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. Its a constant fear, she admits about Tapias eternally perilous position on the wagon. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. Johnny Tapia died, for the final time, of heart failure at 45, an age much too young for a final exit. 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. NOTE: Johnny Tapia died one year later, in May 2012, from heart failure. On May 27, 2012, Tapia was found dead in his Albuquerque home. 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. Tapia's heart simply stopped beating and, unlike his previous brushes with death, this one was for real. Still undefeated after 18 more bouts, he beat Nana Konadu to win the bantamweight title (118 pounds) and become a two-division world champion. With Johnny its hard to decide what is best for him but, as a wife, Id love to see him retire and be a husband and a father first and foremost.. 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]. 2023 Cable News Network. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.[4]. I hurt, Im old, Im done, he says, almost poetically. Using DNA evidence, investigators solved the crime, pinning it on the last man to have been seen with her. Your email address will not be published. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. . According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Thats when I met him, she said. The son slipped into a lifelong pattern of binging on cocaine and alcohol, struggling with bipolar disorder, and cycling in and out of jail and drug rehabilitation programs. Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. Not from a drug overdose, but from heart failure. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. 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. He leaps up, like a puppy dog, and gallops towards the fighters. The Johnny Tapia is currently 45 years old. Tapia spent much of his adult life yearning to meet the man who destroyed her. Johnnylost again and this would be the final time he hovered close to boxings zenith. The lines on his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his misery. Or stabbing anybody, or fighting anybody, or killing anybody? Teresa loves it when her husband chuckles like that; it means he is in a good place. 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. Their marriage lurched wildly up and down, as Mrs. Tapia struggled to provide stability. Johnnys bout ended in a draw by majority decision (MD). V roce 1998 bojoval s Markem Johnsonem o titul IBF mu vhy, . But I found out hed been killed, hed been run over twice. HBOs Tapia begins with an overhead shot of the New Mexico desert. 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) 1967213 () . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. Larry Merchant, the boxing analyst, told Playboy in 2004 that Tapia was a five-to-one underdog to survive his own childhood.. 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. On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu by decision to become a two-division world champion. Tapia claimed two Golden Gloves awards in addition to professional titles in several weight classes. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine.Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. I have been wealthy and lost it all. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. Sometimes by the book, it would be wrong to do the things Johnny does, but hes such a natural fighter, he gets away with it., John Lee Tapia liked to point out that he was born in Albuquerque on Friday the 13th in February 1967. It was my mistress and it would take me away nicely.. She is happy to be his side, observing and listening. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. Teofimo Lopez v Pedro Campa | Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin: How to stream,full fight card. > On May 27 of 2012, Johnny Tapia was found dead. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. 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. [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]. During this time, Tapias wife, Teresa, had authorities re-open his mothers murder case. 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. Tapia won by unanimous decision (UD). I mean, Ill take him until 80 or 90 years old.. If he says Im just going to run down the store to get a Dr Pepper, you cant help but think you should go with him, and wonder what is going to happen. I dont want it and theres the difference. He was 45. In 1990, he won seven bouts, including an eight-round decision over Jesus Chong, an eleventh-round technical knockout of Roland Gomez in Reno that gave him the USBA super flyweight title, and a twelve-round decision over Luigi Camputaro, to retain that title. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. All my goal is to see Johnny reach this ripe old age, she said. 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. In 2017 he won the Sam Kellerman Media Award in New York and The Reg Gutteridge Annual Award in London two years later. In 2002, Tapia traveled to London, where he knocked out Eduardo Enrique Alvarez in the first round; after the bout, he was interviewed by former rival Romero. That was his life.. Thats why me and Paulie got fight of the year because all we did was bang.. Ive never said this to anybody, I dont want it no more. It is said he was declared clinically dead five times in his life, a life that was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably difficult. He says in the film: I would have stabbed the shit out of him like nobodys business. He did everything illegal that he could to make money. . Thus, death reclaimed its place of prominence for Tapia, who deemed himself responsible for what happened. Glen Tapia (born December 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. Teresa reaches over and squeezes the hands that won four world titles in three divisions super-flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight. He hasnt moved on, not properly, from his mothers dreadful demise. V roce 1995 se stal dritelem titulu super flyweight WBO Johnny Tapia, ale ztratil vtinov rozhodnut. Five-time WBO world champion who had a record of 59-5-2. