last couple of years, but I do carry a fairly nice knife that I keep in my hip pocket," he says. "I pulled into a parking lot and told him to get out. He starts giving me shit. I pulled the knife out and opened it before he could even blink his eyes and stuck it up to his throat. I said "You're going to leave; whether or not you leave in one piece is totally up to you. And if you make me get blood all over the inside of my truck I'm going to be very pissed.' He got out." See, we told you he's a bad ass.

Don Orrell
Age: 38
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 285 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because he can bench press a sofa -- while you and your entire family are sitting on it.

Bad Ass Credentials: Won Master's Heavyweight and Overall titles at the 2003 NC State Bodybuilding Championships. He bench presses 475 pounds, and is going to attempt 500 pounds at a power lifting competition in Mooresville in November. He does bicep curls with 80-pound dumbbells. He's friggin' huge.

Bad Ass Background: What was Don's inspiration to start lifting? "I got my ass kicked a few too many times in high school," he says. "I graduated at 145 pounds and 6'5"." After high school, Don hit the gym with a vengeance, and for 20 years hasn't looked back. He currently works out at Gold's Gym in the University area about 1-1/2 hours a day, six days a week.

"One advantage of being this big is that people always remember you, but that can sometimes be a disadvantage," he says. "Ironically, it's normally the littlest guy in the bar who wants to pick a fight. But it's usually the ones with more liquor than sense. Most of the time I'll ignore it, but sometimes it gets under my craw and I'll go over and explain to them why they really shouldn't be making those type of comments because it may be dangerous to their health."

Don had a run-in recently while at a downtown bar with his wife and another couple. "Out of the corner of my eye I see these guys looking over at me and snickering," he says. "One of the guys walks past and intentionally bumps me in the shoulder. I reach out and grab his arm and tug him back. I said, "Listen buddy, next time you pull a stunt like that to impress your friends I'm going to tear off your arm and beat you with the stump.' Of course you have to exercise restraint. Could I kick most people's asses? Yeah. Do I? No. I don't have to prove myself. I'm a pacifist."

Nick Hughes
Age: 43
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 275 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because in the time it takes you to read this sentence, he could dismantle you with an array of creative and painful moves.

Bad Ass Credentials: Originally from The Land Down Under, this bad ass Aussie has earned black belts in a variety of martial arts, including Jiu Jitsu, Yoshinkan Aikido, Combat Karate and Zen Do Kai. He did a five-year stint with the French Foreign Legion, during which time he served in the Legion's famous parachute regiment as a frogman commando, and later as a patrolman and combat instructor in the military police. He's also worked as a bodyguard, and protected members of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, numerous rock & roll artists -- including Warrant! -- diplomats, politicians, businessmen and movie stars. In 1994 he quit the personal protection field and moved to the US, where he began doing consulting work and seminars about violence management, self defense and rape prevention. His latest project is F.I.S.T. -- Fight Survival Training.

Bad Ass Background: "I started F.I.S.T. after I was approached by a lot of people looking for self-defense training following 9/11 who realized what we had been telling them for years -- that if you want to be protected you have to do it yourself," he says. "The police, military or government can't do it. Unfortunately, in America most schools teach a very watered-down version of the martial arts that doesn't really focus on defending yourself in life or death situations but is more of just a sport."

F.I.S.T. (www.fightsurvival.com) is a collection of techniques loosely based on those Hughes taught in the military, modified for civilians. As opposed to most martial arts schools, there's no philosophy or age-old traditions, but rather an emphasis on the nasty business of taking out your enemy. "Most of the black belts in this country have no clue how to fight," he says. "The average black belt will get his ass kicked by the average street fighter. What I do is teach people how to take care of themselves in real-life situations."

As a man in such a dangerous line of work, it was ironic that Nick was enjoying a night on the town when he got into one of his biggest scuffles. "I was in London waiting for the bus with my girlfriend. A bunch of punk rock, poll tax rioter types were trying to break into a house near the bus stop and I told them to stop. Two of them sauntered over and had a go, so I dropped them. They woke up, said they'd be back with their friends, and 10 minutes later there they were. I estimated there were about 18 of them. I hospitalized three, hurt about 12 more and the rest buggered off. I really didn't think I was going to get out of that one, but the police were over the moon about it. This same crew had been terrorizing the area for a long time, it seems, and I'd done what they'd all wanted to do for a long time. They plied me with cups of tea and biscuits all night long while I gave statements. It was great."

