Mi Vida Loca

Authors:

By Jonny Tepia, Bettina Giolis

Format:

Hardback

Availability:

In print, usually dispatched within 3-4 days.

Price:

£15.99

Tagged with:

Boxing, Biography

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Further Details

• Published: 28th Feb 2006
• ISBN: 1566252717
• Pages: 290

From the Publisher:

There is only one winner in boxing. Fighting against your opponent and fighting against your own inner demons become one in the same. Those who survive both in and out of the ring are beloved worldwide. Those who do not spiral downward into drugs, prison, and even murder.

A true-life story stranger-than-fiction, Johnny Tapia lost his father before he was born and witnessed the kidnapping of his mother at age eight. She was later murdered, leaving Johnny behind with a issues to confront and a desire to use drugs to avoid them. Although his addiction sky-rocketed at the same time he began his boxing career as a teenager, Johnny became an Olympic hopeful with a record of 150 wins and 12 losses during his amateur career alone.

By the age of 21, Johnny won two National Golden Glove titles, turned pro, and went on to win the USBA Junior Bantamweight title. Johnny continued to box and win, despite his cocaine addiction that steered him in and out of courtrooms and detention centers, until he lost a world title shot when he tested positive for cocaine in the early 90s. He was immediately suspended from professional boxing.

Shortly before returning to the ring in 1994, Johnny nearly died from several drug overdoses. He turned his life around with the help of his now wife and manager, Teresa Tapia; kicked his habit for good; and fought harder than ever against some of boxing's greatest champs, including Oscar Aguilar, Danny Romero, and Paulie Ayala.

Johnny's professional record to date is accentuated by five world titles in three separate weight divisions. He has reigned as WBO junior bantamweight champion (1994-1998), IBF junior bantamweight champion (1997-1998), WBA bantamweight champion (1998-1999), WBO bantamweight champion (2000), and IBF featherweight king (2002).

…[My] life's been pretty tragic, remarks Johnny. But in the ring, it’s been a blessing. Mi Vida Loca is not just a nickname for Johnny, but a legendary tale of a life lived over the edge and back