The Ghost of Johnny Tapia
By Paul Zanon with Teresa Tapia
Hamilcar Publications.
‘Mi Vida Loca’ (My Crazy Life) was Johnny Tapia’s nickname, but, more poignantly, a true reflection of his lifestyle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his mother when he was a child, fighting and drugs gave him the escape he craved, and he did both with gusto.
Tragedy and drama followed Johnny throughout his life. His father was murdered before he was born and the Albuquerque, New Mexico, favourite was pronounced dead on arrival on a number of occasions because of drug overdoses.
A promising fighter from an early age, his career took off despite the drama of his personal life and thanks to his wife Teresa. She kept him alive, protected him from the police and the media, and somehow always
got him back in the ring after each drug spree or disappearance.
Trainers never managed to stay around very long and, in the end, it was family friend and agent, Bob Case, who prompted Teresa to step up:
“Manage him, then the money’s in the family and nobody’s trying to pick the gold out of your teeth.”
When she became Johnny’s manager, their bond grew even stronger.
Johnny Tapia’s reign as a three-weight world champion spanned over eight years from 1994‒2002. He had twenty world-title fights, never once losing in his beloved hometown of Albuquerque. He would often be seen looking at the camera after a fight, saying, “I love you 505” (the area code for New Mexico).
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017—his first year of eligibility—Tapia was one of the best and most exciting fighters of the last thirty years.
In The Ghost Of Johnny Tapia, Paul Zanon, with the help of Tapia’s widow Teresa, tells the harrowing and unforgettable story of a boxing genius who couldn’t, in the end, defeat his demons.
Paul Zanon has written eight boxing books, four of them bestsellers. He has co-hosted boxing shows on Talk Sport, been a pundit on London Live and BoxNation and is a regular contributor to outlets including Boxing Monthly, Hannibal Boxing, and British Vintage Boxing.
Paul is a member of the British Boxing Writers’ Club and the Sports Journalists Association.
He grew up in Acton and now lives in Surrey and has a passion for travelling and photography.
The Ghost of Johnny Tapia is part of Hamilcar Publications’ Hamilcar Noir series, ‘Hard-Hitting True Crime’ which blends boxing and true crime.
Hamilcar Publications, the book publishing division of Hannibal Boxing, is a Boston-based publisher focused on the world of professional boxing.
Hamilcar’s titles showcase the work of the finest boxing writers in the world, offering compelling subjects that appeal to fans of the ‘sweet science’ as well as to readers who are passionate about great nonfiction storytelling, regardless of genre.
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