Editing Johnny Tapia (section)

==Professional career==

===Super flyweight===

====Early years====
Tapia's professional boxing career began on March 25, 1988, when he fought Effren Chavez in [[Irvine, California]]. After four rounds of boxing the fight was called a draw. He won eight fights that year, five by knockout, of which four were in the first round.
In 1989, he won seven more fights, including a first-round knockout of Abner Barajas and an eight-round decision against [[John Michael Johnson]].

In 1990, he won seven bouts, including an eight-round decision over [[Jesus Chong]], an eleventh-round technical knockout of Roland Gomez in [[Reno, Nevada|Reno]] that gave him the USBA super flyweight title, and a twelve-round decision over Luigi Camputaro, to retain that title. Tapia was, by the end of the year, a known boxer, his name often appearing in magazine articles. However, his career came to a halt for the next three and a half years after being suspended from boxing for testing positive for [[cocaine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxingscene.com/johnny-tapia-fails-drug-test-rehab--9911 |title=Johnny Tapia Fails Drug Test in Rehab - Boxing News |publisher=Boxingscene.com |date=2007-08-14 |access-date=2012-05-28}}</ref>

When he finally returned to the ring on March 27, 1994, he beat Jaime Olvera by a knockout in four rounds in [[Tulsa, Oklahoma]]. He won three more fights by knockout, and then he faced Oscar Aguilar on the [[Michael Carbajal]]&ndash;[[Josué Camacho]] undercard in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] for the NABF super flyweight title, winning in three rounds. Five days later the Albuquerque Police claimed they found cocaine after the fight in a bag carried by Tapia. Tapia claimed what the police found was only a soap bar, and the charges were eventually dropped.

====First world title====
On October 12, 1994 at The Pit, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tapia defeated [[Henry Martínez (boxer)|Henry Martínez]] in eleven rounds to win the vacant WBO super flyweight title. He then knocked out former champion [[Rolando Bohol]] in the second round. In his first title defense, Tapia defeated Jose Rafael Sosa by decision.

He retained the title with a nine-round technical draw with Ricardo Vargas and a decision in twelve against his onetime nemesis in the amateur ranks, [[Arthur Johnson (boxer)|Arthur Johnson]]. After two more wins, he gave Willy Salazar a title shot, knocking him out in nine rounds.
In 1996, he fought six more times, keeping his undefeated record and defending the title five additional times during that period, which included wins against Giovanni Andrade, Ivan Alvarez, future champion [[Hugo Rafael Soto]], Sammy Stewart and Adonis Cruz. By then, a heated rivalry was cooking up between him and [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] champion [[Danny Romero (boxer)|Danny Romero]]. Their rivalry had begun many years earlier when Romero's father trained both boxers. Tapia's split with the Romero family had not been on good terms.

====Tapia vs Romero unification====
1997 saw Tapia fend off a challenge from [[Jorge Barrera]] in three rounds. After that, the fight with Romero was set for [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]]. The fight took place on July 18. Tapia won by a unanimous twelve-round decision, adding the IBF title to his WBO belt. In his next fight, he defeated [[Puerto Rico]]'s [[Andy Agosto]] via decision to retain the titles. Tapia began 1998 by successfully defending his championships for the 11th time against former world champion [[Rodolfo Blanco]] of [[Colombia]] via decision, and then he vacated his world titles in order to move up in weight.

===Bantamweight===
On December 5, 1998, Tapia defeated [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] bantamweight champion [[Nana Konadu]] by decision to become a two-division world champion.

====Tapia vs. Ayala====
In 1999, Tapia suffered his first loss in his 48-bout career, losing a decision and the WBA title to [[Paulie Ayala]] in what ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring Magazine]]'' called its "Fight of the Year." Later that year, Tapia tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose and required hospitalization. Back quickly after that, he was given a shot at the WBO title. He became a two time world bantamweight champion by beating [[Jorge Eliecer Julio]] by a decision at Albuquerque on January 8, 2000. After he defended his belt with a decision over Javier Torres, a rematch with Ayala to unify the belt was set up. Ayala won by unanimous decision in a fight that ring observers largely felt Tapia won; following the fight, Showtime commentators said that Tapia "put on a clinic" and "something's not right," nearly labeling the decision as rigged.

