RIP Ryan Morgan – The Original Warrior

It is with great sadness that we report the untimely passing of a member of the original Chikara Fight Team – Ryan Morgan.

Ryan was part of the famous fight team that included champions such as Shawn Burton, Aaron Robinson, Steve Swinburn, Sarah Robinson, Hayden Walker and Richard Oak – a fight team that sent shivers down the necks of anybody they faced.

Believed by many to be the hardest hitter in the gym, despite only fighting in the -57kg weight division and famed for epic battles with World Champion Sunny ‘Hitman’ Hira, a vicious KO over British Champion Mark ‘Pretty Boy’ Benton and being the only person to ever break Shawn Burton’s nose.

Ryan starting kickboxing in his early teens, earning Black Belt status at the same time as Lincoln Fight Factory owner’s Burton and Robinson, before taking a break from the sport to work with Shawn and Aaron’s grandad, Trevor Burton on the building site.

After a brief lay-off from kickboxing, Ryan ‘The Lion’ Morgan made his return to the gym and fight team in 2006, moving up 15kg’s to win a true ‘Rocky Style’ war with Newark’s Colin Meanwell, with Ryan scoring 2 knock downs in the opening round.

Sadly this was the last time we would see Ryan in ring, a career cut far too short for a fighter destined for World Title honors.

Ryan did make a short return to the Lincoln Fight Factory where he trained again for several months before turning back to the weights gym to, as he would say ‘put on some size.’

Ryan was a friendly, lovable rogue, always with a smile on his face and a popular figure in Lincoln and will be sadly missed by many people.

“I had been friends with Ryan since I was 14 years old, training with Ryan under Jez Hall at the old Chikara Martial Arts on Monson Street.  The team at that gym had such a strong bond.  We all trained together, ate together and partied together over the years,” said Burton.

“Ryan was always a special fighter, he had tremendous power in both hands and the reach of a 7ft man, he hit me from all angles in sparring and with devastating power, breaking my nose and giving me black eyes and then just laughing about it,” added Burton.

“Me and Ryan went to different school’s but spent most weekend’s together either hanging out with his friends in Washingborough or with my friends from Robert Pattinson school, Ryan just got on with everyone, he was that type of lad and he was a massive hit with the ladies to.”

“I saw Ryan about 5 months ago when I was out running, we spoke for about 30 minutes and he said he was going to get back into training, sadly he never made it down,” finished Burton.

Rest in Peace Ryan, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Morgan family.

RIP RYAN ‘THE LION’ MORGAN – A REAL WARRIOR IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD