When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. 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. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. It was a cruel blow for wife Terese to take. Boxing, he tells the camera, saved my life., Your email address will not be published. The 45-year-old has been clean for over two years now, since being released from prison and embarking on a comeback. An explosive combination puncher who backed up his suicidal tendencies with athleticism, he repeatedly waged all-out war in the ring and punctuated each miraculous victory with his trademark back-flip. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. He was still getting high and was now training under Freddie Roach (whose speech is demonstrably clearer in documentary footage than it is today). But they didnt make it. 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. You tell me. The fight took place on July 18. He took the wedding cash and dumped her in a cheap hotel. But lacing the incessant promises not to rekindle his affair with his mistress is uncertainty and fear that hell stray again. Tapia's professional boxing career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, California. Updated I would have, believe me, if I could have had him in front of me. Later that year, Tapia tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose and required hospitalization. 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. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. And when Tapia was 8, his mother was kidnapped, raped and hanged. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. 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. 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 had an incredibly tragic early life, the details of which are difficult to transcribe, to say nothing of experiencing them firsthand. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Tapia spent much of his adult life yearning to meet the man who destroyed her. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. I wanted to get him and stab him the same way he did my mom. The investigation had been reopened at the behest of Tapias wife. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. 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.. This is the documentarys most triumphant moment, and it was probably the apex of Johnny Tapias career. Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. 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 He says in the film: I would have stabbed the shit out of him like nobodys business. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. In his next fight, he defeated Puerto Rico's Andy Agosto via decision. *Links to streaming, pay-per-view or ticketing platforms provided on this page, if any, are affiliate links. Tapia was married to Teresa Tapia in 1994 and had three boys. 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. May he rest in peace. CNN . Nobody puts their hands on my mama. Teofimo Lopez v Pedro Campa | Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin: How to stream,full fight card. Privacy. 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. The torment threatens to break his voice but he manages to resist. His disproportionately large knuckles bulge through the skin as he twists his palm skywards. 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. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. He won a unanimous decision. > Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital. 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 down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. [15] After Tapia died in 2012, his widow briefly married his alleged half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla, in 2014. Out of it, their influence held sway. The indelible writing has always been on the wall for this twisted love story. 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. He was 45 years old. 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. As a wife, as a woman, Ive learnt theres good and bad in everyone and you have to accept them. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. 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. 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. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Johnny Tapia made his professional debut in March 1988, so he has been a pro for 34 years. In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson. His left jab was punishing, and he claimed not to mind being hit. Browse 210 johnny tapia stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. And many more times I came close to dying. After a standout, Golden Gloves-winning amateur career, Tapia turned pro. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. If a human being is a vessel of emotions, Tapia was a powder keg, perpetually on the verge of implosion. Teresa was waiting for him when he was released. Still undefeated after 18 more bouts, he beat Nana Konadu to win the bantamweight title (118 pounds) and become a two-division world champion. That was his life.. He was 45. One of them said Mi Vida Loca ("My Crazy Life"), the nickname he adopted. He sometimes stuck out his tongue to taunt opponents. John Lee Tapia: sex: male alias: Mi Vida Loca: nationality: USA stance: orthodox: height: 5 6 / 168cm: reach: 65 / 165cm: residence: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: birth place: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA 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. For Teresa, it was Johnny. 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. My moms death kills me every day, Tapia whispers. 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?. Mi vida loca, or my crazy life, were the words tattooed on his belly. 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. Thats the love of my life. Mike Tyson called Tapia one of the greatest fighters ever. Her killing would not be solved for almost 25 years. On October 12, 1994 Johnny Tapia became the WBO super flyweight champion in a fight for the vacant title. 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. [9], Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. It is when she cant see him that she worries. 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. The camera switches from footage of his euphoric celebration to that of a shirtless, paunchy Tapia, sitting in a shabby room where he watches the replay as a grizzled 45-year-old. He appeared to revel in hostility and combat, as if his self-worth was proportional to his ability to give and take pain. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. His father was murdered before he was born. He experienced frequent relapses over the next few years and several overdoses. He has so much knowledge and hes training fighters and hes doing some really awesome work with them. There is a poignant moment toward the end of the film in which father and son sit together. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. Tapia's dad was murdered while his mom was pregnant with him. Our attempts to imagine his emotional and psychological pain still leave us on the distant edge of Johnny Tapias reality. 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 worked as producer of KOTV from 2006 until he joined
