But they didnt make it. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve-round decision, adding the IBF title to his WBO belt. 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. [3], Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. Ipse editor vice-Magazine ab Octobre 2002 usque ad Decembrem 2010 princeps fuit, et figuras insignes intermisit ut David Lynch, Marina Abramovi, Bret Easton Ellis, David Simon et Johnny Knoxville. But I have lived and had it all. Benitez first won the 140-pound WBA light-welterweight title from Antonio Cervantes on March 6, 1976, at the age of 17. Required fields are marked *. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. Bohol down twice in Round 2. He was still getting high and was now training under Freddie Roach (whose speech is demonstrably clearer in documentary footage than it is today). It is when she cant see him that she worries. Johnny Tapia was born in Albuquerque. Tapia's heart simply stopped beating and, unlike his previous brushes with death, this one was for real. But he insists the best of him is still to come, writes Declan Taylor. 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. He said he saw every opponent as his mothers killer. His last fight was in June 2011. 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. Nobody puts their hands on my mama. His past regularly came back to haunt him. Four times I was declared dead. 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. But he went on with his careerand was paid two million dollars to face legendary champion Marco Antonio Barrera in 2002. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. The next day, he was in a hospital with an overdose. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. Boxing, he tells the camera, saved my life., Your email address will not be published. Tapia is a 5-time world champ. It was my mistress and it would take me away nicely.. Hes like a walking contradiction, Teresa tells me while Johnny is out of earshot. She opened the bathroom door and found Tapia with a needle in his arm. She survives him, along with their three children. He appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as if his self-worth was proportional to his ability to give and take pain. I dont know how this story is going to end, she said. 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. Pro debut A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. She is happy to be his side, observing and listening. johnny tapia boxrec - At johnny tapia boxrec we like to say " There is no fun like fun in the waterOur mission is to turn your little ones into professional-level swimmers. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." Johnny Tapia died, for the final time, of heart failure at 45, an age much too young for a final exit. Tapia claimed two Golden Gloves awards in addition to professional titles in several weight classes. His emotional transparency popularized him but he was doomed by his lack of control. A Warner Bros. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped. She got me where she wanted me and she gave me everything. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision. Their marriage lurched wildly up and down, as Mrs. Tapia struggled to provide stability. Never again did he fight for a world title. 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 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 Tapia's next bout, for the IBF featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. In 1988, he began is professional career, which was interrupted by bouts outside the ring with substance abuse followed by treatment in rehab centers. . His story is well documented but remains as horrifically shocking today as it ever was. HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. He has been honoured by the Sports Journalists Association and the Boxing Writers Association of America. 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. His first pro fight was in 1988. Johnnylost again and this would be the final time he hovered close to boxings zenith. Ive got a good wife. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. Or stabbing anybody, or fighting anybody, or killing anybody? He has so much knowledge and hes training fighters and hes doing some really awesome work with them. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. From the age of eight, he has wanted to die. Tapia's body is found at his home on Sunday night. Foul play is not suspected; an autopsy and toxicology tests will be carried out, Gibbs said. [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]. None of it occurred on Teresas watch. 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. If there was any time I didnt want to be with him it was in that year, Teresa softly imparts. Five-time WBO world champion who had a record of 59-5-2. He also remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family. Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. BLEACHED smiles and engineered chests bounce past beggars slurring their way through rehearsed pleas for money. 45. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. Webpage Screenshot: share download .zip report bug or abuse donate . Thats when I met him, she said. He experienced frequent relapses over the next few years and several overdoses. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. 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. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.Tapia had an outstanding amateur career, winning the 1983 New Mexico State Golden Gloves, the 1983 and 1985 National Golden Gloves tournaments at light flyweight and flyweight, respectively.Tapia's professional boxing career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California. As a wife, as a woman, Ive learnt theres good and bad in everyone and you have to accept them. He is easily distracted as we all sit together deep inside the mysterious green labyrinth that is the MGM Grand. 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. The intoxicant was perhaps the only thing capable of ordering his thoughts. 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. 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? 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. He had to be revived after his heart stopped beating, the first of at least five times this happened. 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. Johnny Tapia had an incredibly tragic early life, the details of which are difficult to transcribe, to say nothing of experiencing them firsthand. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. 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. [17] Tapia died of heart failure. She was 32 years old, and from that unthinkable day, Johnny pledged that he would not live beyond that age. I have been famous and infamous. Showing Editorial results for johnny tapia. 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. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10. 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. Champinon.info 2018-2023. As the needle sank into his arm and loaded his veins with toxins, Tapia drifted into a coma. 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. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. Speaking to the press at his gym in the wake of his. 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. Seven years later Johnny was on a bus that crashed, killing the pregnant woman who sat alongside him. 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. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. On February 11, 2009, Tapia was taken into custody in Albuquerque for a violation of parole related to cocaine use. 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) He was famous for being a Boxer. [9], Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. Though successful between the ropes, Tapia hadnt divested himself of his drug habit. 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. 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. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. He held the WBO Super Flyweight Championship from October 12, 1994 to December 5, 1998. My wife could have killed me, she could have turned off the machine, Johnny says, his voice quivering under the weight of shame. Id love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. He suffers from bipolar disorder and it makes it very difficult the highs are very high and the lows are very low. I tried to find him, right before the Paulie Ayala fight. He passed away on May 27, 2012 at the age of 45. And many more times I came close to dying. At the end of the film he is at a local radio station, accompanying one of his young fighters to promote an upcoming card. He was brought up by his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. Johnny Tapia made his professional debut in March 1988, so he has been a pro for 34 years. 