Johnny Tapia
Encyclopedia
John Lee "Johnny" Tapia is a Mexican-American five-time world boxing
champion.
. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round.
In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson
.
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 United States Junior Bantamweight title, and a twelve-round decision over Luigi Camputaro, to retain that title. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. 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
.
When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma
. He won three more fights by knockout, and then he faced Oscar Aguilar at the Michael Carbajal–Josue Camacho undercard in Phoenix
for the NABF Jr. Bantamweight title. He won that fight by a knockout in the third round. After that fight, Albuquerque Police claimed they found cocaine in a bag carried by Tapia five days later. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped.
to claim the vacant WBO World Junior Bantamweight title. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol
in the second round. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision.
He retained the title with a nine-round technical draw with Ricardo Vargas and a decision in twelve against former amateur nemesis Arthur Johnson
. After two more wins, he gave Willy Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds.
, Sammy Stewart and Adonis Cruz. By then, a heated rivalry was cooking up between him and IBF
world champion Danny Romero
. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. Tapia's split with the Romeros had not been on good terms. It was rumored that Tapia and Romero were members of rival gangs, although those claims were never substantiated.
1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from Jorge Barrera
in three rounds. After that, the fight with Romero was set for Las Vegas
. The fight took place on July 18. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve round decision, adding the IBF world title to his WBO belt. In his next fight, he defeated Puerto Rico
's Andy Agosto via decision. 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 Junior Bantamweight crown in order to move up in weight.
Bantamweight champion Nana Konadu
by decision to became a two-division world champion.
in The Ring Magazine
called its "Fight of the Year." Later that year, Tapia tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose and required hospitalization. Back quickly after that, he was given a chance at the WBO world title belt. He became a two time World Bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres
, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. Ayala won another close split-decision win.
by a knockout in three.
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. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF world Featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina
. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. He left the title vacant so he could face Marco Antonio Barrera
, who beat Tapia in twelve rounds.
by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque.
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. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque.
At 38, Tapia faced little-known Sandro Marcos in Chicago. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10.
, then retire. The bout was being promoted as The Final Fury and Tapia promised he would win. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2735212 Tapia won the fight by majority decision, 98-92, 96-94, 95-95. http://www.boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=517074
Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2796345
The next day, on the morning of March 13, Tapia's brother-in-law and nephew were killed in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 550 near Bloomfield, New Mexico
, apparently en route to the hospital to visit Tapia. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition.http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/13/boxer-johnny-tapias-brother--law-dies-wreck/
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.http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/05-tapia.html
On February 11, 2009, Tapia was taken into custody in Albuquerque for a violation of parole related to cocaine use.
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.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion.
Childhood
Johnny Tapia's life began with tragedy. His father had reportedly been murdered while his mother was pregnant with him. At the age of 8, his mother Virginia was kidnapped, raped, hung, repeatedly stabbed, and left for dead by her assailant. Tapia was awakened by her screams and saw her chained to the back of a pick-up truck. He tried to alert others in his household, but no one believed him. His mother was later found by the police and taken to the hospital after she had crawled 100 yards to a road. She died four days after the attack without regaining consciousness. Raised thereafter by his grandmother, Tapia turned to boxing at the age of nine.Amateur career
Tapia had an outstanding amateur career, and was the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight champion and the 1985 National Golden Gloves flyweight champion.Professional career
His professional career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in Irvine, CaliforniaIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round.
In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against John Michael Johnson
John Michael Johnson
John Michael Johnson was an American bantamweight boxer. He briefly held a championship in that division.- Professional career :...
.
In 1990, he won seven bouts, including an eight-round decision over Jesus Chong
Jesús Chong
Jesús Alberto Chong was a Mexican boxer in the Light Flyweight division. He is a former Mexican National, NABF, and the WBO Light Flyweight Champion.-Professional career:...
, an eleventh-round technical knockout of Roland Gomez in Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
that gave him the United States Junior Bantamweight title, and a twelve-round decision over Luigi Camputaro, to retain that title. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. 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
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
.
When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. He won three more fights by knockout, and then he faced Oscar Aguilar at the Michael Carbajal–Josue Camacho undercard in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
for the NABF Jr. Bantamweight title. He won that fight by a knockout in the third round. After that fight, Albuquerque Police claimed they found cocaine in a bag carried by Tapia five days later. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped.
Winning and defending the WBO Junior Bantamweight Title
On October 12, 1994, Tapia defeated Henry MartínezHenry Martinez
Henry Martínez is a retired bantamweight boxer from El Salvador, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.-Olympic results:*Defeated Yacine Cheikh 5-0...
to claim the vacant WBO World Junior Bantamweight title. He then knocked out former champion Rolando Bohol
Rolando Bohol
Rolando Bohol is a former Filipino boxer. He is one of the world boxing champion from the Philippines.He turned professional in 1984 and got a draw on his first match. After 15 matches , Bohol met his first setback, losing to Dadoy Andujar by a 10-round decision on September 29, 1985...
in the second round. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision.
