There is a real openness that invites you to step inside his world and be his friend. Updated The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. On October 12, 1994 Johnny Tapia became the WBO super flyweight champion in a fight for the vacant title. . > He quit the ring several times, but could not seem to give it up. Boxersk rekord pro Arthura Johnsona z BoxRec; Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; . World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, vacant World Boxing Organisation World Super Flyweight Title, Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. After the Barrera fight, Tapias problems with drug abuse became more acute. On May 27, 2012, Tapia was found dead in his Albuquerque home. 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. For Teresa, it was Johnny. 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. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol in the second round. Mike Tyson called Tapia one of the greatest fighters ever. Data may be incomplete and inaccurate. 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. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. His life was marked by tragedy. It was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take. Montreal is The Fight City. Teofimo Lopez v Pedro Campa | Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin: How to stream,full fight card. 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. But lacing the incessant promises not to rekindle his affair with his mistress is uncertainty and fear that hell stray again. Thats when I met him, she said. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. Both sport dozens of tattoos, having used their skin as parchment on which to inscribe their own dramas. He sniffs twice and swallows the build up of tears that bubble beneath the surface. He was knocked out only once. However, his career came to a halt for the next three and a half years after being suspended from boxing for testing positive for cocaine.[6]. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 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. From the age of eight, he has wanted to die. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Montreal is The Fight City. His story is well documented but remains as horrifically shocking today as it ever was. She is happy to be his side, observing and listening. But I have lived and had it all. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital. Though an active professional, Tapia belonged to a street gang and began using cocaine as a young man. Tapia was admitted to the hospital in 2007 in critical condition from a cocaine OD. I felt like my brothers life had been sacrificed for him because, again, everyone was always around Johnny, always there for him and his addiction never ended. Johnny Tapia. CNN . 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]. Johnny Tapia. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. Boxing 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 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. His disproportionately large knuckles bulge through the skin as he twists his palm skywards. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. Required fields are marked *. He did everything illegal that he could to make money. Tapia said he thought his tattoos of angels kept him from passing into the next world. She was subsequently stabbed 22 times with a screwdriver, and left for dead. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." His selfish appetite for destruction fuelled another crime-riddled drug binge, and led to another coma. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. 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. He has been honoured by the Sports Journalists Association and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Just two and a half weeks before his loss to Ayala in 1999, the phone rang in the gym where Tapia was training. You tell me. Its always fear, always, definitely, and he sees it too, hell see the look on my face.. Its my fault, Tapia said. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. She has mixed emotions about him quitting the sport; it has been a rare constant in their perilous journey together. I dont know how this story is going to end, she said. He reached 45 before his. Five times I was a world champion. Her killing would not be solved for almost 25 years. Tapia is 5' 6" (5 Foot and 6 inch) which is 168 cm (1 meter and 68 centimeters). His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. A car crash killed them both as they were on their way. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. Las Vegas is a City of Sin, the best and worst of humankind, mixed together to form a sickly but irresistible trail of destruction. 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. That is to say, he possessed the rare medley of talent, charisma, and recklessness that leapedthrough the screen toseize the viewers heart. If you change your mind, go to Notifications in the menu to enable browser notifications. And many more times I came close to dying. 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. His father was murdered before he was born. She didnt survive. A Warner Bros. Your email address will not be published. John Lee Anthony Tapia[2] (February 13, 1967 May 27, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2011. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. 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. Id love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family. Tapia turned to drugs in 1988, 11 years before he lost to Ayala. But they didnt make it. 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. 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. 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 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 is a 5-time world champ. 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. 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. *Links to streaming, pay-per-view or ticketing platforms provided on this page, if any, are affiliate links. 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. It is a city of fights and fighters, of hockey and heroes, of broken dreams and immortal glory, a city unlike any other. 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. Tapia's dad was murdered while his mom was pregnant with him. Bohol down twice in Round 2. 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. He left the title vacant so he could face Lineal & The Ring champion Marco Antonio Barrera, who beat Tapia by unanimous decision. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve-round decision, adding the IBF title to his WBO belt. Tapia won his first 22 professional fights, then was suspended from boxing after failing three drug tests. V roce 1998 bojoval s Markem Johnsonem o titul IBF mu vhy, . He was born on Feb. 13, 1967, so he will turn 46 in -10 month and -11 day. If I didnt have her Id be dead in a heartbeat.. His first pro fight was in 1988. 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. 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. I killed them both.. The bout was being promoted as The Final Fury and Tapia promised he would win. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. 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. Two controversial defeats to Paulie Ayala introduced a new dimension to his experience as a professional, that of losing, and it didnt sit well with Tapia, who felt he was robbed in both fights. Then I outlived her after I said I wouldnt. He appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as if his self-worth was proportional to his ability to give and take pain. He became a two time world bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. The lines on his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his misery. He had to be revived after his heart stopped beating, the first of at least five times this happened. Five-time WBO world champion who had a record of 59-5-2. No great fighter ever runs from the darkness that lies ahead of him, states narrator Liev Schrieber. When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Johnny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, on February 13, 1967. 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? The indelible writing has always been on the wall for this twisted love story. It was my mistress and it would take me away nicely.. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. He also remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down. Privacy. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Thats the love of my life. Ive never said this to anybody, I dont want it no more. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. His past regularly came back to haunt him. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. As the needle sank into his arm and loaded his veins with toxins, Tapia drifted into a coma. Raised to fight to the death.. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. Hes like a walking contradiction, Teresa tells me while Johnny is out of earshot. He leaps up, like a puppy dog, and gallops towards the fighters. I wanted to get him and stab him the same way he did my mom. Discovery Company. Champinon.info 2018-2023. Thanks God I have her. Johnny always makes sure were with him when he goes anywhere. His last fight was in June 2011. Ive got a good wife. She was 32 years old, and from that unthinkable day, Johnny pledged that he would not live beyond that age. Search instead in Creative? My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. 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). 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. After a standout, Golden Gloves-winning amateur career, Tapia turned pro. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. 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. 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