Johnny Tapia Found Dead
Five time world boxing champion Johnny Tapia was found dead on Sunday at his home in Albuquerque, he was 45 years old. According to Spokesman Robert Gibb New Mexico Police answered a call to attend Tapia's house at 7.45pm on Sunday and the boxer dead. Although and autopsy has not yet been carried out his is death does not appear to be suspicious.Tapia, who has battled countless addictions including cocaine, alcohol and depression, won five world titles in three weight classes during a roller coaster 24 year professional career that saw him amass a record of 59 wins, 5 defeats and 2 draws. Tapia won the WBA bantamweight title, the IBF and WBO super flyweight crown and the IBF featherweight belt. An autopsy as to how Tapia died is expected within a few days. It became apparent from an early age that Tapia's life was never going to be a happy one. He was orphaned at eight years old when his mother was stabbed 26 times with a screwdriver and left to die. In the early 1990's, Tapia served a three and half year boxing ban because of his cocaine addiction but he returned in 1994 to knock out Henry Martinez to claim the vacant WBO super flyweight title. He defended the title 13 times before out-pointing Nana Yaw Konadu to win the WBA bantamweight crown in 1998. It appeared as though Mi Vida Locas (my crazy life) as he was known, had finally turned his life around but in 2007, he was hospitalized after what appeared to be a cocaine overdose. If that was not tragic enough several days later, his brother-in-law and his nephew were killed in a car accident on their way to Albuquerque to see the fallen boxer. |
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