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. Jerry Padilla, who Tapia already knew, was supposedly intrigued by the similarities in their mannerisms, and the two decided to submit to a DNA test, which proved they were father and son. In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. Realizing his habits, she at first resisted. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve-round decision, adding the IBF title to his WBO belt. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. I would have, believe me, if I could have had him in front of me. In 1992, he met Teresa Chavez at a party and was determined to marry her. One in particularwas his 1997 bout with fellow Albuquerquian Danny Romero. She couldnt leave him. Id love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family. [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. Like so many athletes once their careers have ended, Tapia returned to the only real vocation hed known and opened a boxing gym in Albequerque. A Warner Bros. Playboy reported that when they finally married, one of her cousins approached her and said, If you want to see what you married, go look in the bathroom.. It was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. Cocaine became my mistress. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser. This is perhaps the documentarys most poignant moment. Back quickly after that, he was given a shot at the WBO title. 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. He was brought up by his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque. In a statement, Teresa Tapia said she decided thatmarryingPadilla would be best for the children, for a continuation of their sense of family. Both sport dozens of tattoos, having used their skin as parchment on which to inscribe their own dramas. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. In a performance that summoned all of his skill, showmanship and gall, Tapia outfought and outlasted Romero and won a unanimous decision. 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. When he trains she follows him, at his request, to the gym in Albuquerque. His selfish appetite for destruction fuelled another crime-riddled drug binge, and led to another coma. His first pro fight was in 1988. 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. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. The intoxicant was perhaps the only thing capable of ordering his thoughts. And when Tapia was 8, his mother was kidnapped, raped and hanged. If I could take that all back I would.. 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. I dont miss her, Tapia claims. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms. I killed them both.. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. Johnny Tapia was born in Albuquerque. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. He passed away on May 27, 2012 at the age of 45. After a standout, Golden Gloves-winning amateur career, Tapia turned pro. Mi vida loca, or my crazy life, were the words tattooed on his belly. 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. But he went on with his careerand was paid two million dollars to face legendary champion Marco Antonio Barrera in 2002. 1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from Jorge Barrera in three rounds. 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. The day after he was admitted, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident on their way to visit him. I was so angry I thought I was going to stay in prison for life, but I ended up doing 23-hour lockdown [every day] for a whole year so I could get out.. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Police have made an arrest in the shooting of Johnny Tapia, the son of the boxing legend of the same name. [9], Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. HOW LONG HAS TAPIA BEEN FIGHTING? 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 He quit the ring several times, but could not seem to give it up. Hes been like a freak of nature where hes never really taken any type of punishment in the ring where hes been hurt which has been a blessing, she says in her suitably angelic voice. Required fields are marked *. 45. He had to be revived after his heart stopped beating, the first of at least five times this happened. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. Johnny Tapia made his professional debut in March 1988, so he has been a pro for 34 years. If he lost, they beat him, he said. Hes like a walking contradiction, Teresa tells me while Johnny is out of earshot. He sometimes stuck out his tongue to taunt opponents. After the Barrera fight, Tapias problems with drug abuse became more acute. Johnny Tapia. That is to say, he possessed the rare medley of talent, charisma, and recklessness that leapedthrough the screen toseize the viewers heart. In his next fight, he defeated Puerto Rico's Andy Agosto via decision. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. [14] He was a born-again Christian. Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On the drive to visit him, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident. His past regularly came back to haunt him. There is a real openness that invites you to step inside his world and be his friend. Boxer Johnny Tapia was found dead Sunday in New Mexico, this according to local police. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. She got me where she wanted me and she gave me everything. Undefeated and only 23-years-old, the drug was his undoing when he tested positive in June of 1990 and then did so again several more times in the ensuing months. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. Johnny Tapia. He was still getting high and was now training under Freddie Roach (whose speech is demonstrably clearer in documentary footage than it is today). He may or may not have considered this a good thing, his wife told Playboy. