Whoa that is sad. He had a lot of legal problems and drug problems and he came from a troubled home. Too young.

RIP

RIP Tilapia

And I hate this meme, yet here I am.

/is part of the problem

Will they check his brain for CTE?

A Terrible Human: Will they check his brain for CTE?

Do you often go around speculating what's in tin cans marked "BEANS" at the grocery store?

It's possible he DIDN'T have CTE. But it's also possible there's gold bullion in those cans labeled beans. I wouldn't hold your breath waiting to find said gold bullion, though.

A Terrible Human: Will they check his brain for CTE?

I don't want to get ahead of the investigation but this guy had a long history of cocaine addiction and I doubt/hope this wasn't a suicide like the others.

THey should probably check it anyway.

doglover: Do you often go around speculating what's in tin cans marked "BEANS" at the grocery store?

Well there are pinto beans,black beans,navy beans,lima beans,kidney beans,soybeans,I really could go on. So yeah if the can just says BEANS I might wonder what kind of beans but that's besides the point since every brain that can be used for research about CTE probably should be.

A Terrible Human: doglover: Do you often go around speculating what's in tin cans marked "BEANS" at the grocery store?

Well there are pinto beans,black beans,navy beans,lima beans,kidney beans,soybeans,I really could go on. So yeah if the can just says BEANS I might wonder what kind of beans but that's besides the point since every brain that can be used for research about CTE probably should be.

What research needs to be done?

Getting hit in the head is bad. If you're going to make a career of it, expect problems.

No exactly brain surgery now it? Well, okay, it's brain surgery, but it's nothing we haven't know about about forever. Your body even instinctively protects the head.

doglover: Getting hit in the head is bad. If you're going to make a career of it, expect problems.

No exactly brain surgery now it? Well, okay, it's brain surgery, but it's nothing we haven't know about about forever. Your body even instinctively protects the head.


So since getting hit in the head is bad and everyone already knows that CTE shouldn't be researched? Brilliant!

A Terrible Human: doglover: Getting hit in the head is bad. If you're going to make a career of it, expect problems.

No exactly brain surgery now it? Well, okay, it's brain surgery, but it's nothing we haven't know about about forever. Your body even instinctively protects the head.


So since getting hit in the head is bad and everyone already knows that CTE shouldn't be researched? Brilliant!

Hey, priories man.

1. Cancer
2. Heart Disease
3. AIDS
4. Diabeetus
5. Nerve Regeneration
6. Burns
7. Regrowing Teeth
8. Malaria
9. Stroke
10. Male Pattern Baldness

Those are the big 10 affecting everyone in the world. Everything else should be considered lower priority.

dameron: [upload.wikimedia.org image 640x479]

RIP Tilapia

And I hate this meme, yet here I am.

/is part of the problem




Descanse en Paz, Tapatio

/more of the problemo

That guy always looked like he was having roid rage.

knew a dedicated weightlifter who used heroin. go figure. he dropped the free weights bar while exercising high, snapped his neck. young guy too. sad.

...farking bishes.

Going on past history it's probably best not to bury for a couple of weeks to make sure that this time he really is dead. Oh, and...

RIP Johnny Tapir

He had struggles his whole life, even while he was on top of the world of boxing. but man, he was a helluva fighter. RIP johnny, you were one of the best.

Damn, that's a shame. I remember watching several of his bouts. His chest tattoo was so distinctive you never forgot who you were watching in the ring. I saw one bout where he was completely overmatched and was taking a lot of hard shots, but he never gave up. He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

RIP Tapia. May you finally rest without your demons.

doglover:
1. Cancer
2. Heart Disease
3. AIDS
4. Diabeetus
5. Nerve Regeneration
6. Burns
7. Regrowing Teeth
8. Malaria
9. Stroke
10. Male Pattern Baldness

Those are the big 10 affecting everyone in the world. Everything else should be considered lower priority.
it's never Lupus

So. Tapia tapped.

I had no idea he wrestled in his off time

He was a shining role model for douchebags and jerks.
Guess it was his time to tap out.

vudukungfu: He was a shining role model for douchebags and jerks.
Guess it was his time to tap out.

