Seven years later Johnny was on a bus that crashed, killing the pregnant woman who sat alongside him. 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. His life, which ended at just 45, was spent trying not to fall into the abyss. Jesse Pearson editor et scriptor Americanus est. Bout made at a catchweight of 124 pounds. But happiness is a daily grind for Tapia. Johnny Tapia, left, in 2007 during one of his comebacks. Ive never said this to anybody, I dont want it no more. On October 12, 1994 at The Pit, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tapia defeated Henry Martnez in eleven rounds to win the vacant WBO super flyweight title. 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. If he lost, they beat him, he said. Though an active professional, Tapia belonged to a street gang and began using cocaine as a young man. "A family member . I wanted to get him and stab him the same way he did my mom. She was subsequently stabbed 22 times with a screwdriver, and left for dead. 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 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. Tapia was inducted during 2017, posthumously, to the Internation He started boxing at age 9 to escape a troubled childhood. The denial of any possibility to exact vengeance stung Johnny. 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. The family lived in Albuquerque, NM.[13]. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. KOB-TV reports representatives for Teresa Tapia confirmed Sunday that she married Johnny Tapia's half-brother, Jeffrey Padilla. I have my beautiful wife with me, nothing will happen to me if shes here.. Albuquerque, he says, Im still your champion.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He would have been 50 years old today. But they didnt make it. [11], Tapia was scheduled to make a comeback on May 2, 2008, in El Paso, Texas, but pulled out due to contractual disputes with promoter Ron Weathers.[12]. 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 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.. 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?. 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. 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. But lacing the incessant promises not to rekindle his affair with his mistress is uncertainty and fear that hell stray again. 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. She wrestles with her unconditional adoration for Johnny every single day. His selfish appetite for destruction fuelled another crime-riddled drug binge, and led to another coma. I felt that I killed [them] cause I was in the coma, he says. While the Martinez title-winning fight might be his greatest moment, there were other notable wins. He reached 45 before his. 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. Retained IBF and WBO super flyweight titles. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms. 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. The widow of former world champion Johnny Tapia has remarried. Johnny Tapia was an American boxer, who competed in the super flyweight division. Montreal is The Fight City. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol in the second round. Teresa nearly walked away from her man in 2007. I was so focused on killing him that I didnt train or anything. As a wife, as a woman, Ive learnt theres good and bad in everyone and you have to accept them. Tapia died at his Albuquerque home in 2012. Then I outlived her after I said I wouldnt. He knows it will be the end of his marriage if that happens. To make money he sometimes participated in underground fights at a local bar, where apparently the only prohibited weapon was a gun. [8] Tapia won the fight by majority decision, 9892, 9694, 9595. Tapia was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion, and the 1985 Golden Gloves flyweight champion. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina. We will be paid a commission, with no extra cost to you, if you use those links to make a purchase. [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. When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. She couldnt leave him. The indelible writing has always been on the wall for this twisted love story. He fought seven times in 1994 and in October he took the WBO super flyweight title from Henry Martinez in his hometown of Albuquerque. [14] He was a born-again Christian. Did you encounter any technical issues? Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque. 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. Thats the love of my life. Tapia is 5' 6" (5 Foot and 6 inch) which is 168 cm (1 meter and 68 centimeters). He drew in his first bout but his career soon exploded, and Johnny wouldnt lose until his forty-ninth prizefight. 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. Back then I needed it, it took me away from everything. TM & 2023 BoxingScene.All Rights Reserved. I just want to say Good night mama. Tapia ruled down in round eleven. Family members say Albuquerque police were summoned to Tapia's house at 7:45 PM Sunday by a family. Boxing 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. He has been the editor of Boxing News since 2015. On the drive to visit him, his brother-in-law and nephew were killed in a car accident. When he trains she follows him, at his request, to the gym in Albuquerque. The tragedy of life was venomously harassing the Tapias, and Johnny, more miserable than ever, edged his finger towards the self-destruct button. Never again did he fight for a world title. Johnny Tapia died, for the final time, of heart failure at 45, an age much too young for a final exit. Champinon.info 2018-2023. . None of it occurred on Teresas watch. 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. Relatives raised him and he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, who had himself been a boxer. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped. Tapia went to jail, struggled with depression, and attempted suicide. The first time was a mistake but the second time was a habit, he confesses. His 1999 loss by decision to Paulie Ayala was named the Fight of the Year by The Ring magazine. 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 Tapia down in round 6, Pastrana down in round 8. Scores: 98-92, 96-94, 99-93. He did everything illegal that he could to make money. Las Vegas is a City of Sin, the best and worst of humankind, mixed together to form a sickly but irresistible trail of destruction. May he rest in peace. 2023 EHM PRODUCTIONS,INC. He was at his lowest, he was living on the streets. From the age of eight, he has wanted to die. Teresa Tapia looks at Johnny, her husband of 18 years and the father of her three children, and smiles gently. 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. 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. Boxing, he tells the camera, saved my life., Your email address will not be published. Bohol down twice in Round 2.