Johnny Tapia

Five-time world champion in three different boxing weight

Perhaps the largest crowd ever crammed into the York Hall, Bethnal Green, was January 19, 2002, when the nature of man Johnny Tapia fought boxing, at its request, in the East End of sand boxing's most famous London. Officially, the site in 1200, but nobody counted how wangled its way into hundreds best thing to being there. Tapia has destroyed his opponent, Eduardo Alvarez in the first round.

Tapia, who was found dead aged 45, of unknown causes at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had a chaotic life. He referred to cocaine as "my lady", and attributed his brushes with the law many, not to mention several suicide attempts, drug regularly. But at the time he was drug-free, he was charismatic and fun, it was also one of the most prominent fighters of his time, becoming a world champion five times in three different weights.

that last year he was seen in the first line and the construction of the great battles of the United States, working as a reporter for Showtime, the cable network USA. All House meets with his happy-go-lucky attitude, Tapia was full of enthusiasm for his new lifestyle. After traveling to the United States as a commentator for Sky, I found something surreal wondered what he thought of the possible outcome of a competition for a fighter of his stature.

Tapia was born in Albuquerque and grew up believing that his father had been killed in a murder gangs, while his mother, Virginia, was pregnant. So when Johnny was eight years old, his mother was kidnapped, stabbed and seemingly dead. In his autobiography, Mi Vida Loca: The Crazy Life of Johnny Tapia (2006), spoke of how he tried to raise the alarm after being awakened by the cries of his mother, but nobody believed . She was eventually discovered by the police, who took her to the hospital where he died four days later. Tapia was taken later by his grandmother.

began boxing at the age of nine and became an exceptional young man, winning the title twice National Golden Gloves light flyweight in 1983, then in 1985 at flyweight. Boxing was the only thing he said the young man, and had paid his first contest in 1988.

His talent has brought a series of victories, but also the money to buy drugs. He tested positive for cocaine in little more than two years in his career and was banned from the sport. After a break of more than three years, Tapia returned in 1994 and the end of the year was a world champion for the first time when he defeated Henry Martinez to win the World Boxing Organization super flyweight crown. This year, he also married Teresa Chavez, with whom he had three children.

He successfully defended his WBO super flyweight title 13 times, in the process also became the champion of the International Boxing Federation in 1997 when he won a unification bout against another Albuquerque Latin, Danny Romero. You can not make the weight, Tapia went to bantamweight, and after two bouts of overheating became bantamweight champion of the World Boxing Association in 1998, Nana Yaw Konadu when Ghana beat. He lost the title in 1999 and another Paulie Ayala American, but in his next fight defeated Jorge Julio become WBO bantamweight in 2000. Jump to pen in 2002, became a champion for the fifth time when he defeated Manuel Medina of Mexico to win the IBF version of the title.

With words

Mi Vida Loca

Find best price for : --Danny----Albuquerque----East----Tapia----Johnny----Bethnal----York--