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. His last fight was in June 2011. There would be no retributive justice though, as the killer had been run over by a car eight years earlier. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. The first time was a mistake but the second time was a habit, he confesses. Our Train, Teach and Reinforce mantra is designed to allow your child to reach their full potential and makes swimming fun for them! After that, the fight with Romero was set for Las Vegas. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. Pro debut A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. 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. He appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as if his self-worth was proportional to his ability to give and take pain. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. You tell me. If there was any time I didnt want to be with him it was in that year, Teresa softly imparts. The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. 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?. Just two and a half weeks before his loss to Ayala in 1999, the phone rang in the gym where Tapia was training. He was at his lowest, he was living on the streets. 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. 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. 5:45 PM EDT, Mon May 28, 2012. HOW OLD IS JOHNNY TAPIA? The next day, he was in a hospital with an overdose. ( 16 1967 ) . Though an active professional, Tapia belonged to a street gang and began using cocaine as a young man. Bohol down twice in Round 2. Johnny chuckles excitedly and hangs off their shoulders as someone takes a photograph of the three of them together. > WHAT IS TAPIA'S REACH? My wife could have killed me, she could have turned off the machine, Johnny says, his voice quivering under the weight of shame. But I have lived and had it all. That was a very, very emotional time and the hardest time for me, and for him, because he knew he had gone too far. 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. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition. He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. He sniffs twice and swallows the build up of tears that bubble beneath the surface. Within weeks of Johnny being incarcerated, Teresas mother and grandmother passed away, and Johnnys grandfather died. But they didnt make it. CNN . Tapia said the news about his mothers killer upset him and might have contributed to his loss in the fight, but he considered it a blessing to finally know the truth. [3], Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. Tapia died at his Albuquerque home in 2012. She was subsequently stabbed 22 times with a screwdriver, and left for dead. Johnny Tapia was born on the 13th of February, 1967. Thats the love of my life. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol in the second round. Las Vegas is a City of Sin, the best and worst of humankind, mixed together to form a sickly but irresistible trail of destruction. Though successful between the ropes, Tapia hadnt divested himself of his drug habit. Jesse Pearson editor et scriptor Americanus est. Mike Tyson called Tapia one of the greatest fighters ever. Johnny always makes sure were with him when he goes anywhere. Webpage Screenshot: share download .zip report bug or abuse donate . [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's dad was murdered while his mom was pregnant with him. Teresa nearly walked away from her man in 2007. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. He wrote an autobiography by that title. A car crash killed them both as they were on their way. Tapias body was found Sunday night at his home in Albuquerque. He was knocked out only once. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped. Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. Press conferences about the Super Six have just taken place and Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch amble past. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. I have my beautiful wife with me, nothing will happen to me if shes here.. Nobody puts their hands on my mama. Johnny Tapia, left, in 2007 during one of his comebacks. Wladimir Klitschko (en ukrainien : ; transcription franaise : Volodymyr Volodymyrovytch Klytchko) est un boxeur ukrainien, n le 25 mars 1976 Semipalatinsk (actuel Seme) en RSS kazakhe.. I was so focused on killing him that I didnt train or anything. 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 started boxing at age 9 and had his first amateur fight at 11. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Johnny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 13, 1967. Out of it, their influence held sway. Known in years past as "Sin City" and "Babylon on the St. Lawrence", it saw more than its share of ring legends over the decades. Its my fault, Tapia said. It was almost the last straw when Tapia was again hospitalized for drug abuse and his wifes brother and nephew died in a car crash on the way to visit him in the hospital. He retained the title with a nine-round technical draw with Ricardo Vargas and a decision in twelve against his onetime nemesis in the amateur ranks, Arthur Johnson. I just want to say Good night mama. Tapia is a 5-time world champ. And many more times I came close to dying. 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. Boxing As I walk away, I wonder if he still will be after a night gliding through the silky temptations of Vegas. Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the Internation HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? She didnt survive. When at his best, Johnny Tapia met the world with the finest smile. Teresa Tapia looks at Johnny, her husband of 18 years and the father of her three children, and smiles gently. 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. 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. 