Johnny Tapia

IBHoF Bio

Name: Johnny Tapia
Alias: Mi Vida Loca
Birth Name: John Lee Tapia
Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Birthplace: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Died: 2012-05-27 (Age:45)
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 168cm
Reach: 165cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Amateur Boxer: Record

• Managers: Paul Chavez (1988-1995) Teresa Tapia, his wife (1995-2011)
• Trainers: Paul Chavez (1988-1995) Larry Goossen (1995) Miguel Diaz (1995-1996) Dub Huntley (1996) Jesse Reid (1997-1998) Eddie Futch (1997) Tom Virgets (1998) Freddie Roach (1998-2002) Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (2003) Oscar Suarez (2004-2005) Sergio Chavez (2005) Kevin Henry (2007) Henry Anaya Jr. (2010-2011)
• Johnny Tapia Gallery

Amateur Achievements

• Amateur Record: 150-12 or 101-21 with 65 knockouts (sources differ) [1] [2]
• 1983 National Golden Gloves Light Flyweight Champion. Outpointed Darrin Pitts in the finals.
• 1984 United States Olympic Western Trials Light Flyweight Finalist. Outpointed by Arthur Johnson in the finals.
• 1985 National Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion. Outpointed Richard Duran in the finals.

Professional Career

Tapia would celebrate wins by doing a back flip

Johnny Tapia (left) vs. Danny Romero

Johnny Tapia (left) vs. Paulie Ayala I

• Tested positive for cocaine following his technical decision win against Santiago Caballero in October 1990. Tapia was suspended indefinitely. He did not fight again for 3½ years.
• Stopped Henry Martinez in eleven rounds to win the vacant World Boxing Organization Junior Bantamweight Championship in October 1994. Tapia would successfully defend the title thirteen times.
• Defeated International Boxing Federation Junior Bantamweight Champion and fellow Albuquerque native Danny Romero by a twelve-round unanimous decision in July 1997 to unify the WBO and IBF 115-pound titles.
• Defeated Nana Konadu by a twelve-round majority decision to win the World Boxing Association Bantamweight Championship in December 1998.
• Lost the WBA Bantamweight Championship to Paulie Ayala by twelve-round unanimous decision in June 1999. It was Tapia's first loss as a professional. He entered the fight with a record of 48-0-2. The bout was named Fight of the Year by The Ring.
• Had a rematch with Paulie Ayala in October 2000 at a catchweight of 124 pounds. Ayala once again won by a twelve-round unanimous decision.
• Defeated Manuel Medina by a twelve-round majority decision to win the International Boxing Federation Featherweight Championship in April 2002.
• Stripped of the IBF Featherweight Championship in September 2002 for choosing to fight Marco Antonio Barrera, The Ring Featherweight Champion, instead of the IBF's No. 1-ranked featherweight contender. [3]
• Lost to Marco Antonio Barrera by a twelve-round unanimous decision in November 2002.
• Had a record of 17-1-1 (6 KOs) in world title fights.
• Had a record of 11-3 (2 KOs) against former, current and future world titlists.
  • Won against John Michael Johnson, Jesus Chong, Rolando Bohol, Hugo Rafael Soto, Danny Romero, Rodolfo Blanco, Nana Konadu, Jorge Eliecer Julio, Cesar Soto, Manuel Medina, Mauricio Pastrana.
  • Lost against Paulie Ayala (twice), Marco Antonio Barrera.

Minor Titles

• United States Boxing Association Junior Bantamweight Title (1990)
• North American Boxing Federation Super Flyweight Title (1994)
• International Boxing Council Americas Lightweight Title (2010)

Notes

• Jerry Padilla, Tapia's father, vanished before he was born. Tapia thought he was dead, but he turned up in 2010 after being released from a federal penitentiary. DNA tests confirmed his paternity.
• Virginia Tapia, Johnny's mother, was murdered when he was eight years old.
• Tapia's uncles made him fight older boys in matches. They would bet on him to win and beat him if he lost.
• Tapia was raised by his maternal grandparents.
• Miguel Tapia, Johnny's grandfather, was an amateur boxing champion and taught him how to box.
• Tapia struggled with drugs and alcohol for many years. He was declared clinically dead five times as a result of drug overdoses.
• Tapia attempted suicide several times.
• Johnny and Teresa Tapia were married in 1994. They had three children. [4]
• HBO aired a documentary about his life and career, simply called Tapia, in 2013. It included interviews with Johnny and Teresa and rare footage of his rise to stardom.
• On May 27, 2013, Tapia was found dead inside his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The autopsy report stated that Tapia's death was the result of heart problems and the onset of Hepatitis C, likely from the many tattoos he had. Teresa Tapia shared the autopsy report with reporters at a press conference on August 21, 2013, and said she was doing it to dispel the myth that her husband died after using illegal drugs. "This shows that he did not die of a drug overdose," she said. "It doesn't make the pain go away, but I felt I needed to say that." Investigators found one Hydrocodone tablet, a painkiller, on the floor beside his body. They said there were no indications of an overdose or alcohol use, but that the 45-year-old former fighter likely developed medical complications from past illegal drug use. Teresa Tapia said her husband was taking medication for his bipolar disorder and for his high blood pressure. [5]
• At the beginning of his 2006 autobiography, Mi Vida Loca: The Crazy Life of Johnny Tapia, Tapia wrote: "My name is Johnny Lee Tapia. I was born on Friday the 13th. A Friday in February of 1967. To this day I don't know if that makes me lucky or unlucky. When I was eight I saw my mother murdered. I never knew my father. He was murdered before I was born. I was raised as a pit bull. Raised to fight to the death. Four times I was declared dead. Four times they wanted to pull life support. And many more times I came close to dying. But I have lived and had it all. I have been wealthy and lost it all. I have been famous and infamous. Five times I was world champion. You tell me. Am I lucky or unlucky?"

Preceded by: Johnny Bredahl Vacated	WBO Super Flyweight Champion 1994 Oct 12 – 1998 Dec 5 Vacated	Succeeded by: Victor Godoi
Preceded by: Danny Romero	IBF Super Flyweight Champion 1997 Jul 8 – 1998 Dec 5 Vacated	Succeeded by: Mark Johnson
Preceded by: Nana Konadu	WBA Bantamweight Champion 1998 Dec 5 – 1999 Jun 26	Succeeded by: Paulie Ayala
Preceded by: Jorge Eliecer Julio	WBO Bantamweight Champion 2000 Jan 8 – 2000 Sep Vacated	Succeeded by: Mauricio Martinez
Preceded by: Manuel Medina	IBF Featherweight Champion 2002 Apr 27 – 2002 Sep 30 Stripped	Succeeded by: Juan Manuel Marquez