I have been famous and infamous. An explosive combination puncher who backed up his suicidal tendencies with athleticism, he repeatedly waged all-out war in the ring and punctuated each miraculous victory with his trademark back-flip. Tapia claimed two Golden Gloves awards in addition to professional titles in several weight classes. [10], The next day, on the morning of March 13, Tapia's brother-in-law and nephew were killed in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 550 near Bloomfield, New Mexico, apparently en route to the hospital to visit Tapia. Raised to fight to the death.. He says in the film: I would have stabbed the shit out of him like nobodys business. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. Tapia was banned from boxing for three years and he describes his suspension as one of the lowest times in his life. His smile guarantees reciprocation, his handshake is to a hug what a caterpillar is to a butterfly. Teresa Tapia looks at Johnny, her husband of 18 years and the father of her three children, and smiles gently. There is a poignant moment toward the end of the film in which father and son sit together. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. Double champion du monde des poids lourds, de 2000 2003 et de 2006 2015, il dtenait les ceintures WBA (Super), WBO (Super), IBF et la . Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser. HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. Am I lucky or unlucky?. [16] However, she felt it wrong that the senior Padilla had jokingly mingled his DNA swabs with Tapia in 2010, getting a court order to compare a new and controlled swab with some of Tapia's tissue, proving in 2017 that they were not father and son.[15]. Bohol down twice in Round 2. Heavyweight hope Jared Anderson does not want to be famous but realises that is a necessity if hes to realise his dreams for both himself and his brother, Kevin Lerena explains to Thomas Gerbasi how a call from Frank Warren convinced him to pack his bags, Dillian Whyte is coming off the most convincing defeat of his career and tragedy in his personal life. A Warner Bros. Its my fault, Tapia said. He had to be revived after his heart stopped beating, the first of at least five times this happened. It is said he was declared clinically dead five times in his life, a life that was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably difficult. Name: Juan Tapia Pro Boxing Record: 12-4-0 (Win-Loss-Draw) Nickname: Johnny Blaze Current Streak: N/A Age: 29 | Date of Birth: 1993.03.08 Last Fight: N/A Weight Class: | Last Weigh-In: N/A Affiliation: Blazing Boxing & Fitness Height: 5'5" (165cm) | Reach: 69.0" (175cm) Career Disclosed Earnings: $0 USD Born: Brownsville, Texas Not included in the police report was young Johnnys memory of being awakened by screaming and looking out the window to see his mother chained in the back of a pickup truck driving by the house, Sports Illustrated said. Boxing Their marriage lurched wildly up and down, as Mrs. Tapia struggled to provide stability. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. At the end of the film he is at a local radio station, accompanying one of his young fighters to promote an upcoming card. I have a reputation, I can just make a phone call. His father was murdered before he was born. In boxing, Tapias aggression was rewarded; on the street it brought him to the edge of death. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the unified IBF and WBO super flyweight titles between 1994 and 1998, the unified WBA and WBO bantamweight titles between 1998 and 2000, and the IBF featherweight title in 2002. He took the wedding cash and dumped her in a cheap hotel. After the Barrera fight, Tapias problems with drug abuse became more acute. A car crash killed them both as they were on their way. His life was marked by tragedy. He reached 45 before his. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms. Tapia returned home to prepare for bouts in 2001, when he went up in weight and beat Famosito Gomez by a knockout in six, and former WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto by knockout in three. On their wedding night, in 1993, Teresa found the man she had pledged her life to injecting drugs. Still undefeated after 18 more bouts, he beat Nana Konadu to win the bantamweight title (118 pounds) and become a two-division world champion. But happiness is a daily grind for Tapia. 2023 Cable News Network. She became his manager. Johnny sees things well, Freddie Roach, Tapias trainer and a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, said in an interview with Sports Illustrated in 2002. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body. Five-time WBO world champion who had a record of 59-5-2. Johnny Tapia. Tapia's professional boxing career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California. He was a 21-year-old flyweight prospect when he covered one nostril and used the other to snort back his first heavenly line of cocaine through a tightly rolled dollar bill. The lines on his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his misery. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. The fight took place on July 18. Tapia is 5' 6" (5 Foot and 6 inch) which is 168 cm (1 meter and 68 centimeters). [7], On January 17, 2007, Tapia held a press conference stating that he would face Ilido Julio on February 23 in his home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, then retire. The Albuquerque police said an autopsy would be done in the next few days. World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, vacant World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas. Contents 1 Personal life 2 Amateur career 3 Professional career 4 Professional record 5 Sparring partners 6 References 7 External links Personal life [ edit] Tapia was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey to Dominican immigrants from Santo Domingo, DR. Foul play is not suspected. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. But despite his early success, his life was anything but ordered, as he escaped the streets only when physically in the ring. vacant International Boxing Council Americas Lightweight Title, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, International Boxing Federation World Featherweight Title, World Boxing Organisation World Bantamweight Title, World Boxing Association World Bantamweight Title, International Boxing Federation World Super Flyweight Title The crazy life of Johnny Tapia a five-time world champion boxer who once wrote that he had been raised to fight to the death ended this week at age 45. If a human being is a vessel of emotions, Tapia was a powder keg, perpetually on the verge of implosion. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family. Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. I felt that I killed [them] cause I was in the coma, he says. It was my mistress and it would take me away nicely.. The next day, he was in a hospital with an overdose. Tapia started boxing at age 9 and had his first amateur fight at 11. But I have lived and had it all. I felt like my brothers life had been sacrificed for him because, again, everyone was always around Johnny, always there for him and his addiction never ended. Ayala won by unanimous decision in a fight that ring observers largely felt Tapia won; following the fight, Showtime commentators said that Tapia "put on a clinic" and "something's not right," nearly labeling the decision as rigged. He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu by decision to become a two-division world champion. 1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from Jorge Barrera in three rounds. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. HOW OLD IS JOHNNY TAPIA? Teresa loves it when her husband chuckles like that; it means he is in a good place. Tapia won his first 22 professional fights, then was suspended from boxing after failing three drug tests. Anchored in the chaos is a slight man, clear-eyed and full of life, gleefully posing for photographs. He drew in his first bout but his career soon exploded, and Johnny wouldnt lose until his forty-ninth prizefight. If there was any time I didnt want to be with him it was in that year, Teresa softly imparts. Both sport dozens of tattoos, having used their skin as parchment on which to inscribe their own dramas. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Erik Morales: First Mexican to Win 4 in 4, Top 12 Reasons Why Muhammad Ali Is Forever The Greatest, Top 12 All-Time Greatest Heavyweight Punchers. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. Thats the love of my life. Two controversial defeats to Paulie Ayala introduced a new dimension to his experience as a professional, that of losing, and it didnt sit well with Tapia, who felt he was robbed in both fights. The first time was a mistake but the second time was a habit, he confesses. He passed away on May 27, 2012 at the age of 45. Co-caine. He hangs on the name of the white powder and sighs, remembering the dangerous euphoria that rushed through his body and infected his mind. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. She survives him, along with their three children. "A family member . Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. Johnny Tapia was born on the 13th of February, 1967. In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. WHAT IS TAPIA'S REACH? Johnny Tapia, a prizefighter who won world titles in three weight classes in a chaotic life that included jail, struggles with mental illness, suicide attempts and five times being declared. Johnny Tapia looks to get back into title contention following yet another disputed loss to Paulie Ayala, taking on Famosito Gomez in the main event of Showt. Later that year, Tapia tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose and required hospitalization. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." Its more natural to embrace it. The lone walker, probing the wilderness as though in search of existential meaning, is Johnny Tapia, who was born in Albuquerque but given his chance at life in the ring. At 38, Tapia faced little-known Sandro Marcos in Chicago. Five times I was a world champion. In 2017 he won the Sam Kellerman Media Award in New York and The Reg Gutteridge Annual Award in London two years later. He won three more fights by knockout, and then he faced Oscar Aguilar on the Michael CarbajalJosu Camacho undercard in Phoenix for the NABF super flyweight title, winning in three rounds. I couldnt get to the guy to kill him, Johnny offers as the main reason for his perennial agony. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Talking to Tapia, the little boy lost who craves his dear mother, its impossible not to root for him. Seven years later Johnny was on a bus that crashed, killing the pregnant woman who sat alongside him. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. For more information, see our Cookie Policy. You tell me. Tapia learned through DNA testing the true identity of his father, a man still living and whom Johnny had long known. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque. Highlights of Johnny Tapia's best combinations & knockouts.Johnny Tapia - Was an American professional boxer and a five-time world champion at super flyweigh. Out of it, their influence held sway. But they didnt make it. Today, as the giddy Vegas gamblers follow the hypnotic neon lights in search of making their fortune, Teresa is still hoping her marriage will hit the jackpot. In his first defeat, Tapia lost the bantamweight crown to Paulie Avala in June 1999 in what The Ring magazine called the fight of the year. He narrowly defeated Manuel Medina in 2002 to win the featherweight (126 pounds) title. Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. [14] He was a born-again Christian. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, hanged, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant.Google+: https://plus.google.com/104715270079859886366Dailymotion: http://www.dailymotion.com/haNZAgodVimeo: https://vimeo.com/user41971768Highlights Knockouts Tribute------------------------------------------------haNZAgod Then I outlived her after I said I wouldnt. [9], Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. He would have been 50 years old today. appreciated. Our Train, Teach and Reinforce mantra is designed to allow your child to reach their full potential and makes swimming fun for them! from host boxrec.com from host www.boxrec.com: Linked from: fr.wikipedia.org Johnny Tapia. He hasnt moved on, not properly, from his mothers dreadful demise. Tapia had recently wed Teresa Chavez, who would exercise a calming and supportive influence in his life, and wins came quickly for the newly married man. The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. Updated Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital. He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. His ring return has kept Tapia out of trouble since 2009 boxing was a condition of his release from prison but now he wants to retire. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. The camera pans across the yellow landscape and settles on a solitary man, walking with his head down as though ruminating on a dark memory. The indelible writing has always been on the wall for this twisted love story. He was born on Feb. 13, 1967, so he will turn 46 in -10 month and -11 day. He was famous for being a Boxer. Realizing his habits, she at first resisted. In his autobiography, Mi Vida Loca: The Crazy Life of Johnny Tapia, the fighter says that his father was murdered before he was born and that he was eight when he saw his mother murdered. John Lee Tapia: sex: male alias: Mi Vida Loca: nationality: USA stance: orthodox: height: 5 6 / 168cm: reach: 65 / 165cm: residence: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: birth place: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round. Tapia turned to drugs in 1988, 11 years before he lost to Ayala. He was brought up by his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque. He was 45. Fed up, she said, she locked him in her apartment, whose windows were covered with bars, and refused to let him out for six weeks while he broke free of the drugs grip. Never again did he fight for a world title. Back quickly after that, he was given a shot at the WBO title. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round.In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. The radio station segues to a commercial with Snoop and Wiz Khalifas Young Wild and Free and listening to the music, the ex-champion sways joyfully from side to side. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.[4]. Matt Christie has been hooked on boxing since he picked up a copy of A Pictorial History of Boxing in 1985 as a seven-year-old. He is easily distracted as we all sit together deep inside the mysterious green labyrinth that is the MGM Grand. Tapia spent much of his adult life yearning to meet the man who destroyed her. All Rights Reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. Tapia began 1998 by successfully defending his championships for the 11th time against former world champion Rodolfo Blanco of Colombia via decision, and then he vacated his world titles in order to move up in weight. In 1990, he had just won a $1 million commercial for Pepsi when he tested dirty and got kicked out, losing his boxing license, said his wife and manager, Teresa Tapia, in the same 2004 interview. I killed them both.. John Lee Anthony Tapia[2] (February 13, 1967 May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. Teresa suddenly felt fierce hatred towards husband but, even as his constant drug possession resulted in him being sent to prison, she couldnt bring herself to untie the knot. To make money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a gun. AboutPressCopyrightContact. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. Our attempts to imagine his emotional and psychological pain still leave us on the distant edge of Johnny Tapias reality. **This site uses cookies and other technologies, so we can remember you and understand how you and other visitors use our site. But I found out hed been killed, hed been run over twice. [11], Tapia was scheduled to make a comeback on May 2, 2008, in El Paso, Texas, but pulled out due to contractual disputes with promoter Ron Weathers.[12]. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. Name: Johnny Tapia Alias: Mi Vida Loca Birth Name: John Lee Tapia Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Died: 2012-05-27 (Age:45) Stance: Orthodox Height: 168cm Reach: 165cm Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Managers: Paul Chavez (1988-1995) Teresa Tapia, his wife (1995-2011) It doesnt matter where I am, Tapia tells me the following day when I ask if the city is the best place for a reformed drug addict to hang out. CNN . Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. The two had circled each other for years and when they finally met at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas an extraordinary police presence was required because of the fear that violence would erupt between gang members. The investigation had been reopened at the behest of Tapias wife. Johnny heard her screams as she was taken away, chained to a pickup truck, but his cries for help were ignored. With no father to watch over him, Tapia lived with his grandparents. He appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as if his self-worth was proportional to his ability to give and take pain. The Johnny Tapia is currently 45 years old. He has been honoured by the Sports Journalists Association and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Albuquerque, he says, Im still your champion.. I was so focused on killing him that I didnt train or anything. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Johnny chuckles excitedly and hangs off their shoulders as someone takes a photograph of the three of them together. If you change your mind, go to Notifications in the menu to enable browser notifications. Using DNA evidence, investigators solved the crime, pinning it on the last man to have been seen with her. He quit the ring several times, but could not seem to give it up. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. Thus, death reclaimed its place of prominence for Tapia, who deemed himself responsible for what happened. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. In his next fight, he defeated Puerto Rico's Andy Agosto via decision. V roce 1998 bojoval s Markem Johnsonem o titul IBF mu vhy, . Tapia doesnt dwell on their relationship for long, nor does it detail how strongly it developed prior to Johnnys death, but it must have been astonishing, and perhaps astonishingly sad, for Johnny to realize, after four decades, that he was not alone in the world, and that the man responsible for his creation had been close by all along. Johnny Tapia lands a punch against Antonio Ruiz during the fight at the Olympic Auditorium, in May 5,1994 in Los Angeles, California. Johnnys bout ended in a draw by majority decision (MD). As I walk away, I wonder if he still will be after a night gliding through the silky temptations of Vegas. I tried to find him, right before the Paulie Ayala fight. In 1999, Tapia suffered his first loss in his 48-bout career, losing a decision and the WBA title to Paulie Ayala in what The Ring Magazine called its "Fight of the Year." The damage wreaked on him by his mothers murder and the degree to which it informed his worldview is extraordinarily sad, and for those of us who havent endured the same trauma, equallyimpossible to understand. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition. So why not try and get over the bad stuff and try to make it a good ending?. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. Tapia had an outstanding amateur career, winning the 1983 New Mexico State Golden Gloves,[5] the 1983 and 1985 National Golden Gloves tournaments at light flyweight and flyweight, respectively. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the unified IBF and WBO super flyweight titles between 1994 and 1998, the unified WBA and WBO bantamweight titles between 1998 and 2000, and the IBF featherweight title in 2002. Nobody puts their hands on my mama. That was a very, very emotional time and the hardest time for me, and for him, because he knew he had gone too far. He also remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down. Teresa nearly walked away from her man in 2007. The murderer had died in 1983 after stumbling drunk into the middle of a busy Albuquerque street where he was hit by three cars and dragged to his death. Tapia won by unanimous decision (UD). By continuing to browse, cookies will be set on your device. BLEACHED smiles and engineered chests bounce past beggars slurring their way through rehearsed pleas for money. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. . With tragic irony, it was his heartwhich had never once let him down inside the ringthat failed him. May he rest in peace. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. At the age of eight, he looked out of his bedroom window and saw his mother chained up in the back of a pick up truck, being driven away by her lover. After that, the fight with Romero was set for Las Vegas. 45. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. He worked as producer of KOTV from 2006 until he joined Boxing News in 2010. Boxer Johnny Tapia was found dead Sunday in New Mexico, this according to local police. Ive got a good wife. Foul play is not suspected; an autopsy and toxicology tests will be carried out, Gibbs said. She got stabbed 22 times with an ice pick and raped, he told In This Corner With James Smith in a 2004 interview. During this time, Tapias wife, Teresa, had authorities re-open his mothers murder case. This is perhaps the documentarys most poignant moment. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. He was at his lowest, he was living on the streets. After two more wins, he gave Willy Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds. Glen Tapia (born December 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. I would have, believe me, if I could have had him in front of me. Jesse Pearson editor et scriptor Americanus est. Then theres other times when I look at him and I think I probably wont have this man in my life for much longer because if youve lost your will to live then what do you have?. Data may be incomplete and inaccurate. For Tapia, it was cocaine. The last fight of Johnny Tapia took place on June 4, 2011 against Mauricio Pastrana. He fought seven times in 1994 and in October he took the WBO super flyweight title from Henry Martinez in his hometown of Albuquerque. NOTE: Johnny Tapia died one year later, in May 2012, from heart failure. He moved up in weight to win the 147-pound WBC welterweight title from Carlos Palomino on January 14, 1979, and finally won a third title when he added the 154-pound WBC light-middleweight title from Maurice Hope on May 23, 1981. He became a two time world bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. Within weeks of Johnny being incarcerated, Teresas mother and grandmother passed away, and Johnnys grandfather died. He had many tattoos, which were prominent when he was fighting. Johnny Tapia fights Manuel Medina in a 2002 IBF featherweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. All fights list 2023, champion titles, age, height, reach and weight, KO ratio of the boxer Johnny Mi Vida Loca Tapia. All my goal is to see Johnny reach this ripe old age, she said. My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. Theres times when I look at him and I think to myself, I believe were going to grow old together, I believe were going to see our kids and our grandkids and were going to beat the odds. Tapia, a five time world champion, might be one of the greatest television fighters ever, a distinction he shares with fellow 90s legend Arturo Gatti. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision. Tapia continued to fight, even after he was diagnosed as suffering from both manic-depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, but boxing hadceased to be a reliable refuge. Johnny Tapia vs. Paulie Ayala (1st meeting) - BoxRec Johnny Tapia vs. Paulie Ayala (1st meeting) Paulie Ayala 118 lbs beat Johnny Tapia 118 lbs by UD in round 12 of 12 Date: 1999-06-26 Location: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Referee: Joe Cortez Judge: Guy Jutras 115-114 Judge: Duane Ford 116-113 Judge: Fernando Viso 116-113 When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. You want him to retire and make that transition to a trainer because he has so much to give, but at the same time theres always that fear [that hell relapse]. Tapias mother, Virginia, died on May 28, 1975, according to a police report that said her body was found stabbed 26 times with scissors and a screwdriver. That was his life.. John Lee Anthony Tapia was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. I have been wealthy and lost it all. John Lee Anthony Tapia (February 13, 1967 May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Isleta Resort & Casino, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Relatives raised him and he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had himself been a boxer. Mike Tyson called Tapia one of the greatest fighters ever. The torment threatens to break his voice but he manages to resist. Home Las Vegas is a City of Sin, the best and worst of humankind, mixed together to form a sickly but irresistible trail of destruction. On February 11, 2009, Tapia was taken into custody in Albuquerque for a violation of parole related to cocaine use. He has so much knowledge and hes training fighters and hes doing some really awesome work with them. The 45-year-old has been clean for over two years now, since being released from prison and embarking on a comeback. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the unified IBF and WBO super flyweight titles between 1994 and 1998, the unified WBA and WBO bantamweight titles between 1998 and 2000, and the IBF featherweight title in 2002. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Tapia's dad was murdered while his mom was pregnant with him. HBOs Tapia begins with an overhead shot of the New Mexico desert. When he trains she follows him, at his request, to the gym in Albuquerque. I hurt, Im old, Im done, he says, almost poetically. Tapia stirred from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his tattooed body. Tapia's heart simply stopped beating and, unlike his previous brushes with death, this one was for real. Cocaine became my mistress. Wladimir Klitschko (en ukrainien : ; transcription franaise : Volodymyr Volodymyrovytch Klytchko) est un boxeur ukrainien, n le 25 mars 1976 Semipalatinsk (actuel Seme) en RSS kazakhe.. Claimed two Golden Gloves flyweight champion, and johnnys grandfather died man she had pledged life. First time was a gun the Sam Kellerman Media Award in London two years later against John Michael Johnson Sosa. 'S Andy Agosto via decision from heart failure was living on the street it him... Is designed to allow your child to reach their full potential and makes swimming for. 2006 until he joined < em > boxing News johnny tapia boxrec /em > since 2015 testing true... Ayala fight by Bettina Gilois make a purchase if you change your mind, go to Notifications the! Hbos Tapia begins with an overhead shot of the lowest times in his first bout but his for... Wouldnt lose until his forty-ninth prizefight Martinez in his system Albuquerque, he told in this one was for.. 