Megan Jones
Age: 26
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Why Is She A Scary Bad Ass? You know that game called rugby? The one that's similar to football, except it's rougher, more grueling and you don't wear pads or a helmet? Megan Jones plays every weekend.

Bas Ass Credentials: An innumerable amount of bumps, bruises and scrapes, and one broken jaw. With such a tough group of ladies, the Charlotte Mayhem players had a hard time coming to a consensus about who was the toughest, but in the end they selected Megan Jones. Good choice.

Bad Ass Background: Jones grew up in West Virginia, and during high school she ran cross-country in the fall, track in the spring and rode snowboards in the winter. She also loved contact sports. "I dabbled in soccer, but got into trouble for playing too rough," she says. "I was never good at basketball because I would foul out. So when I found rugby, where contact is encouraged, I knew it was the sport for me."

Jones first started playing rugby in college. When she moved to Charlotte four years ago she joined the Charlotte Mayhem, playing outside center, an offensive position that calls for speed, agility and toughness. During a match about two years ago she suffered her most serious injury. "I was running in to tackle someone, and was kicked in the jaw," she says. "It broke in two places, at the joint, and at the chin. My jaw was wired shut for six weeks." She was back on the field and playing the next season.

"My friends and family don't like that I play rugby," she says. "They're supportive of what I want to do, but they would love it if I decided to quit, especially since my injury. There are still some people out there who feel like women shouldn't play rugby. But women's rugby has come a long way, especially here in Charlotte."

Jason Kelly
Age: 31
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 270 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? He's a Charlotte Mecklenburg police officer who's patrolled the city's west side as part of the drug interdiction unit for the past eight years. "Nuff said.

Bad Ass Credentials: Under the tutelage of Nick Hughes, Kelly earned a second-degree black belt in Combat Karate. He then expanded into a variety of other martial arts, including Judo, Jiu Jitsu, stick fighting and Aikido. Kelly trains other police officers in hand-to-hand combat and boxing techniques.

Bad Ass Background: Kelly moved to Charlotte from NY in 1995, and started training with Hughes a year later. "My training has really helped with my job," he says. "I've been working on the west side for eight years, and I've never had too many problems. It (martial arts) makes you more confident. The more proficient you become the less you have to use it. You just carry yourself differently, and people can sense that."

Konrad McKay
Age: 23
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because despite his relatively small size, he's the "enforcer" for the Charlotte Checkers. And he has the scars to prove it.

Bad Ass Credentials: Anyone who follows hockey knows that the sport's rough and tumble reputation is well deserved. Fights are vicious and happen often, and if you've witnessed a fight during a Checkers game in the past couple of years, chances are McKay was in the middle of it.

Bad Ass Background: McKay, who is a member of the Cree Nation, is from the rugged and remote town of Wabowden, in northern Canada. "I grew up around a lot of loggers and fishermen," he says. "Back home you just grew up tough. You had to."

When he was 15, McKay started playing for Canada's junior hockey league, and was already displaying his scrappy and hard-nosed playing style. He says his worst fight was when he was 19 and playing a game near his Canadian hometown. "I got into a nasty one with a guy about 6'6". We threw punches at each other for about a minute straight. We were both pretty bloody. That was a nasty affair that one."

McKay estimates he's gotten into over 50 fights since joining the Checkers three years ago, and has grown to relish his role as team enforcer. "It's part of my job," he says. "In hockey, every team has an enforcer who takes care of the other guys and stirs things up." But all this brawling has come at a price -- namely an impressive array of broken bones and scars, including a nasty and ragged gash that runs across his forehead. "Yea, I've got a few scars, but that comes with the game. You can't duck every punch. I've also broken my hand, ankle, collarbone and wrist. But I consider myself one of the lucky ones. I still have all my teeth and I haven't had to have surgery yet. I always look for the positives."

Jeff Clayton
Age: 40
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 250 lbs. <
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Why? Just look at him. If you've ever seen one of ANTiSEEN'S shows, you know why the band's lead singer qualifies as a scary bad ass. Think one part professional wrestler and one part demon spawn.