===Featherweight===
Tapia returned home to prepare for bouts in 2001, when he went up in weight and beat Famosito Gomez by a knockout in six, and former WBC featherweight champion [[Cesar Soto (boxer)|Cesar Soto]] by knockout in three.

In 2002, Tapia traveled to London, where he knocked out Eduardo Enrique Alvarez in the first round; after the bout, he was interviewed by former rival Romero. Tapia's next bout, for the [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]] [[featherweight]] title, was versus [[Manuel Medina (boxer)|Manuel Medina]]. Tapia won a dubious decision, becoming a world title holder in three different divisions. He left the title vacant so he could face [[Lineal championship|Lineal]] & ''The Ring'' champion [[Marco Antonio Barrera]], who beat Tapia by unanimous decision.

===Comeback===
Tapia returned on the night of October 4, 2003, defeating Carlos Contreras by ten round unanimous decision at Albuquerque.

On April 15, 2005, he sustained an injury to his left eye, but was able to continue and win a repeat match-up with Frankie Archuleta. That win came by ten round split decision in Albuquerque.

At 38, Tapia faced little-known Sandro Marcos in Chicago. In the second round, Marcos connected with a left hook to the body. Tapia fell to the canvas, clutching his ribcage, as referee Genaro Rodriguez reached the count of 10.<ref>[http://www.15rounds.com Boxing News by 15rounds.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Later career and problems===
On January 17, 2007, Tapia held a press conference stating that he would face Ilido Julio on February 23 in his home town of [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], then retire. The bout was being promoted as ''The Final Fury'' and Tapia promised he would win.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|author=Dan RafaelBoxingArchive |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2735212 |title=Tapia to fight Julio in New Mexico, then retire - boxing - ESPN |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=2007-01-18 |access-date=2012-05-28}}</ref> Tapia won the fight by majority decision, 98–92, 96–94, 95–95.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=517074 |title=BoxRec Boxing Records |publisher=Boxrec.com |date=2007-02-23 |access-date=2012-05-28}}</ref>

Tapia was found unconscious and not breathing in a hotel room early on the morning of March 12, 2007. Tapia was hospitalized in critical condition from an apparent cocaine overdose at Albuquerque Presbyterian Hospital.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2796345 |title=Five-time world champion in serious condition - boxing - ESPN |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=2007-03-13 |access-date=2012-05-28}}</ref>

The next day, on the morning of March 13, Tapia's brother-in-law and nephew were killed in an automobile accident on U.S. Highway 550 near [[Bloomfield, New Mexico]], apparently en route to the hospital to visit Tapia. That same day, Tapia was upgraded from critical to serious condition.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/13/boxer-johnny-tapias-brother--law-dies-wreck/ |title=Boxer Johnny Tapia's brother-in-law dies in wreck : Local : Albuquerque Tribune |publisher=Abqtrib.com |date=2007-03-13 |access-date=2012-05-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602180355/http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/13/boxer-johnny-tapias-brother--law-dies-wreck/ |archive-date=2012-06-02 }}</ref>

Tapia was scheduled to make a comeback on May 2, 2008, in [[El Paso, Texas]], but pulled out due to contractual disputes with promoter Ron Weathers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/05-tapia.html |title=Fightnews New Mexico Boxing.com - Fight Results |access-date=2008-05-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517231953/http://www.newmexicoboxing.com/fights2008/05-tapia.html |archive-date=2008-05-17 }}</ref>

On February 11, 2009, Tapia was taken into custody in Albuquerque for a violation of parole related to cocaine use.

Tapia beat Jorge Alberto Reyes by a knockout in the 4th round on March 6, 2010, at the Ohkay Casino, San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, United States, in front of a sold-out crowd.