World Cadet Champion Keith Tapia

locoxelbox · Post by **locoxelbox** » 11 Sep 2007, 11:17

16 year old Keith Tapia won gold at the Cadet World Championships at 86 kg representing Puerto Rico but has competed for the US before. Anyone knows his story?
Tapia won medals at several national end international events for the US, among others:

Gold at the National Silver Gloves in 2006 (81 kg)
Gold at the Aliyev Cup in 2006 (80 kg)
Gold at the National Junior Olympics in 2006
Bronze at the Cadet World Championships in 2006

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 11 Sep 2007, 11:54

Did Keith win a gold this year? I wonder if he has received a release from USA Boxing so he could box for Puerto Rico. You can't be registered in two countries at the same time.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 11 Sep 2007, 14:07

Keith is from Queens, NY. I think it is his mother who is Puerto Rican. He is a very good boxer when he is on. He looked really good in the Aliyev Cup and then look terrible in the world cadets when he got the bronze. He has a lot of personality like a young Cassius Clay and I've seen him get the whole arena looking at him and get them dancing with him, making them laugh, etc.

He was too young to box in the quailifiers for the US Championships and make it to the trials. One of his coaches is in his 80's and does not want Keith to wait for the 2012 trials so he plans on turning him pro soon. The coach has a son who manages pros like Joe Greene.
I don't know why he did not try to make the US team for the world cadets like he did last year. Maybe he missed out on some quailifying tournament and his coach wanted him to try and win something big before he turns him pro.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 11 Sep 2007, 14:12

Keith also had a hard time making 81 kgs and is small for 91kgs. 86kg is a good weight for him. He'll probably box at cruiser when he turns pro. It's a shame that they did not want to keep him around for 2012. He would of set the world on fire if he made the team.
I do hear he is involved with some bad dudes on the streets in NY. Hopefull, he stays out of trouble and does not end up in prison or worse.
Maybe his people decided to send him to Puerto Rico to keep him away from NY and trouble.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 11 Sep 2007, 15:31

JMac - thanks for the detailed info on Keith. It really sounds like he should stay amateur until 2012....maybe in PR?

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 11 Sep 2007, 17:26

I too have heard that he really shouldn't be boxing as a heavyweight, that he is more like a light-heavy or possibly cruiser.

suiL · Post by **suiL** » 25 Sep 2007, 21:54

He Is Goin To The World Championships..Representin Puerto Rico at 91Kg due to his turnin 17 pretty soon and when PR made their olympic trials no one show up at 91kg...hes is already tranin wit the PR National team...he saids he turnin pro next year once he turn 18....

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 25 Sep 2007, 22:11

Hope he turns 17 before the Worlds or he won't be able to compete.

locoxelbox · Post by **locoxelbox** » 26 Sep 2007, 09:01

As I understand Tapia headed for Puerto Rico because that way he can get to the Olympics next year. He was too young to enter the US Olympic Trials but as he'll be 17 before the World Championships he went to Puerto Rico trying to enter their team. Sadly his coach doesn't want him to stay for the 2012 Olympics.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 26 Sep 2007, 09:39

If Tapia will be 17 before the Worlds, he was old enough to go through our qualifiers. Oh well. Hopefully the PR team isn't set and he'll have a chance. Too bad about his coach - must want him to make money right away. I hope both Keith and his coach have day jobs.

locoxelbox · Post by **locoxelbox** » 26 Sep 2007, 10:34

Mel, he was 16 when he won the World Cadets. Thus he was 16 at the time of the US qualifiers, then he couldn't enter. At least that's the way I understand it was. I see no other reason.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 26 Sep 2007, 11:20

suiL wrote:He Is Goin To The World Championships..Representin Puerto Rico at 91Kg due to his turnin 17 pretty soon and when PR made their olympic trials no one show up at 91kg....

Puerto Rico also did not enter a 91 kg in the Pan Am Games.

Too bad about his coach - must want him to make money right away. I hope both Keith and his coach have day jobs.

As I said before, one of his coaches is in his 80's and has a son who manages pros. They have a plan for Keith to be a world champ before 2012. I don't agree with it and I told that to Jack, the older coach. But that's their plan. If Keith somehow makes the '08 Olympics, I don't think he has a chance to win more than one bout. If he stuck around to 2012 and had lots of international experience and grew into a 91 kg body with man strength, he would be a favorite to win a medal.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 27 Sep 2007, 09:13

Mel, he was 16 when he won the World Cadets. Thus he was 16 at the time of the US qualifiers, then he couldn't enter. At least that's the way I understand it was. I see no other reason.

Duh. Darned dementia keeps creeping in. Had to remind myself he was in the Cadet Worlds THIS year. You're right.

jtyson · Post by **jtyson** » 23 Oct 2007, 23:56

Kieth Tapia got a GREAT draw at the World Championship... He can easily make top 4

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 24 Oct 2007, 09:05

jtyson wrote:Kieth Tapia got a GREAT draw at the World Championship... He can easily make top 4

Keith has to win 3 bouts to make it to the semi's. For 91 and +91 kgs, only the top four quailify for the Olympics.
Tapia boxes John M'Bumba from France 1st and the winner gets the winner from Turkey and Greece. The other side of the bracket for him is ESP vs BAR vs MDA vs UZB. His fist bout and the Uzbec will be tough.

emile · Post by **emile** » 24 Oct 2007, 15:55

Pavlidis is the most experienced and successful of the Greek fighters, although I think he fought at 81kg in the last Olympics. He'll be no pushover, so it will be interesting to see how Tapia does against all of them.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 24 Oct 2007, 23:57

I was told by a Frenchman today that the French boxer is weak. So Tapia should win the 1st bout. But the same Frenchman told me that the French 57 kg boxer Djelkhir was their best boxer. He won the outstanding boxer in the EU Championships. Today Raynell Williams beat him by 10 pts. Williams started strong and moved well. He kept the Frenchman off balance the whole time and did not let him get set and bang like he wanted to do.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 25 Oct 2007, 00:01

Hmm - if JMac is who I think he is (Jim Mc), I take back what I said about him knowing about AIBA.