Bad Ass Credentials: Clayton has been fronting the band ANTiSEEN for over 20 years. During their 20th Anniversary gig at Tremont Music Hall in April, Clayton dove into a wall of barbed wire, carved up his forehead, and jumped onto a burning table covered with thumbtacks. And that was one of the band's more sedate shows.

Bad Ass Background: Clayton said he developed his wild style from watching professional wrestling as a kid. "As I got older I discovered the Japanese hardcore stuff, where they used barbed wire and light bulbs and fire, and adapted that into our rock & roll theater. During our very first show, I had a microphone that had been through the ringer, and had pieces of metal sticking out the screen and I just raked it across my forehead. That kind of thing doesn't happen every show, but it happens enough to where my entire forehead is nothing but scar tissue."

Clayton says that his stage antics make him the target of overzealous and out-of-control fans. The most recent incident happened a few weeks ago when the band was playing a gig in Las Vegas.

"This kid in the audience starts cutting himself up and splattering blood all over the audience, which no one wants," Clayton says. "He jumps up onstage, but before he can make a move I kick him in the head and throw him back in the crowd. He caught me at the very end of the show when my adrenaline is at its highest, and I just started heaving bottles at him. Then I grabbed a boom stand and a mike and hit him with that. We have crap like that happen almost every night."

Clayton is a husband and father off-stage, and says his extreme rock & roll persona stays onstage. "I know there are a lot of young fans out there who might be shocked to hear that, but they haven't lived long enough to realize that if you go through life like that all the time you're not going to live very long."

Calvin Brock
Age: 28
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 230 lbs.
Why Is He A Scary Bad Ass? Because he earns a living by stepping into a boxing ring and knocking people out. And he's pretty good at it, too.

Bad Ass Credentials: National Golden Gloves Champion, 1998; US Champion, 1999; Two-time Silver Medalist at US Championships; Super heavyweight on the 2000 US Olympic team. Since turning pro his record is 17-0.

Bad Ass Background: Brock first started boxing in 1987. "I was 12 and had just finished 6th grade and my uncle gave me some boxing gloves for Christmas. I would box in the front yard with my friends. I was good at it, and decided to make a future out of it."

His parents took him to Charlotte Boxing Academy, where he still trains, and his father, Calvance, is still his coach. His training regimen consists of four miles of roadwork four days a week, and Monday through Saturday he's in the gym shadow boxing, working the heavy bag and speed bag, sparring, jumping rope and lifting weights. Brock is scheduled to fight Don Steele Nov. 8th at Cricket Arena. "I want to be the undisputed heavyweight champion and go down as an all-time great," Brock says.

Demi GoodmanAge: 33
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 148 lbs.
Why Is She A Scary Bad Ass? Because she not only looks killer in a bathing suit, but she can kill you for real as well. As a personal trainer and a figure/fitness competitor, she can put most guys in the gym to shame.

Bad Ass Credentials: International Sports Science Association, Reebok Core Board Instructor; 2nd place, 2001 NPC Mountaineer Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure Championships; 3rd place, Metrolina Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure Championship; 2nd place, Western Bodybuilding Fitness and Figure Championship.

Bad Ass Background: Demi grew up an athlete, running track in high school and playing football with her three older brothers. She started training seriously about seven years ago, and after working with a trainer for four years, decided to pursue it as a career. She's been a full-time personal trainer and group exercise instructor at the uptown YMCA since 2000. She teaches a number of classes, including the high-intensity Plyometric Interval Training (PIT), which involves doing hundreds of pushups, squats, lunges, jumping drills, as well as strength training and sprints. "I've had college football players and ex-NFL players take the class and it wore them out," she says.

Her own personal exercise regimen calls for running both long distance and sprints three times a week, and weight training four to five days a week. She can bench press 135 pounds, squat 200 pounds, and do 12 regular pull-ups, and hundreds of crunches. (She's packed on 20 pounds of muscle over the past few years.) She's currently gearing up for next year's NC Bodybuilding and Fitness Figure Championships.

Contact Sam Boykin at Sam.boykin@cln.com or 704-944-3623.