He experienced frequent relapses over the next few years and several overdoses. Their marriage lurched wildly up and down, as Mrs. Tapia struggled to provide stability. I killed them both.. The torment threatens to break his voice but he manages to resist. That is to say, he possessed the rare medley of talent, charisma, and recklessness that leaped through the screen to seize the viewer's heart. The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. 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. As the needle sank into his arm and loaded his veins with toxins, Tapia drifted into a coma. When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. Albuquerque, he says, Im still your champion.. With no father to watch over him, Tapia lived with his grandparents. The intoxicant was perhaps the only thing capable of ordering his thoughts. Tapia was married to Teresa Tapia in 1994 and had three boys. Johnny Tapia had an incredibly tragic early life, the details of which are difficult to transcribe, to say nothing of experiencing them firsthand. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. Am I lucky or unlucky?. Tapia turned to drugs in 1988, 11 years before he lost to Ayala. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. He was famous for being a Boxer. To make money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a gun. 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. She has mixed emotions about him quitting the sport; it has been a rare constant in their perilous journey together. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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 . 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. This is the documentarys most triumphant moment, and it was probably the apex of Johnny Tapias career. Johnny always makes sure were with him when he goes anywhere. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. He was at his lowest, he was living on the streets. For Tapia, it was cocaine. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol in the second round. [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]. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. Johnny Tapia was born in Albuquerque. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. With tragic irony, it was his heartwhich had never once let him down inside the ringthat failed him. 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. "I was offered a fight against Johnny Tapia (which took place on June 26 of that year) and I was super-excited considering I was called over six months after the loss," Ayala told BoxingScene. He won a unanimous decision. A metropolis where hundreds of young warriors train and battle each day in its many gyms, it is where Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Bernard Hopkins all found greatness. [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]. Press conferences about the Super Six have just taken place and Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch amble past. Tapia won by unanimous decision (UD). He has also written about boxing for The Guardian and the Daily Mirror and has been used by the BBC, Sky Sports, BT Sport, HBO Boxing and Talk Sport as a boxing analyst. After two more wins, he gave Willy Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. Boxersk rekord pro Arthura Johnsona z BoxRec; Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; . And when Tapia was 8, his mother was kidnapped, raped and hanged. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body. 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 couldnt get to the guy to kill him, Johnny offers as the main reason for his perennial agony. [3], Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. A family member came home, found him deceased and called us, Officer Robert Gibbs, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, police spokesman, said Monday. 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.. Fortunately, he was allowed to resume his career in 1994. HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? Johnnylost again and this would be the final time he hovered close to boxings zenith. In May 2011 Matt Christie stumbled across Johnny Tapia in Las Vegas and discovered a twisted and tragic love story that was destined for trouble from the start, Chris Eubank Jnr vs. Conor Benn is officially OFF, Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn: The story of a grim day for British boxing, Chris Eubank Jnr says there was no phone call with Conor Benn, but does expect their fight to still go ahead. Everybody has their faults, I have them, and I could move on and find somebody else, and you know, they might not have an addiction but how do I know they wont be a womaniser, they wont be an abuser? His disproportionately large knuckles bulge through the skin as he twists his palm skywards. Teresa Tapia looks at Johnny, her husband of 18 years and the father of her three children, and smiles gently. Johnnys bout ended in a draw by majority decision (MD). Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. But despite his early success, his life was anything but ordered, as he escaped the streets only when physically in the ring. Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Out of it, their influence held sway. 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) A car crash killed them both as they were on their way. A Warner Bros. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. In a performance that summoned all of his skill, showmanship and gall, Tapia outfought and outlasted Romero and won a unanimous decision. No great fighter ever runs from the darkness that lies ahead of him, states narrator Liev Schrieber. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. In 1996, he fought six more times, keeping his undefeated record and defending the title five additional times during that period, which included wins against Giovanni Andrade, Ivan Alvarez, future champion Hugo Rafael Soto, Sammy Stewart and Adonis Cruz. She was subsequently stabbed 22 times with a screwdriver, and left for dead. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. After three and a half years away from the ring, he returned to win five fights before defeating Henry Martinez to win the world super flyweight title (115-pound limit). Mi vida loca, or my crazy life, were the words tattooed on his belly. Miguel, an amateur boxing champion, taught him pugilistic skills. My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. Thats when I met him, she said. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. 2023 Cable News Network. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. V roce 1998 bojoval s Markem Johnsonem o titul IBF mu vhy, . After the Barrera fight, Tapias problems with drug abuse became more acute. According to Johnny, his grandfather was a rugged, tough, macho man and his influence resonated with his grandson, who quickly gained a reputation as a fearsome street fighter. All my goal is to see Johnny reach this ripe old age, she said. *Links to streaming, pay-per-view or ticketing platforms provided on this page, if any, are affiliate links. 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. In boxing, Tapias aggression was rewarded; on the street it brought him to the edge of death. That was a very, very emotional time and the hardest time for me, and for him, because he knew he had gone too far. [17] Tapia died of heart failure. [14] He was a born-again Christian. Tapia eventually took these skills to the ring, where he showed himself equally proficient at regulated combat. Teresa loves it when her husband chuckles like that; it means he is in a good place. 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. Foul play is not suspected. You tell me. In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. Boxing Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, U.S. Bally's Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. La Mancha Athletic Club, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Convention Center, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Centre Plaza Holiday Inn, Fresno, California, U.S. world championships in three weight classes, Albuquerque Hosts National Golden Gloves Tournament, "Johnny Tapia Fails Drug Test in Rehab - Boxing News", "Tapia to fight Julio in New Mexico, then retire - boxing - ESPN", "Five-time world champion in serious condition - boxing - ESPN", "Boxer Johnny Tapia's brother-in-law dies in wreck: Local: Albuquerque Tribune", "Fightnews New Mexico Boxing.com - Fight Results", "Five-time champ Tapia to remain in rehab after testing positive for drugs", "Man who claimed to be Johnny Tapia's father will pay thousands for fraud", "DNA test results rule out Padilla as father of late boxer Tapia", "Johnny Tapia, Champion Boxer Amid Chaos, Dies at 45", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Tapia&oldid=1117030003, International Boxing Federation champions, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 October 2022, at 15:29. For Teresa, it was Johnny. One of them said Mi Vida Loca ("My Crazy Life"), the nickname he adopted. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round. He was knocked out only once. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. She couldnt leave him. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. 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. I dont want it and theres the difference. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. Thus, death reclaimed its place of prominence for Tapia, who deemed himself responsible for what happened. 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 2010, at age 43, Tapia learned that apparently, his father was alive. He worked as producer of KOTV from 2006 until he joined Boxing News in 2010. Using DNA evidence, investigators solved the crime, pinning it on the last man to have been seen with her. Teresas brother Robert Gutierrez who worked Johnnys corner and his son a young boxer about to turn pro rushed to the hospital to be by Tapias side. It is said he was declared clinically dead five times in his life, a life that was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably difficult. 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. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. 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. Johnny Tapia. He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. On the drive to visit him, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident. Johnny Tapia was born on the 13th of February, 1967. Tapias father had vanished before he was born, and Tapia had thought he was dead until he turned up in 2010 after being released from a federal penitentiary and DNA tests confirmed his paternity. But lacing the incessant promises not to rekindle his affair with his mistress is uncertainty and fear that hell stray again. 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