Douglasville resident Eddie “Showtime” Walker is a championship Muay Thai fighter working to balance fighting, work and family. Walker, 31, is managed by Eric Haycraft and recently signed to the world’s premier standup fighting league, Glory, after an impressive second place finish in a one-night, eight-man tournament in California. Walker KO’d his first two opponents but suffered leg and rib injuries which led to him losing the third fight. Less than a month later he lost a fight to Stephen Wakeling in London, England, due to his previously incurred injuries after taking repeated kicks to the leg. With an 11-2-1 record, Walker has been healing for the last two months and began training again last week with hopes of returning to the ring in late August or September. His fighting journey began in September 2007 after joining the kickboxing class at KnuckleUp Fitness in Douglasville in an effort to gain better workout results. His strong kick grabbed the attention of professional Muay Thai fighter Anthony Nieves, who then inquired about him joining his Muay Thai class. “After three months I competed in a smoker [amateur tournament], fought three times and fell in love with it,” said Walker. From there, Walker won a fight in South Carolina and became a fighter for Bangkok Fight Night in Atlanta, a periodic series of matches in which he earned the title BFC Amateur Champion in September 2009. Unable to find many fights as an amateur, Walker went pro shortly after. In 2011 Walker traveled to Macedonia as the USA representative on “Enfusion,” a kickboxing reality show, training with six-time world champion Manu N’toh and fighting “some of the world’s best.” Returning to the states, Walker earned the title BFC Light Heavyweight Champion in February 2012. In April 2012, Walker obtained the title of ISKA Intercontinental Champion in London, without lifting a finger as the opponent backed out 12 hours prior to the fight. “He said he was suffering from depression,” Walker said. Walker also KO’d kickboxing star Joe “Stitch’Em Up” Schilling in October 2012 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. in “Lion Fight 7: Shilling vs. Walker.” Walker has worked for Caraustar Industries, a paper recycling company, since he was 18. For the first eight years Walker said he worked 60 to 70 hours a week and “never really had a life,” but after getting promoted in 2008 now has time for family and fighting. He lives with his wife Ashley and two children, Trey, 7, and Brittney, 20 months. His wife is a graphic designer, keeping up his website and designing his posters and logos. “She helps out a lot. She watches the kids when I’m training and when it’s close to fights and steps up more than she has to…We have a very good relationship and we’ve done it long enough to understand each other,” he said.

The Georgia Highlands College baseball program hosted a Future Chargers Camp June 11-14 at Hamilton Crossings Park. For four hours a day, head coach Michael Marra and his staff worked with the 35 boys that came to the camp, ranging from ages 5 to 13. “Was it a success? Yes, they got a lot of repetitions in, they had fun, they got to meet new people and they got to learn from college guys,” Marra said. While the event was good for the youth, Marra said it was a success for the baseball program as well as parents. Participants inquired about Charger merchandise and the upcoming season, he said. Six of the Charger signees assisted the youth as well, four of whom were from Bartow County – John Hood, Camden McGill and Luke Patterson of Woodland and Ty Fowler of the Class AAA state champion Cartersville team. The camp was originally set for June 10-13, but was rained out Monday — which led to hot and humid conditions Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Marra. During the camp, the participants learned baseball fundamentals on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – fielding, throwing, base running, outfield positioning, pitching, catching and hitting mechanics. Marra said the campers were even taught how to avoid serious injuries on the occasion that they do get hit with the ball while at bat. “At that age some kids get hit one time, they’re scared and they never want to play baseball again so we teach them how to safely get hit,” Marra said. At the end of the camp all of the participants were given a packet and a notebook of information, a T-shirt and a “Future Chargers” ID card which allows them to get in the games for free. While Marra is pleased with the camp turnout, he said he would like to reduce the camp to no more than three hours for the younger boys, as well as host more camps. “We’re going to try to make a collaborative effort with Bartow County Parks and [Recreation Department] to try to do a camp over Christmas and try to do more multiple week camps during the summer…We’re trying to improve the quality of baseball in the area,” Marra said.