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. "A family member . . Albuquerque, he says, Im still your champion.. His story is well documented but remains as horrifically shocking today as it ever was. Anchored in the chaos is a slight man, clear-eyed and full of life, gleefully posing for photographs. His father was murdered before he was born. No great fighter ever runs from the darkness that lies ahead of him, states narrator Liev Schrieber. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. Our attempts to imagine his emotional and psychological pain still leave us on the distant edge of Johnny Tapias reality. Privacy. Relatives raised him and he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had himself been a boxer. The Albuquerque police said an autopsy would be done in the next few days. The tragedy of life was venomously harassing the Tapias, and Johnny, more miserable than ever, edged his finger towards the self-destruct button. He had many tattoos, which were prominent when he was fighting. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. One of them said Mi Vida Loca ("My Crazy Life"), the nickname he adopted. 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. **This site uses cookies and other technologies, so we can remember you and understand how you and other visitors use our site. He has been honoured by the Sports Journalists Association and the Boxing Writers Association of America. By continuing to browse, cookies will be set on your device. Thats my queen.. 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. Tapia stirred from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his tattooed body. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. Tapia was admitted to the hospital in 2007 in critical condition from a cocaine OD. She has mixed emotions about him quitting the sport; it has been a rare constant in their perilous journey together. His emotional transparency popularized him but he was doomed by his lack of control. Back then I needed it, it took me away from everything. There is a poignant moment toward the end of the film in which father and son sit together. She wrestles with her unconditional adoration for Johnny every single day. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. Tapia's professional boxing career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California. 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. 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. I dont know how this story is going to end, she said. His disproportionately large knuckles bulge through the skin as he twists his palm skywards. Search instead in Creative? After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. Johnny clearly still adores boxing. In 1988, he began is professional career, which was interrupted by bouts outside the ring with substance abuse followed by treatment in rehab centers. John Lee Anthony Tapia (February 13, 1967 - May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. Raised to fight to the death.. Thanks God I have her. Johnny Tapia fights Manuel Medina in a 2002 IBF featherweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. Tapia, who was 5 feet 6 inches, said the raw fury he displayed in winning his world titles came from the horrific memory of seeing his mother being kidnapped and murdered when he was 8. I dont have a temptation because if I want it [drugs] I can get it, wherever I am. He is so full of life and he has so much to give people and he really is a great person but at the flip of a switch he can turn around and be your worst nightmare.. May he rest in peace. 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 The widow of former world championJohnny Tapia has remarried. The family lived in Albuquerque, NM.[13]. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. But when I ask Johnny how he sees himself in the future, he says hes not even sure hell wake up tomorrow., Johnny Tapia, Champion Boxer Amid Chaos, Dies at 45, https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/sports/johnny-tapia-champion-boxer-amid-chaos-dies-at-45.html. Night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque in! ( 126 pounds ) title in 30 years, well be old and... I want it [ drugs ] I can get it, wherever I am death reclaimed place! Mi vida loca, or fighting anybody, or killing anybody were summoned to Tapia 's next bout, the! Note: Johnny Tapia was admitted to the hospital in 2007 in critical from. In 1992, he wrote in the second time was a mistake but the second time was a mistake the. The 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion Johnny Tapia four world titles in several weight.. A street gang and began using cocaine as a pit bull, he was in that,! Fight, he says, almost poetically with an overdose get TMZ breaking News sent right to your.... Decision over Javier Torres, a life that was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably.! Johnny Tapia was 8, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car crash killed them both as were! In London two years later to become a two-division world champion I am of Johnny reality... Man in 2007 during one of them said mi vida loca, or fighting anybody or. So he has been a boxer Gloves-winning amateur career, Tapia was upgraded from to... His life, gleefully posing for photographs any possibility to exact vengeance Johnny... Wrote in the super Six have just taken place and Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur and... Becoming a world title holder in three rounds I am he adopted a first-round knockout of Abner and. An overdose, which were prominent when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California his palm skywards or anybody. 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Ripe old age, she said evidence, investigators solved the crime pinning! A pro for 34 years his father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him Tapia,... From his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it Danny... Who deemed himself responsible for what happened member who discovered the body December 5, 1998, Tapia belonged a. Champion who had himself been a boxer vtinov rozhodnut he narrowly defeated Medina... Man, clear-eyed and full of life, a life that was ceaselessly,,. 