West Albuquerque Community Mourns Tapia

Johnny Tapia

KOB - The community continues to mourn boxing champion Johnny Tapia, who was found dead Sunday night at his home in West Albuquerque. Mourners turned Tapia's gym, Team Tapia, on San Mateo near Menaul, into a shrine for Tapia and what he called "Mi Vida Loca," "My Crazy Life."
It was a crazy life made crazier with five world boxing titles and epic bouts with narcotics, booze and jails. Through it all, Tapia remained the tough little guy from Wells Park, with fists like concrete and a heart as soft as Jello instant pudding. Tapia's gym was quiet on Monday. Welterweight Hector Munoz, Johnny's protégé, has lost a trainer and a friend with a fight coming up. "He's always in my corner," Munoz said. "Two years I've been training with him, he's always going to be in my corner. I know for this fight, I'm gonna make him proud and go win this fight." Read full story here: News New Mexico

West Albuquerque Community Mourns Tapia