Tapia ruled down in round eleven. [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]. 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. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. Though boxing would provide no more thrills, there was a surprising development in his life. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. Relatives raised him and he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had himself been a boxer. Thats the love of my life. He was 45. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition. *Links to streaming, pay-per-view or ticketing platforms provided on this page, if any, are affiliate links. But he went on with his careerand was paid two million dollars to face legendary champion Marco Antonio Barrera in 2002. But without prizefighting, life for an impulsive, troubled, and angry young man on the New Mexican streets might have ended much sooner. Tapia was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I want to hug my mama.. He had made that his motto after he thought he had outgrown his first, baby-faced assassin.. The investigation had been reopened at the behest of Tapias wife. Johnny Tapia was born on the 13th of February, 1967. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. 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. His past regularly came back to haunt him. 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. A police officer told him that his mothers killing had been solved. Realizing his habits, she at first resisted. But happiness is a daily grind for Tapia. Though an active professional, Tapia belonged to a street gang and began using cocaine as a young man. At the end of the film he is at a local radio station, accompanying one of his young fighters to promote an upcoming card. The striking advertisement for sobriety in this land of the wasted is Johnny Tapia, perhaps the most infamous substance-abusing boxer of all time. 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. HOW OLD IS JOHNNY TAPIA? **This site uses cookies and other technologies, so we can remember you and understand how you and other visitors use our site. [15] After Tapia died in 2012, his widow briefly married his alleged half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla, in 2014. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. . He had many tattoos, which were prominent when he was fighting. He also remembers the misery that attacked the highs and hauled everything down. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round. Cocaine became my mistress. Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. 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. Within weeks of Johnny being incarcerated, Teresas mother and grandmother passed away, and Johnnys grandfather died. He said he saw every opponent as his mothers killer. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. A Warner Bros. Miguel, an amateur boxing champion, taught him pugilistic skills. Raised to fight to the death.. The lines on his face that greedily sink into his ageing skin provide clues of his misery. . Johnny Tapia. On the drive to visit him, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident. 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.. The tragedy of life was venomously harassing the Tapias, and Johnny, more miserable than ever, edged his finger towards the self-destruct button. Jerry Padilla, who Tapia already knew, was supposedly intrigued by the similarities in their mannerisms, and the two decided to submit to a DNA test, which proved they were father and son. Boxer Johnny Tapia was found dead Sunday in New Mexico, this according to local police. Johnny Tapia was born in Albuquerque. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. 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. He knows it will be the end of his marriage if that happens. 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. Larry Merchant, the boxing analyst, told Playboy in 2004 that Tapia was a five-to-one underdog to survive his own childhood.. 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. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. Tapia won his first 22 professional fights, then was suspended from boxing after failing three drug tests. On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu by decision to become a two-division world 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. Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. Yet again, Tapia was facing death. 1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from Jorge Barrera in three rounds. 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. 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. If he lost, they beat him, he said. Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. His father was murdered before he was born. Thats why me and Paulie got fight of the year because all we did was bang.. 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. The Albuquerque police said an autopsy would be done in the next few days. She wrestles with her unconditional adoration for Johnny every single day. Cops say the death does not appear suspicious, but an official cause has not been determined. Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Talking to Tapia, the little boy lost who craves his dear mother, its impossible not to root for him. 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. [7], On January 17, 2007, Tapia held a press conference stating that he would face Ilido Julio on February 23 in his home town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, then retire. 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. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital. Tapia was deducted 1 point in round 2 for a deliberate head butt. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family member who discovered the body. I would have, believe me, if I could have had him in front of me. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. Or stabbing anybody, or fighting anybody, or killing anybody? Data may be incomplete and inaccurate. According to his wife, no drugs were found in his system. Out of it, their influence held sway. Wladimir Klitschko (en ukrainien : ; transcription franaise : Volodymyr Volodymyrovytch Klytchko) est un boxeur ukrainien, n le 25 mars 1976 Semipalatinsk (actuel Seme) en RSS kazakhe.. I dont want it and theres the difference. Am I lucky or unlucky?. But they didnt make it. 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. Ive got a good wife. Though successful between the ropes, Tapia hadnt divested himself of his drug habit. I hurt, Im old, Im done, he says, almost poetically. His life was marked by tragedy. He wrote an autobiography by that title. Speaking to the press at his gym in the wake of his. If I could take that all back I would.. When he was eight years old, his mother, Virginia, was kidnapped, raped, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Johnny always makes sure were with him when he goes anywhere. Tapia stirred from the coma, sobbing, with tubes attached to his tattooed body. All of Tapias pain and psychological torment is traced to its source in this one admission. He passed away on May 27, 2012 at the age of 45. 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 Boxersk rekord pro Arthura Johnsona z BoxRec; Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; . Tapias body was found Sunday night at his home in Albuquerque. He would have been 50 years old today. I was raised as a pit bull, he wrote in the book, which was co-authored by Bettina Gilois. Albuquerque, he says, Im still your champion.. 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 has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. The last fight of Johnny Tapia took place on June 4, 2011 against Mauricio Pastrana. His ring return has kept Tapia out of trouble since 2009 boxing was a condition of his release from prison but now he wants to retire. HOW TALL IS JOHNNY TAPIA? Ive never said this to anybody, I dont want it no more. In a statement, Teresa Tapia said she decided thatmarryingPadilla would be best for the children, for a continuation of their sense of family. His first pro fight was in 1988. Tapia spokesman Julian Jiron says the marriage came "out of love, respect, and the preservation of the family and Johnny's legacy." A family member came home, found him deceased and called us, Officer Robert Gibbs, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, police spokesman, said Monday. He has so much knowledge and hes training fighters and hes doing some really awesome work with them. His wife somehow stayed. 2012527 () . I dont know how this story is going to end, she said. He became a two time world bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. Their marriage lurched wildly up and down, as Mrs. Tapia struggled to provide stability. Teofimo Lopez v Pedro Campa | Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin: How to stream,full fight card. 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. Glen Tapia (born December 11, 1989) is an American professional boxer. "A family member . Highlights of Johnny Tapia's best combinations & knockouts.Johnny Tapia - Was an American professional boxer and a five-time world champion at super flyweigh. 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. 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. 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