Except boxers don't tap out, they throw in the towel.

drugs are bad

SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

Honestly, it's probably for the best. Too young, yeah, but things weren't going to get better for him; he was too old to box and he didn't know anything else. It's an early death or, what, years of financial struggle as people forget about him, probably further drug problems, because I really doubt he'd stay on the wagon if things got bad enough, maybe eventually homelessness; it's sad, but it might be the best case scenario. There are few things sadder than a washed-up boxer.

DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

I saw an interview with Gotti shortly before he died. It was sad. You could barely understand what he was saying and the sentences that you could understand really didn't make any sense.

DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

That's not what caught up to Johnny. Years ago I knew him.

The man's father was murdered before he was born. His mother was beaten, raped, stabbed and hanged when he was young. Johnny found her. The murderer was never caught, and when they finally figured out who they think did it the guy had died years before.

Johnny's problems came long before he was involved in drugs, gangs or boxing. They were more a symptom than a cause.

Johnny wasn't going to live a long life. Even if there is zero brain damage this is a guy that was self destructive from a very early age. But, I always liked him, and he was always a great guy when I was around him.

RIP 5 time world champion

Very sad news indeed. I recommend everyone to read his autobiography "Mi Vida Loca" he had one farked up life and some demons that never left him. I mean, the guy saw his mother get murdered that has to leave a life-long mental scarring. Some people consider a miracle the fact that he was alive let alone fighting.

The man gave his public an exciting fight every time out, and for that we thank him. He found a safe place in the ring where the love and admiration for his determination made him forget his problems at least for a while, but at some point the bright lights had to stop burning.

SharkTrager: DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

That's not what caught up to Johnny. Years ago I knew him.

The man's father was murdered before he was born. His mother was beaten, raped, stabbed and hanged when he was young. Johnny found her. The murderer was never caught, and when they finally figured out who they think did it the guy had died years before.

Johnny's problems came long before he was involved in drugs, gangs or boxing. They were more a symptom than a cause.

Johnny wasn't going to live a long life. Even if there is zero brain damage this is a guy that was self destructive from a very early age. But, I always liked him, and he was always a great guy when I was around him.

This. Tapia was a pretty warm guy to be around but it seems like his demons caught up to him when he was by himself and had nothing else to think about but his problems. Naturally, drugs and alcohol served as an escape and the circle began. You couldn't have said it better, he was self-destructing from a very early age and that was obviously gonna catch up to him.

Link to an article that's a bit longer

Man's been dead 4 times before. Shame it finally took.

ongbok: DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

I saw an interview with Gotti shortly before he died. It was sad. You could barely understand what he was saying and the sentences that you could understand really didn't make any sense.

I don't know who this Gotti character is, but Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was one of my favorite fighters. Hated watching him get thumped by Oscar.

DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

Johnny was much more talented than Gatti. Gatti was tough, but not terribly skilled. He also routinely dehydrated so much that, by fight time, he was 2 weight classes or more heavier than his opponent. He abused the rules, and his body, to such an extent states started changing those rules to limit how much weight you could regain between weigh-ins and the fight. I remember matches where the weight difference was so great the announcers were practically calling for the fight to be stopped before it started.

SharkTrager: I always liked him, and he was always a great guy when I was around him.

The first person I met when I moved to Arizona was his cousin. Nice guy, but consumed by drugs. I couldn't trust him, (he never did any harm to me, but I saw how he treated his obligations) so I had to distance myself from him. This will hit him hard. He idolized his cousin.

majestic: ongbok: DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

I saw an interview with Gotti shortly before he died. It was sad. You could barely understand what he was saying and the sentences that you could understand really didn't make any sense.

I don't know who this Gotti character is, but Arturo "Thunder" Gatti was one of my favorite fighters. Hated watching him get thumped by Oscar.

At least he got a couple of shots in against De la Hoya, the beating he took against Mayweather is hard to watch.

SharkTrager: DrewCurtisJr: SmackLT: He was fearless--stupid, some would say. But he kept coming at you like a skinny little Terminator.

In the same mold as Arturo Gotti, popular and admired for his ability to keep coming after taking a vicious beating. Those catch up to you.

Johnny was much more talented than Gatti. Gatti was tough, but not terribly skilled. He also routinely dehydrated so much that, by fight time, he was 2 weight classes or more heavier than his opponent. He abused the rules, and his body, to such an extent states started changing those rules to limit how much weight you could regain between weigh-ins and the fight. I remember matches where the weight difference was so great the announcers were practically calling for the fight to be stopped before it started.

Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: SharkTrager: I always liked him, and he was always a great guy when I was around him.

The first person I met when I moved to Arizona was his cousin. Nice guy, but consumed by drugs. I couldn't trust him, (he never did any harm to me, but I saw how he treated his obligations) so I had to distance myself from him. This will hit him hard. He idolized his cousin.

There will be a lot of devastated people. If you met Johnny, he treated you like a friend. I wouldn't pretend we were friends because we weren't, but every time I met him he acted as if we'd known each other for years.

It was always funny to me because the media portrayed the Tapia/Romero feud like a good guy/bad guy thing, with Johnny as the bad guy. But I met them both, and Johnny was just a much nicer guy. Danny seemed, frankly, phony and arrogant.

And after Danny's eye injury, when his career really started to decline, Johnny got the broadcasters to hire Danny as a translator for the Spanish speaking boxers, although Danny really didn't do it well. Considering their past that was a serious class move.

ongbok: Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

I don't recall the lawsuit, but the fight was Gamache and, yeah, it was at least 17 pounds, and I think more. The fight was an absolute joke. Before the fight even started you were looking at these 2 boxers and realized they had no business being in the same ring.

At those weight classes Gatti was regularly 10-12% heavier than his opponent by fight time, making the fight a serious mismatch. It's one of the reasons I am very conflicted about Gatti. The man was a warrior, who fought some brutal battles against men who had much better skills. But he only got those fights because he built his record fighting people 2 weight classes lower than he was.

SharkTrager: UNAUTHORIZED FINGER: SharkTrager: I always liked him, and he was always a great guy when I was around him.

The first person I met when I moved to Arizona was his cousin. Nice guy, but consumed by drugs. I couldn't trust him, (he never did any harm to me, but I saw how he treated his obligations) so I had to distance myself from him. This will hit him hard. He idolized his cousin.

There will be a lot of devastated people. If you met Johnny, he treated you like a friend. I wouldn't pretend we were friends because we weren't, but every time I met him he acted as if we'd known each other for years.

It was always funny to me because the media portrayed the Tapia/Romero feud like a good guy/bad guy thing, with Johnny as the bad guy. But I met them both, and Johnny was just a much nicer guy. Danny seemed, frankly, phony and arrogant.

And after Danny's eye injury, when his career really started to decline, Johnny got the broadcasters to hire Danny as a translator for the Spanish speaking boxers, although Danny really didn't do it well. Considering their past that was a serious class move.

Holy crap I did not know that it was Tapia who got Romero the gig at Showtime. That is a very very classy gesture. This is the opposite of Seau, a guy that was portrayed as a great person but in reality was a douche.

/Romero did suck as a translator/commentator

JorgiX: Holy crap I did not know that it was Tapia who got Romero the gig at Showtime. That is a very very classy gesture. This is the opposite of Seau, a guy that was portrayed as a great person but in reality was a douche.

/Romero did suck as a translator/commentator

Yeah. He played a big part in that. And, yeah, Danny was terrible. (Sorry Danny). Johnny actually pushed to get Danny involved in his cards when they were aired.

I really think it was because, prior to the falling out, Danny's dad was about as close to being a father as Johnny had. They spent so much time together for such a long time it's hard to imagine that didn't come in to play. Not that that was something we ever talked about. I never had what could be called a "serious" conversation with Johnny.

SharkTrager: ongbok: Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

I don't recall the lawsuit, but the fight was Gamache and, yeah, it was at least 17 pounds, and I think more. The fight was an absolute joke. Before the fight even started you were looking at these 2 boxers and realized they had no business being in the same ring.

At those weight classes Gatti was regularly 10-12% heavier than his opponent by fight time, making the fight a serious mismatch. It's one of the reasons I am very conflicted about Gatti. The man was a warrior, who fought some brutal battles against men who had much better skills. But he only got those fights because he built his record fighting people 2 weight classes lower than he was.

Oh, please. Cutting weight has been part of the game for more than a century. If you can make the weight when you're contracted to do so, then that's what you are. You're not "two weight classes" above anyone else, you're what you weighed in as. And by the way, gaining 17-18 pounds post-weigh-in is absolutely routine for guys at 147 and 154. Routine. Nothing unique about that at all, it's the guys who don't cut a ton of weight who are unique.