Boxing News in 2010. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. [3], Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Mexican American parents. The day after he was admitted, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident on their way to visit him. Required fields are marked *. In 2017 he won the Sam Kellerman Media Award in New York and The Reg Gutteridge Annual Award in London two years later. Ive never said this to anybody, I dont want it no more. At 38, Tapia faced little-known Sandro Marcos in Chicago. In a statement, Teresa Tapia said she decided thatmarryingPadilla would be best for the children, for a continuation of their sense of family. Five days later the Albuquerque Police claimed they found cocaine after the fight in a bag carried by Tapia. HBOs Tapia begins with an overhead shot of the New Mexico desert. 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. V roce 1998 bojoval s Markem Johnsonem o titul IBF mu vhy, . 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]. 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. 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. I mean, Ill take him until 80 or 90 years old.. It wasnt okay and he would never be able to make up for that.. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. Johnny Tapia fights Manuel Medina in a 2002 IBF featherweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden in New York. Id love to think that in 30 years, well be old together and surrounded by family. He said he saw every opponent as his mothers killer. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina. On May 27 of 2012, Johnny Tapia was found dead. Johnnys bout ended in a draw by majority decision (MD). He was brought up by his grandfather Miguel with eight other family members in a three-bedroom house in Albuquerque. Thats when I met him, she said. . Tapia was banned from boxing for three years and he describes his suspension as one of the lowest times in his life. Highlights of Johnny Tapia's best combinations & knockouts.Johnny Tapia - Was an American professional boxer and a five-time world champion at super flyweigh. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. 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. He reached 45 before his. 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. Johnny Tapia was born in Albuquerque. But I found out hed been killed, hed been run over twice. 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 . Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body. 5:45 PM EDT, Mon May 28, 2012. Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Thanks God I have her. 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. While the Martinez title-winning fight might be his greatest moment, there were other notable wins. He has been the editor of
Boxing News since 2015. 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 held the WBO Super Flyweight Championship from October 12, 1994 to December 5, 1998. But despite his early success, his life was anything but ordered, as he escaped the streets only when physically in the ring. 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. His laughter is curly and instantly infectious. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. HOW OLD IS JOHNNY TAPIA? Birth place: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Just two and a half weeks before his loss to Ayala in 1999, the phone rang in the gym where Tapia was training. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.[4]. If I could take that all back I would.. He hasnt moved on, not properly, from his mothers dreadful demise. Showing Editorial results for johnny tapia. To make money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a gun. Larry Merchant, the boxing analyst, told Playboy in 2004 that Tapia was a five-to-one underdog to survive his own childhood.. 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 then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol in the second round. I just want to say Good night mama. 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. Four times I was declared dead. A police officer told him that his mothers killing had been solved. Tapia himself never thought he would live past the age of 40. Discovery Company. Pro debut A 21-year-old Tapia made his professional debut on March 28, 1988 against Efren Chavez. 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? She got stabbed 22 times with an ice pick and raped, he told In This Corner With James Smith in a 2004 interview. He suffers from bipolar disorder and it makes it very difficult the highs are very high and the lows are very low. Wladimir Klitschko (en ukrainien : ; transcription franaise : Volodymyr Volodymyrovytch Klytchko) est un boxeur ukrainien, n le 25 mars 1976 Semipalatinsk (actuel Seme) en RSS kazakhe.. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10. I dont have a temptation because if I want it [drugs] I can get it, wherever I am. In a performance that summoned all of his skill, showmanship and gall, Tapia outfought and outlasted Romero and won a unanimous decision. 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." 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. 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. Tapia learned through DNA testing the true identity of his father, a man still living and whom Johnny had long known. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Tapia said he thought his tattoos of angels kept him from passing into the next world. I have been famous and infamous. All fights list 2023, champion titles, age, height, reach and weight, KO ratio of the boxer Johnny Mi Vida Loca Tapia. > 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. 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. [8] Tapia won the fight by majority decision, 9892, 9694, 9595. Montreal is The Fight City. He did everything illegal that he could to make money. For more information, see our Cookie Policy. 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. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. V roce 1995 se stal dritelem titulu super flyweight WBO Johnny Tapia, ale ztratil vtinov rozhodnut. 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. His emotional transparency popularized him but he was doomed by his lack of control. 1967213 () . Tapia never ran from his own darkness so much as he perpetually hovered over it. But I have lived and had it all. from host boxrec.com from host www.boxrec.com: Linked from: fr.wikipedia.org Johnny Tapia. Johnny heard her screams as she was taken away, chained to a pickup truck, but his cries for help were ignored. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ive got a good wife. **This site uses cookies and other technologies, so we can remember you and understand how you and other visitors use our site. He wrote an autobiography by that title. 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) NOTE: Johnny Tapia died one year later, in May 2012, from heart failure. Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. He sniffs twice and swallows the build up of tears that bubble beneath the surface. Tapia turned to drugs in 1988, 11 years before he lost to Ayala. One in particularwas his 1997 bout with fellow Albuquerquian Danny Romero. His first pro fight was in 1988. His story is well documented but remains as horrifically shocking today as it ever was. Glen Tapia (born December 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. On their wedding night, in 1993, Teresa found the man she had pledged her life to injecting drugs. In 2010, at age 43, Tapia learned that apparently, his father was alive. In boxing, Tapias aggression was rewarded; on the street it brought him to the edge of death. 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.
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