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could raise even more funds . “ We won ’ t stop at $ 5,000 ,” McDaniel said . “ If we can get more , then we can give out more bikes .” Others have already stepped up as well . Benchmark Mortgage has made a sizable donation and Wal Mart has agreed to provide a discount on the purchase of the bikes .
Hunsucker is still actively seeking more donations from local businesses and is hoping his new-found popularity will help him make an impact on the community .
“ A lot of people are asking for pictures with me now , which is super weird . People are like , ‘ Can you mail me an autograph ?’” Hunsucker said .
The fighter , who is the general manager of Elite Marital Arts in Berea , remains humble despite his success . That makes his story even more compelling . “ He is living proof that there ’ s always a road available , you ’ ve just got to have the motivation and drive to get on it ,” McDaniel said . Hunsucker has seemingly battled his whole life . Literally . “ We grew up fighting ,” Hunsucker said .
Those battles were usually with siblings , friends , or classmates .
As a teenager , Hunsucker began to compete in unsanctioned toughman competitions around the region .
“ I knew a bunch of guys who were going down and doing these fights ,” Hunsucker said . “ I thought , ‘ Well I destroy these guys in the backyard all the time .’ I thought it was the stupidest thing in the world . My buddy Shadow went and fought and then I knew I had to do it .” He won his first match . Two weeks later , he fought again and things turned out much differently .
“ I thought I was tough . I thought I was bad ,” Hunsucker said . “ In my second fight , I got out there with someone who knew what he was doing real well . I got my arm broken , my jaw fractured and was choked out .”
Hunsucker ’ s mouth was wired shut for almost a month .
At that point , he knew if he was going to continue to fight , he would finally need some formal training .
“ I went to a couple of different gyms and I met Will ( Schneider ) when he came to Richmond ,” Hunsucker recalled .
Schneider , ironically , was the referee for Hunsucker ’ s first fight . The trainer had just opened the first location of Elite Martial Arts .
They became friends — and eventually business partners — and the duo has helped the franchise grow exponential in the past decade .
Elite Martial Arts has locations in Richmond , Berea , Winchester , and just recently opened a new location in Lexington . “ We ’ ve built something cool ,” Hunsucker said of Elite Martial Arts . “ We are the place to be .” Hunsucker ’ s family has grown along with his business partnership with Schneider . About eight years ago , Vanessa received a message on Facebook from Hunsucker . She didn ’ t really know him , but was wellaware of his reputation . “ Everybody had heard his name because he got into a lot of fights in high school ,” Vanessa said . She wasn ’ t scared off by his notorious past — at first . They were married in 2017 and have two daughters , in addition to a son Hunsucker had from a previous relationship .
Things weren ’ t easy for Vanessa and Hunsucker in the beginning , though . They lived in a trailer on Race Street in Richmond . “ We started over from there , just like when we were
22 Madison Magazine May- June 2021