As long as I can still get a Taquito Twosome at Mac's Steak in the Rough.

the biggest redneck here: SharkTrager: ongbok: Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

I don't recall the lawsuit, but the fight was Gamache and, yeah, it was at least 17 pounds, and I think more. The fight was an absolute joke. Before the fight even started you were looking at these 2 boxers and realized they had no business being in the same ring.

At those weight classes Gatti was regularly 10-12% heavier than his opponent by fight time, making the fight a serious mismatch. It's one of the reasons I am very conflicted about Gatti. The man was a warrior, who fought some brutal battles against men who had much better skills. But he only got those fights because he built his record fighting people 2 weight classes lower than he was.

Oh, please. Cutting weight has been part of the game for more than a century. If you can make the weight when you're contracted to do so, then that's what you are. You're not "two weight classes" above anyone else, you're what you weighed in as. And by the way, gaining 17-18 pounds post-weigh-in is absolutely routine for guys at 147 and 154. Routine. Nothing unique about that at all, it's the guys who don't cut a ton of weight who are unique.

Cutting weight and then being 17+ pounds heavier the next day is not something that is all that common. There is a difference between cutting weight and what Gatti did, and anyone watching his fights knew it and commented on it.

What is much more common at 141, where Gatti fought Gamache, is more like 5-7 pounds. 17-19 pounds is not routine at that class or, for that matter, at any class.

SharkTrager: The man's father was murdered before he was born. His mother was beaten, raped, stabbed and hanged when he was young. Johnny found her. The murderer was never caught, and when they finally figured out who they think did it the guy had died years before.

He actually discovered that a family friend was his actual birth father, and he found him in 2010. Here's the newscast with a bit of it: Johnny Tapia meets his birth father.

SharkTrager: the biggest redneck here: SharkTrager: ongbok: Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

I don't recall the lawsuit, but the fight was Gamache and, yeah, it was at least 17 pounds, and I think more. The fight was an absolute joke. Before the fight even started you were looking at these 2 boxers and realized they had no business being in the same ring.

At those weight classes Gatti was regularly 10-12% heavier than his opponent by fight time, making the fight a serious mismatch. It's one of the reasons I am very conflicted about Gatti. The man was a warrior, who fought some brutal battles against men who had much better skills. But he only got those fights because he built his record fighting people 2 weight classes lower than he was.

Oh, please. Cutting weight has been part of the game for more than a century. If you can make the weight when you're contracted to do so, then that's what you are. You're not "two weight classes" above anyone else, you're what you weighed in as. And by the way, gaining 17-18 pounds post-weigh-in is absolutely routine for guys at 147 and 154. Routine. Nothing unique about that at all, it's the guys who don't cut a ton of weight who are unique.

Cutting weight and then being 17+ pounds heavier the next day is not something that is all that common. There is a difference between cutting weight and what Gatti did, and anyone watching his fights knew it and commented on it.

What is much more common at 141, where Gatti fought Gamache, is more like 5-7 pounds. 17-19 pounds is not routine at that class or, for that matter, at any class.

Sure it is. 140 to 155 (15 pounds) is common, as are numbers like 175 to 192. For the average guy at 140, he's probably walking around at 155 and fights at 150, but a few more pounds to the heavy isn't going to raise any eyebrows among nutritionists in the game.

And check the stats. Gatti was fighting just his 2nd bout at 140 (up from 135), whereas Ganache had fought at 157 2 bouts before that. Yup, that's correct; just 1 fight separated Ganache being 22 pounds heavier than Gatti. Dude had a terrible habit of getting in the ring with guys who were far bigger than him, and in many cases, far bigger than Gatti.

GSP walks around at 192, weighs in at 170, fights at 188. Jon Jones walks around at 232, weighs in at 205, fights at about 222. Chael Sonnen weighed 232 a couple weeks ago (bloated from a flight), usually walks around at 216. Weighs in at 185, fights at 205+. Shane Mosley is easily 160+ at fight time for both 147 and 154 weigh-ins. Gaining in the teens is commonplace for all weights, 20+ isn't all that rare at the higher weights.

the biggest redneck here: GSP walks around at 192, weighs in at 170, fights at 188. Jon Jones walks around at 232, weighs in at 205, fights at about 222. Chael Sonnen weighed 232 a couple weeks ago (bloated from a flight), usually walks around at 216. Weighs in at 185, fights at 205+. Shane Mosley is easily 160+ at fight time for both 147 and 154 weigh-ins. Gaining in the teens is commonplace for all weights, 20+ isn't all that rare at the higher weights.