He retained the title with a nine-round technical draw with Ricardo Vargas and a decision in twelve against former amateur nemesis Arthur Johnson
Arthur Johnson
Arthur Johnson may refer to:*Arthur V. Johnson, actor and director in American silent films*Arthur Johnson , English football manager*Arthur Johnson , U.S...
. After two more wins, he gave Willy Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds.
Danny Romero
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 SotoHugo Rafael Soto
Hugo Rafael Soto is a former professional boxer.Fighting in the flyweight and super flyweight divisions, Soto had his first professional fight in 1988. He built up a record of 39-1-2 to earn a fight with WBC flyweight champion Yuri Arbachakov, but lost by an eighth round knockout...
, Sammy Stewart and Adonis Cruz. By then, a heated rivalry was cooking up between him and IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
world champion Danny Romero
Danny Romero
Daniel Gregorio Romero was a former world champion professional boxer. His nickname is "Kid Dynamite".Romero is a devoted Catholic...
. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. Tapia's split with the Romeros had not been on good terms. It was rumored that Tapia and Romero were members of rival gangs, although those claims were never substantiated.
1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from Jorge Barrera
Jorge Barrera
Jorge Armando Barrera Toscano is a Mexican footballer. He currently plays for Correcaminos UAT on loan from Santos Laguna.-External links:...
in three rounds. After that, the fight with Romero was set for Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
. The fight took place on July 18. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve round decision, adding the IBF world title to his WBO belt. In his next fight, he defeated Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
's Andy Agosto via decision. Tapia began 1998 by successfully defending his championships for the 11th time against former world champion Rodolfo Blanco
Rodolfo Blanco
Rodolfo Blanco is a former boxer from Colombia who held the International Boxing Federation flyweight title in 1992.Blanco became a professional boxer in 1982. In 1987 he challenged Myung Woo Yuh for the World Boxing Association light flyweight title, losing by an eighth-round knockout. In 1990 he...
of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
via decision, and then he vacated his World Junior Bantamweight crown in order to move up in weight.
Bantamweight division
On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated WBAWorld Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Bantamweight champion Nana Konadu
Nana Konadu
Nana Yaw Konadu Yeboah is a retired boxer who won World titles in two different weight divisions. Konadu turned pro in 1985 and in 1989 won the WBC Super Flyweight Title by winning a decision over Gilberto Roman. He lost the belt in his first defense to Sung Kil Moon in 1990 and lost a rematch to...
by decision to became a two-division world champion.
Paulie Ayala
In 1999, Tapia suffered his first loss in his 48-bout career, losing a decision and the WBA world title belt to Paulie AyalaPaulie Ayala
Paul Anthony Ayala is a Mexican-American former boxer and two time world champion. Ayala is a born-again Christian, and he professed so by thanking God for his success after virtually every fight...
in The Ring Magazine
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
called its "Fight of the Year." Later that year, Tapia tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose and required hospitalization. Back quickly after that, he was given a chance at the WBO world title belt. He became a two time World Bantamweight champion by beating Jorge Eliecer Julio by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres
Javier Torres
Javier Torres is a Mexican-American amateur boxer in the Super Heavyweight division. He's currently the second rated amateur boxers in the Super Heavyweight division, for the U.S. National team.-Personal life:...
, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. Ayala won another close split-decision win.
Featherweight division
Tapia then 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 World Featherweight champion Cesar SotoCesar Soto (boxer)
César Soto Esquivel is a retired Mexican professional boxer and is the former WBC Featherweight Champion.-Professional career:...
by a knockout in three.
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. Tapia's next bout, for the IBF world Featherweight title, was versus Manuel Medina
Manuel Medina (boxer)
Juan Manuel Rubio Medina is a boxer, who is better known as Manuel Medina. He is a five-time world featherweight champion...
. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. He left the title vacant so he could face Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He has won numerous world titles in three different weight classes; he is a former two-time WBO super bantamweight , WBC, Lineal, & The Ring featherweight , and WBC & IBF super featherweight champion...
, who beat Tapia in twelve rounds.
Comeback
Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos ContrerasCarlos Contreras
Carlos Contreras is the first Mexican-born driver in any NASCAR national series. He has competed in the Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series .-Busch Series:...
by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque.
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. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque.
At 38, Tapia faced little-known Sandro Marcos in Chicago. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10.
Farewell fight, ongoing problems, & further comeback attempts
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 MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, then retire. The bout was being promoted as The Final Fury and Tapia promised he would win. http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2735212 Tapia won the fight by majority decision, 98-92, 96-94, 95-95. http://www.boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=517074
Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital.http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2796345
The next day, on the morning of March 13, Tapia's brother-in-law and nephew were killed in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 550 near Bloomfield, New Mexico
Bloomfield, New Mexico
Bloomfield is a city in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,420 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bloomfield is located at ....
, apparently en route to the hospital to visit Tapia. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition.http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/13/boxer-johnny-tapias-brother--law-dies-wreck/
Tapia was scheduled to make a comeback on May 2, 2008, in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, but pulled out due to contractual disputes with promoter Ron Weathers.http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/05-tapia.html
On February 11, 2009, Tapia was taken into custody in Albuquerque for a violation of parole related to cocaine use.
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.