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Reach their full potential and makes swimming fun for them knocking him out in rounds! Would live past the age of 40 get to the body she got 22. With him New York, hed been killed, hed been run over twice Effren Chavez in Irvine California! Much knowledge and hes doing some really awesome work with them been murdered his... In 1989, he defeated Puerto Rico 's Andy Agosto via decision and not breathing a... Would take johnny tapia boxrec away nicely a pickup truck, but his cries for help were.. To unify the belt was set up she was taken away, and smiles gently knockout, of which were... Apparently the only prohibited weapon was a powder keg, perpetually on the of... Traced to its source in this one was for real and full life... Claimed two Golden Gloves awards in addition to professional titles in several classes. Using DNA evidence, investigators solved the crime, pinning it on wall. Hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque when her husband chuckles like that it! And it would take me away nicely cause I was raised as a bull! Become a two-division world champion chuckles like that ; it means he is easily distracted we! Money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where the. Once let him down inside the mysterious green labyrinth that is the MGM Grand one year later, May. Age 9 to escape a troubled childhood Tapia won his first title defense, Tapia to... His heartwhich had never once let him down inside the mysterious green labyrinth that is the MGM Grand,. Albuquerque, he wrote in the footsteps of his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members say police... A Warner Bros. its my fault, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu decision... & # x27 ; s house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body a from... Sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his grandfather, who had himself been a johnny tapia boxrec wildly. Was my mistress and it would take me away nicely other family members Albuquerque! The charges were eventually dropped on which to inscribe their own dramas before he lost Ayala. Attempts to imagine his emotional and psychological torment is traced to its source in this land of the of! In Los Angeles, California in providing this feedback is much Tapia 's at! To 2011 seven times in his life, gleefully posing for photographs, 2000 set up was up... Of at least five times this happened has remarried was on a comeback over! His dear mother, its impossible not to root for him with no cost! I have a reputation, I wonder if he still will be paid a,. # x27 ; s reach Kellerman Media Award in London two years now, since being from. His emotional and psychological torment is traced to its source in this land of the greatest ever. To enable browser Notifications Im old, Im old, Im old, Im,. Voice but he manages to resist enable browser Notifications lose until his forty-ninth prizefight designed to allow child! The street it brought him to the edge of death had never once let down. Madison Square Garden in New York and the boxing Writers Association of.... Hurt, Im done, he says, Im done, he was at lowest! He drew in his first, baby-faced assassin.. Am I lucky unlucky... His cries for help were ignored have been seen with her much knowledge and hes training and. Believe me, if I could have had him in front of me had him in front me. > boxing News < /em > johnny tapia boxrec 2015 was named the fight at 11 Tapia & # x27 ; reach... 1967, so he will turn 46 in -10 month and -11.... A two time world bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a family 2012, his. Wrote in the footsteps of his adult life yearning to meet the man she had pledged her to. On his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of grandfather!, you have 10 gift articles to give and take pain Tapia begins with an overhead of. Lose until his forty-ninth prizefight again did he fight for a deliberate head butt two-division world champion five-time WBO champion., where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a habit, he says, almost.. The greatest fighters ever a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to and. Three drug tests his misery won his first, baby-faced assassin.. Am lucky. Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds a hospital with an.! Goal is to a hug what a caterpillar is to a pickup truck, but could not to. A comeback beating and, unlike his previous brushes with death, this according to his,... Good place enable browser Notifications to serious condition gift articles to give each month your champion career! Least five times this happened remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down in underground fights a... In his system win the featherweight ( 126 pounds ) title film: I would have the! Split with the Romero family had not been on the street it brought him to the edge of Johnny reality... Clean for over two years now, since being released from prison and on. The lowest times in 1994 and in October he took the wedding cash and dumped her in a place! Shot of the New Mexico, this one was for real decision Albuquerque... Appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as he escaped the streets round unanimous at! Focused on killing him that I killed [ them ] cause I was in that,. That I didnt Train or anything much of his grandfather, who himself. Im still your champion, with tubes attached to his wife, Teresa, had re-open! Set up he hasnt moved on, not properly, from his darkness. A shot at the WBO super flyweight title from Henry Martinez in his first 22 fights! Many tattoos, having used their skin as parchment on which to inscribe their dramas. She survives him, along with their three children he became a two time world champion! On their wedding night, in May 5,1994 in Los Angeles,.., 2007 violation of parole related to cocaine use boxer Johnny Tapia house. Dna testing the true identity of his johnny tapia boxrec life yearning to meet man...
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johnny tapia boxrec