Not one of those guys is at 141.

SmackLT: SharkTrager: The man's father was murdered before he was born. His mother was beaten, raped, stabbed and hanged when he was young. Johnny found her. The murderer was never caught, and when they finally figured out who they think did it the guy had died years before.

He actually discovered that a family friend was his actual birth father, and he found him in 2010. Here's the newscast with a bit of it: Johnny Tapia meets his birth father.

That probably even messed with him more. To spend 40+ years believing your dad died before you were born only to find out that you had known your dad all that time?

SharkTrager: the biggest redneck here: GSP walks around at 192, weighs in at 170, fights at 188. Jon Jones walks around at 232, weighs in at 205, fights at about 222. Chael Sonnen weighed 232 a couple weeks ago (bloated from a flight), usually walks around at 216. Weighs in at 185, fights at 205+. Shane Mosley is easily 160+ at fight time for both 147 and 154 weigh-ins. Gaining in the teens is commonplace for all weights, 20+ isn't all that rare at the higher weights.

Not one of those guys is at 141.

Urijah Faber weighs in at 135. Walks at 155, fights at 150. Cruz has an even bigger frame. Mike Brown fights at 145, is rumored to walk at 170+ and fight at 162 (the magical 17 pounds above weigh-ins). These numbers are easy find, look them up for yourself. Guys that size are cutting (and subsequently gaining) a LOT more weight than you think.

the biggest redneck here: SharkTrager: the biggest redneck here: GSP walks around at 192, weighs in at 170, fights at 188. Jon Jones walks around at 232, weighs in at 205, fights at about 222. Chael Sonnen weighed 232 a couple weeks ago (bloated from a flight), usually walks around at 216. Weighs in at 185, fights at 205+. Shane Mosley is easily 160+ at fight time for both 147 and 154 weigh-ins. Gaining in the teens is commonplace for all weights, 20+ isn't all that rare at the higher weights.

Not one of those guys is at 141.

Urijah Faber weighs in at 135. Walks at 155, fights at 150. Cruz has an even bigger frame. Mike Brown fights at 145, is rumored to walk at 170+ and fight at 162 (the magical 17 pounds above weigh-ins). These numbers are easy find, look them up for yourself. Guys that size are cutting (and subsequently gaining) a LOT more weight than you think.

Yup this is very true. Except for when there is a contract clause limiting how much weight a fighter can put on after the weigh-in but those are usually limited to fighters that fail to make weight. A few fighters that jump to mind in cutting tons of weight are Margarito (back when he fought at 147), Chavez (the best example by far), and Victor Ortiz who was a massive 140-pounder, hell he is a huge welterweight. Brandon Rios jumps to mind as an example of the lower weight classes, 135 pounds, until his body could not take it anymore.

Holy shiat and in other VERY sad boxing news it has been reported that Paul "The Punisher" Williams, training for possibly the biggest fight of his career against Canelo Alvarez, was involved in a motorcycle accident and is paralyzed from the waist down :(

SharkTrager: ongbok: Yeah didn't some boxer sue Gatti and which ever state boxing board because Gatti had gained 18 pounds after the official weigh in?

I don't recall the lawsuit, but the fight was Gamache and, yeah, it was at least 17 pounds, and I think more. The fight was an absolute joke. Before the fight even started you were looking at these 2 boxers and realized they had no business being in the same ring.

At those weight classes Gatti was regularly 10-12% heavier than his opponent by fight time, making the fight a serious mismatch. It's one of the reasons I am very conflicted about Gatti. The man was a warrior, who fought some brutal battles against men who had much better skills. But he only got those fights because he built his record fighting people 2 weight classes lower than he was.

Why was it a mis-match? Heavy weights fight and beat guy's way bigger than them. Tyson never was bigger than 220lbs. Holyfield 209 Foreman 265 yet Holyfield beat Foreman. I never bought into that BS.