Yet again, Tapia was facing death. 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, a five time world champion, might be one of the greatest television fighters ever, a distinction he shares with fellow 90s legend Arturo Gatti. 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?. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. There would be no retributive justice though, as the killer had been run over by a car eight years earlier. 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. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. [15] After Tapia died in 2012, his widow briefly married his alleged half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla, in 2014. Did you encounter any technical issues? I have been famous and infamous. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round. 5:45 PM EDT, Mon May 28, 2012. 2023 Cable News Network. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. No longer a top boxer, Tapia returned to the ring several more times before his final fightin June, 2011, when, overweight and sporting the weathered face of someone ten years older, he won by knockout in Albuquerque. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Thats when I met him, she said. Its a constant fear, she admits about Tapias eternally perilous position on the wagon. A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. She opened the bathroom door and found Tapia with a needle in his arm. On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu by decision to become a two-division world champion. His disproportionately large knuckles bulge through the skin as he twists his palm skywards. [17] Tapia died of heart failure. But he went on with his careerand was paid two million dollars to face legendary champion Marco Antonio Barrera in 2002. All my goal is to see Johnny reach this ripe old age, she said. In a statement, Teresa Tapia said she decided thatmarryingPadilla would be best for the children, for a continuation of their sense of family. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. Mi vida loca, or my crazy life, were the words tattooed on his belly. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 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. It was my mistress and it would take me away nicely.. Miguel, an amateur boxing champion, taught him pugilistic skills. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms. On May 27, 2012, Tapia was found dead in his Albuquerque home. Id love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family. Tapia spent much of his adult life yearning to meet the man who destroyed her. [3], Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. But lacing the incessant promises not to rekindle his affair with his mistress is uncertainty and fear that hell stray again. AboutPressCopyrightContact. A car crash killed them both as they were on their way. Both sport dozens of tattoos, having used their skin as parchment on which to inscribe their own dramas. 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. Foul play is not suspected; an autopsy and toxicology tests will be carried out, Gibbs said. Jesse Pearson editor et scriptor Americanus est. Teresa nearly walked away from her man in 2007. I hurt, Im old, Im done, he says, almost poetically. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. 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. He leaps up, like a puppy dog, and gallops towards the fighters. By then, a heated rivalry was cooking up between him and IBF champion Danny Romero. 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 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. There is a real openness that invites you to step inside his world and be his friend. Montreal is The Fight City. Five days later the Albuquerque Police claimed they found cocaine after the fight in a bag carried by Tapia. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." He is easily distracted as we all sit together deep inside the mysterious green labyrinth that is the MGM Grand. Discovery Company. HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? By continuing to browse, cookies will be set on your device. 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.. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. 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 . Thanks God I have her. I wanted to get him and stab him the same way he did my mom. Las Vegas is a City of Sin, the best and worst of humankind, mixed together to form a sickly but irresistible trail of destruction. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. John Lee Anthony Tapia was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. Johnny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 13, 1967. CNN . 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. 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. His smile guarantees reciprocation, his handshake is to a hug what a caterpillar is to a butterfly. Privacy. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.[4]. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. When at his best, Johnny Tapia met the world with the finest smile. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina. That is to say, he possessed the rare medley of talent, charisma, and recklessness that leapedthrough the screen toseize the viewers heart. Though boxing would provide no more thrills, there was a surprising development in his life. 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. The widow of former world championJohnny Tapia has remarried. His first pro fight was in 1988. Tapia is 5' 6" (5 Foot and 6 inch) which is 168 cm (1 meter and 68 centimeters). 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. He wrote an autobiography by that title. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. 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. My wife could have killed me, she could have turned off the machine, Johnny says, his voice quivering under the weight of shame. 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. [9], Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. He left the title vacant so he could face Lineal & The Ring champion Marco Antonio Barrera, who beat Tapia by unanimous decision. Webpage Screenshot: share download .zip report bug or abuse donate . The fight took place on July 18. 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 clinically dead as a result of drug overdoses, was found dead at his home in Albuquerque on Sunday. 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. Updated Less than a year after his mothers death, he recounted, his uncles were making him fight older boys in matches they bet on. 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. Highlights of Johnny Tapia's best combinations & knockouts.Johnny Tapia - Was an American professional boxer and a five-time world champion at super flyweigh. Its always fear, always, definitely, and he sees it too, hell see the look on my face.. I mean, Ill take him until 80 or 90 years old.. He was knocked out only once. Though an active professional, Tapia belonged to a street gang and began using cocaine as a young man. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. Tapia said he thought his tattoos of angels kept him from passing into the next world. My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. Showing Editorial results for johnny tapia. 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. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped. Johnny chuckles excitedly and hangs off their shoulders as someone takes a photograph of the three of them together. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. . Thats the love of my life. 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. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. From the age of eight, he has wanted to die. In boxing, Tapias aggression was rewarded; on the street it brought him to the edge of death. And when Tapia was 8, his mother was kidnapped, raped and hanged. Nobody puts their hands on my mama. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. I couldnt get to the guy to kill him, Johnny offers as the main reason for his perennial agony. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. I dont miss her, Tapia claims. He may or may not have considered this a good thing, his wife told Playboy. 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. [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]. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque. Realizing his habits, she at first resisted. He knows it will be the end of his marriage if that happens. 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. Boxing, he tells the camera, saved my life., Your email address will not be published. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. He experienced frequent relapses over the next few years and several overdoses. 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.. from host boxrec.com from host www.boxrec.com: Linked from: fr.wikipedia.org Johnny Tapia. Its like a safety net he has for himself; he wants everybody around whos positive and who wont do anything wrong. Tapia started boxing at age 9 and had his first amateur fight at 11. Mike Tyson called Tapia one of the greatest fighters ever. 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 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. On May 27 of 2012, Johnny Tapia was found dead. His story is well documented but remains as horrifically shocking today as it ever was. If I didnt have her Id be dead in a heartbeat.. 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. But he insists the best of him is still to come, writes Declan Taylor. Blanco lost one point in round nine for low blows. Cops say the death does not appear suspicious, but an official cause has not been determined. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. He was born on Feb. 13, 1967, so he will turn 46 in -10 month and -11 day. Required fields are marked *. The tragedy of life was venomously harassing the Tapias, and Johnny, more miserable than ever, edged his finger towards the self-destruct button. To make money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a gun. 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. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. 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 Four times I was declared dead. 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.. Tapia is a 5-time world champ. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. Teresa Tapia looks at Johnny, her husband of 18 years and the father of her three children, and smiles gently. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. She got me where she wanted me and she gave me everything. I killed them both.. Back quickly after that, he was given a shot at the WBO title. Tapia stirred from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his tattooed body. The lines on his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his misery. That was his life.. 1967213 () . Ive got a good wife. 45. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision. 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. If there was any time I didnt want to be with him it was in that year, Teresa softly imparts. Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 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. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. Back then I needed it, it took me away from everything. I just want to say Good night mama. I dont know how this story is going to end, she said. The investigation had been reopened at the behest of Tapias wife. 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. Tapia won his first 22 professional fights, then was suspended from boxing after failing three drug tests. I dont have a temptation because if I want it [drugs] I can get it, wherever I am. Tapias body was found Sunday night at his home in Albuquerque. He also remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down. HOW LONG HAS TAPIA BEEN FIGHTING? Five-time WBO world champion who had a record of 59-5-2. Johnny always makes sure were with him when he goes anywhere. As a wife, as a woman, Ive learnt theres good and bad in everyone and you have to accept them. 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Well be old together and surrounded by family because if i didnt have id... Stung Johnny 9 and had his first amateur fight at 11 WBO world champion had!
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