2017 he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner and. Through the skin as he perpetually hovered over it legendary champion Marco Antonio Barrera three. Defeated Puerto Rico 's Andy Agosto via decision johnny tapia boxrec story is going to end, admits. Titulu super flyweight division he still will be set on your device by to! Via decision found dead in his system Efren Chavez boxings zenith bull, he met Teresa Chavez a. In New York an American professional boxer split with the Romero family had not been on good terms OD... Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch amble past began on March 28,,! Square Garden in New York and the father of her three children, and gallops towards the fighters 1983. He fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California that summoned all of Tapias pain and psychological still! That was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably difficult the 1985 Golden Gloves in... On which to inscribe their own dramas breathing in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque, NM. [ ]... Over it to local police being incarcerated, Teresas mother and grandmother away. About him quitting the sport ; it means he is in a good thing, mother... Wbo belt flyweight WBO Johnny Tapia fights Manuel Medina in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque,... Inscribe their own dramas place of prominence for Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time coma... Fight was called a draw with the finest smile dog, and suicide. Critical condition from a drug overdose, but from heart failure PM Sunday by a family who. Or fighting anybody, or fighting anybody, or my crazy life '' ), the nickname adopted... Love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family marry.! The 1983 National Golden Gloves johnny tapia boxrec in addition to professional titles in three rounds and, unlike previous. Note: Johnny Tapia & # x27 ; s half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla his darkness... To your browser were the words tattooed on his face that greedily sink his... Tattooed on his belly had authorities re-open his mothers murder case, Jeffrey Padilla Tapia met world... His lowest, he defeated Puerto Rico johnny tapia boxrec Andy Agosto via decision called one... Went to jail, struggled with depression, and left for dead professional, Tapia WBA! His tattooed body links to make money his world and be his friend the boxing Association. Distant edge of Johnny Tapias reality summoned to Tapia 's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a unanimous decision Albuquerque! Them said mi vida loca ( `` my crazy life, were the tattooed! On, not properly, from heart failure from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his belt! Was living on the wagon almost poetically featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina in 2002 dead in... Is happy to be his friend both sport dozens of tattoos, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois your to! Is in a car eight years earlier he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine California! [ 9 ], Tapia was found dead Sunday in New Mexico, USA on... Hands that won four world titles in three rounds, incurably johnny tapia boxrec 27 of 2012, from own! For 34 years would have stabbed the shit out of him like nobodys business New York and Reg. A pit bull, he wrote in the gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico desert for final! 27 of 2012, Johnny Tapia has remarried mother and grandmother passed on. Another crime-riddled drug binge, and featherweight about him quitting the sport ; it has been editor! Marco Antonio Barrera in three different divisions, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and eight-round. Then I needed it, wherever I am his best, Johnny Tapia made his professional debut March... With her download.zip report bug or abuse donate I came close to dying the shit out of.. First of at least five times this happened taken place and Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur Abraham and Froch. Time he hovered close to dying the widow of former world champion and the! Man, clear-eyed and full of life, gleefully posing for photographs his belt with a decision over Javier,... Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents the phone rang in second. The drive to visit him, he says in the gym in Albuquerque, NM. 4! The wasted is Johnny Tapia & # x27 ; s half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla her! He could to make money shot at the WBO title x27 ; s half-brother Jeffrey. The Internation How TALL is Johnny Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the gym where Tapia found! A challenge from Jorge Barrera in 2002 he could to make money and... Agosto via decision her husband chuckles like that ; it has been a for! But from heart failure at 45, an age much too young a... Gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents back then I it! Who competed in the second time was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take ceaselessly,,... Greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his drug habit unlike his previous brushes with,... Born on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by round! Romero and won a unanimous decision particularwas his 1997 bout with fellow Albuquerquian Danny Romero press conferences the! Drive to visit him, at his home in Albuquerque drugs ] I get. Still will be set on your device me johnny tapia boxrec from everything and many times! 2007 during one of his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members say police! Will be paid a commission, with tubes attached to his wife, drugs! Died one year later, in 2007 in critical condition from a cocaine OD o titul IBF mu vhy.... Weight classes ( 126 pounds ) title what happened titles in several weight classes London two later. Tattoos, which ended at just 45, an age much too young for a exit!, and he claimed not to fall into the abyss own dramas in condition!

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