Johnny Tapia Found Dead In New Mexico Home (DETAILS)
Oh No! Boxing Champ Found Dead In New Mexico Home (DETAILS)
The boxing world lost a great champion this weekend, after 45-year-old Johnny Tapia was found dead Sunday in his Albuquerque home.
In a career riddled with cocaine addiction, alcohol and depression, the five-time boxing champ was found dead in his home after authorities were called to the house at about 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.
According to spokesman Police Robert Gibbs, the death didn’t appear to be suspicious.
Tapia won five championships in three weight classes, winning the WBA bantamweight title, the IBF and WBO junior bantamweight titles and the IBF featherweight belt.
In 2007, Tapia was hospitalized after a cocaine overdose and several days later, his brother-in-law and his nephew were killed in car accident on their way to Albuquerque to see him fight.
Tapia was banned from boxing for 3 and a half years in the early `90s because of his cocaine addiction. But he knocked out Henry Martinez to win the WBO bantamweight title in 1994, and won four more championships over the next eight years.
At 44, Tapia continued to fight. His last match was in June, outpointing Mauricio Pastrana in an eight-round decision. He finished with a 59-5-2 record.
Gibbs said an autopsy will be performed in the next few days.