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. The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. The widow of former world championJohnny Tapia has remarried. But despite his early success, his life was anything but ordered, as he escaped the streets only when physically in the ring. He won 59 fights, 30 by knockout; lost 5; and drew 2. 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." On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu by decision to become a two-division world champion. Teresa reaches over and squeezes the hands that won four world titles in three divisions super-flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight. The tragedy of life was venomously harassing the Tapias, and Johnny, more miserable than ever, edged his finger towards the self-destruct button. I dont miss her, Tapia claims. On April 15, 2005, he sustained an injury to his left eye, but was able to continue and win a repeat match-up with Frankie Archuleta. 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. 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. 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. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. Miguel, an amateur boxing champion, taught him pugilistic skills. This is perhaps the documentarys most poignant moment. 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. According to the criminal complaint, Tapia was on his motorcycle. Teresa loves it when her husband chuckles like that; it means he is in a good place. Johnny Tapia, left, in 2007 during one of his comebacks. A family member came home, found him deceased and called us, Officer Robert Gibbs, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, police spokesman, said Monday. The family lived in Albuquerque, NM.[13]. Talking to Tapia, the little boy lost who craves his dear mother, its impossible not to root for him. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms. Teresa was waiting for him when he was released. Johnny Tapia fights Manuel Medina in a 2002 IBF featherweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Johnny Tapia. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. 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. HOW OLD IS JOHNNY TAPIA? 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. Johnny heard her screams as she was taken away, chained to a pickup truck, but his cries for help were ignored. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition. 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. If a human being is a vessel of emotions, Tapia was a powder keg, perpetually on the verge of implosion. Back quickly after that, he was given a shot at the WBO title. I have been wealthy and lost it all. Thats my queen.. Tapia won by unanimous decision (UD). Johnny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 13, 1967. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. He reached 45 before his. In 1992, he met Teresa Chavez at a party and was determined to marry her. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. He took the wedding cash and dumped her in a cheap hotel. 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. [14] He was a born-again Christian. Highlights of Johnny Tapia's best combinations & knockouts.Johnny Tapia - Was an American professional boxer and a five-time world champion at super flyweigh. Press conferences about the Super Six have just taken place and Tapias eyes twitch as Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch amble past. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque. [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. Tapia beat Jorge Alberto Reyes by a knockout in the 4th round on March 6, 2010, at the Ohkay Casino, San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, United States, in front of a sold-out crowd. His laughter is curly and instantly infectious. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. But happiness is a daily grind for Tapia. 2012527 () . He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. Tapia's dad was murdered while his mom was pregnant with him. There is a real openness that invites you to step inside his world and be his friend. 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. If I could take that all back I would.. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. Then I outlived her after I said I wouldnt. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Police have made an arrest in the shooting of Johnny Tapia, the son of the boxing legend of the same name. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Johnnys bout ended in a draw by majority decision (MD). His wife somehow stayed. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. Johnny Tapia lands a punch against Antonio Ruiz during the fight at the Olympic Auditorium, in May 5,1994 in Los Angeles, California. 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. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. It is said he was declared clinically dead five times in his life, a life that was ceaselessly, stubbornly, incurably difficult. A police officer told him that his mothers killing had been solved. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. I killed them both.. It wasnt okay and he would never be able to make up for that.. The investigation had been reopened at the behest of Tapias wife. 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. 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 . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Not from a drug overdose, but from heart failure. When he trains she follows him, at his request, to the gym in Albuquerque. Thus, death reclaimed its place of prominence for Tapia, who deemed himself responsible for what happened. This is the documentarys most triumphant moment, and it was probably the apex of Johnny Tapias career. I mean, Ill take him until 80 or 90 years old.. Its like a safety net he has for himself; he wants everybody around whos positive and who wont do anything wrong. He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. 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. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. Its my fault, Tapia said. Johnny Tapia. Investigators said there were no indications of a drug overdose or alcohol use but that the 45-year-old former fighter likely developed medical complications from past illegal drug use. I would have, believe me, if I could have had him in front of me. Larry Merchant, the boxing analyst, told Playboy in 2004 that Tapia was a five-to-one underdog to survive his own childhood.. After the Barrera fight, Tapias problems with drug abuse became more acute. When Johnny was only eight-years-old, his mother and only parent was raped and murdered at the age of 33, stabbed 22 times with an ice pick and left to die on the side of the road. NOTE: Johnny Tapia died one year later, in May 2012, from heart failure. 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. Wladimir Klitschko (en ukrainien : ; transcription franaise : Volodymyr Volodymyrovytch Klytchko) est un boxeur ukrainien, n le 25 mars 1976 Semipalatinsk (actuel Seme) en RSS kazakhe.. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. I have a reputation, I can just make a phone call. He was at his lowest, he was living on the streets. Johnny clearly still adores boxing. By then, a heated rivalry was cooking up between him and IBF champion Danny Romero. from host boxrec.com from host www.boxrec.com: Linked from: fr.wikipedia.org Johnny Tapia. Cocaine became my mistress. Tapia stirred from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his tattooed body. Though boxing would provide no more thrills, there was a surprising development in his life. 1967213 () . It was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. During this time, Tapias wife, Teresa, had authorities re-open his mothers murder case. No great fighter ever runs from the darkness that lies ahead of him, states narrator Liev Schrieber. He was 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. NOTE: Johnny Tapia died one year later, in May 2012, from heart failure. John Lee Anthony Tapia was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. 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. Johnny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 13, 1967. Deemed himself responsible for what happened together deep inside the mysterious green labyrinth is... Struggled with depression, and featherweight PM Sunday by a unanimous twelve-round,. 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