Johnny Tapia Gravesite Vandalized, Son Shot in Road Rage Incident Same Day

By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent

 

 Albuquerque, New Mexico (October 29th, 2019)– In a same day coincidence in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which has shaken up the boxing world, the gravesite of former three-division world boxing champion Johnny Tapia has been vandalized, and his son has been shot in the leg on his motorcycle in a road rage incident on the same day. The two incidents, now fully reported, with a shooting suspect in custody, happened on Tuesday, October 19, 2019. Johnny’s widow Teresa has gone public, saying shew is devastated.

 




Here are the details of both incidents.

 

Johnny’s 19-year-old son, who is in the National Guard, and was about to be called up for active duty, was shot in a road rage incident. The bullet is too close to the femoral artery to be removed, and he has been discharged from the hospital without surgery. The passenger who fired a gun at the young Tapia’s motorcycle, a suspect identified by investigators as Luis Armijo, 38, has been arrested, and is now facing aggravated battery and shooting at or from a motor vehicle charges. The shot was fired after Tapia and Armijo had an argument on the road. It is unknown is the younger Tapia will now be able to resume his military career.

 

Also, at San Jose De Armijo Cemetery in Albuquerque, the late boxing champion Johnny Tapia’s grave was vandalized, with pictures burned, and glass candles smashed. It is unknown if the two incidents are related.




 

Johnny ‘Mi Vida Loca’ Tapia, who died in 2012, boxed professionally between 1988 and 2011, had had a professional record of 50-5-2 with 30 knockouts. Tapia held the world super flyweight, world bantamweight and world featherweight titles at various times during his career. Tapia wrote his autobiography in 2006, appropriately titled ‘Mi Vida Loca-The Crazy Life of Johnny Tapia’. At the beginning of his book, Tapia explained “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 years old, 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 (in my life) I came close to dying. But I have lived, and (I) 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?”  It would appear Tapia, who has been dead for seven years, and his family, have had some mutual new bad luck.

 

On May 27, 2013, Tapia was found dead at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The subsequent official autopsy report declared Johnny Tapia’s death was the result of heart problems, and the onset of Hepatitis C (possibly and very likely related to the many body tattoos he had). His widow, 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 her husband died after using illegal drugs. “This shows 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 a drug overdose, prescription drug overdose or alcohol, but indicated the 45-year-old Tapia likely suffered from medical complications related to previous illegal drug use. Mrs. Tapia stated after her husband’s death her husband was taking medication for bipolar disorder and high blood pressure.




Johnny Tapia’s last ring appearance was on June 4, 2011, when Tapia came off the canvas to deck his opponent and win an eight-round decision, over 52 fight veteran Mauricio Pastrana of Columbia, at Hard Rock (Isleta) Casino & Resort in Albuquerque.

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