BoxRec

Tapia wins split decision!
by Chris Cozzone and Jose Reyes
Five-time world champion Johnny Tapia (54-4-2, 29 KOs) made a succesful comeback with a close split decision win over Reynosa, Mexico's Nicky Bentz (36-4, 28 KOs) tonight in Hidalgo, Texas. Tapia pressed the action for most of the fight while Bentz timed his shots, continuously landing his straight right hand with a counterpunching strategy. Tapia lost a point in the 8th for a low blow, after two warnings, and seemed to tire in the 9th, when Bentz finally decided to fight aggressive. In the final round, though, Tapia came back, finishing with a flurry that continued after the bell. At the end of ten, the judges were split: 98-92 Tapia, 97-92 Bentz, and 96-93 Tapia, making the former champ winner by split decision. In the co-main, local prospect Raul "El Tigre" Cazares (8-1) suffered his first pro loss against San Antonio's Michael Soberanis (5-11-1), in what was the best fight of the night. On the undercard: Abron Esquivel won his pro debut, stopping Ramiro Torres (0-4-1) at 2:05 of the 1st; and Javier Diaz won a majority decision in is pro debut, over Juan Ruiz (2-2). Complete details and a huge photo gallery coming tomorrow

It's amazing Tapia is still alive never mind still boxing.

I think he is finished as a World Title contender though.

Yeah i think Tapia will only be a higher level stepping stone from now on, his world title aspirations seem all but finished. A few fights down the line perhaps Scott Harrison will be accomodating him?

steve689 wrote:A few fights down the line perhaps Scott Harrison will be accomodating him?

Tapia was ringside when Scott Harrison beat Wayne McCullough and there was a lot of talk of Tapia being the next oponent.

But it of course never happened. Which at the time I was glad of to be honest.

KOJOE90 wrote:

steve689 wrote:A few fights down the line perhaps Scott Harrison will be accomodating him?

Tapia was ringside when Scott Harrison beat Wayne McCullough and there was a lot of talk of Tapia being the next oponent.

But it of course never happened. Which at the time I was glad of to be honest.

Of course then Harrison went on to lose to a guy Tapia technically beat in his very next fight. I think it would have been a very good fight then - infact I think Tapia would have won.

Whether you thought Tapia lost to Medina or not, he did a better job against him than Scott did in the first encounter.

I'm judging Tapia by those Medina/Barrera performance, haven't seen his fights since - but Scott still hasn't proven that he can beat that level of performer, let alone make it a mismatch.

Although it does sound like Johnny has slipped from fights two years ago.

KOJOE90 wrote:

steve689 wrote:A few fights down the line perhaps Scott Harrison will be accomodating him?

Tapia was ringside when Scott Harrison beat Wayne McCullough and there was a lot of talk of Tapia being the next oponent.

But it of course never happened. Which at the time I was glad of to be honest.

Of course then Harrison went on to lose to a guy Tapia technically beat in his very next fight. I think it would have been a very good fight then - infact I think Tapia would have won.

Whether you thought Tapia lost to Medina or not, he did a better job against him than Scott did in the first encounter.

I'm judging Tapia by those Medina/Barrera performance, haven't seen his fights since - but Scott still hasn't proven that he can beat that level of performer, let alone make it a mismatch.

Although it does sound like Johnny has slipped from fights two years ago.

Suppose Tapia would be a step up from Kebede at the least

stujones wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

steve689 wrote:A few fights down the line perhaps Scott Harrison will be accomodating him?

Tapia was ringside when Scott Harrison beat Wayne McCullough and there was a lot of talk of Tapia being the next oponent.

But it of course never happened. Which at the time I was glad of to be honest.

Of course then Harrison went on to lose to a guy Tapia technically beat in his very next fight. I think it would have been a very good fight then - infact I think Tapia would have won.

Whether you thought Tapia lost to Medina or not, he did a better job against him than Scott did in the first encounter.

I'm judging Tapia by those Medina/Barrera performance, haven't seen his fights since - but Scott still hasn't proven that he can beat that level of performer, let alone make it a mismatch.

Although it does sound like Johnny has slipped from fights two years ago.

hmm, not so sure about that, how many shots did Tapia land on Medina, absolutely fornicate all, he should never have been given that decision, he didn't land enough shots in any rounds to win that fight.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

stujones wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote: Tapia was ringside when Scott Harrison beat Wayne McCullough and there was a lot of talk of Tapia being the next oponent.

But it of course never happened. Which at the time I was glad of to be honest.

Of course then Harrison went on to lose to a guy Tapia technically beat in his very next fight. I think it would have been a very good fight then - infact I think Tapia would have won.

Whether you thought Tapia lost to Medina or not, he did a better job against him than Scott did in the first encounter.

I'm judging Tapia by those Medina/Barrera performance, haven't seen his fights since - but Scott still hasn't proven that he can beat that level of performer, let alone make it a mismatch.

Although it does sound like Johnny has slipped from fights two years ago.

hmm, not so sure about that, how many shots did Tapia land on Medina, absolutely fornicate all, he should never have been given that decision, he didn't land enough shots in any rounds to win that fight.

Exactly! I thought Tapia only won three rounds in that fight with Medina.

Bit harsh to say Tapia landed f'all. I will need to check it out but I'm sure his compubox stats were impressive, although Medina's was a record.

Jim Watt scored it a draw and my card was close close - I think I had it Medina by 1. Jim Watt had Tapia two rounds up going into the 11th.

How many rounds did you give Harrison in the first encounter with Medina?

Regardless how you viewed the Tapia vs Medina fight, in the first Harrison vs Medina fight I felt Scott was outclassed, even if you think Tapia was outclassed by Medina it still doesn't necessarily say it would have been a mismatch in 2003.

Give Scott his dues, he did well in the rematch - but I still think a 2003 version of Tapia would have given him an excellent fight and a tough one to call.

stujones wrote:Give Scott his dues, he did well in the rematch - but I still think a 2003 version of Tapia would have given him an excellent fight and a tough one to call.

Another reason that I was not too keen on a Harrison - Tapia fight was that at the time Harrison was getting a lot of critism for fighting naturaly smaller men. Everyone in the prees and on the web was saying lets see Harrison in with a full blown Featherweight etc.

KOJOE90 wrote:

stujones wrote:Give Scott his dues, he did well in the rematch - but I still think a 2003 version of Tapia would have given him an excellent fight and a tough one to call.

Another reason that I was not too keen on a Harrison - Tapia fight was that at the time Harrison was getting a lot of critism for fighting naturaly smaller men. Everyone in the prees and on the web was saying lets see Harrison in with a full blown Featherweight etc.

Where they? Something I've never criticised him for. Robinson, Chacon, Thornhill, Patterson, Johnson all big feathers - all except for Robinson competed for championships at higher weights.

He's had McCullough and Abelyan as small featherweights (lets not even mention his last defence) - but before the McCullough fight that criticism was never justified.

stujones wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

stujones wrote:Give Scott his dues, he did well in the rematch - but I still think a 2003 version of Tapia would have given him an excellent fight and a tough one to call.

Another reason that I was not too keen on a Harrison - Tapia fight was that at the time Harrison was getting a lot of critism for fighting naturaly smaller men. Everyone in the prees and on the web was saying lets see Harrison in with a full blown Featherweight etc.

Where they? Something I've never criticised him for. Robinson, Chacon, Thornhill, Patterson, Johnson all big feathers - all except for Robinson competed for championships at higher weights.

He's had McCullough and Abelyan as small featherweights (lets not even mention his last defence) - but before the McCullough fight that criticism was never justified.

I didn't agree with the critisism, but I remember it very clearly.