Finale Loco!
Tapia triumphant in feisty farewell fight to the '505'; Edges late-sub Primero for majority decision

Ringside report by Chris Cozzone and Ricardo Trujillo
Photos by Chris Cozzone

New Mexico’s most-loved fighter and, perhaps, its greatest champion ever, five-time world champion Johnny Tapia, a.k.a. “the Baby-faced Assassin,” “Mi Vida Loca,” closed the book on a 63-pro fight career last night in his hometown of Albuquerque.

Making good on a decade-long promise to his fans, to stage his final fray in his hometown, Tapia delivered the goods one last time with a hard-fought and dramatic debate of leather slinging with last-minute replacement scrapper Evaristo Primero at Isleta Casino south of Albuquerque.

“I love you, Albuquerque! This is for you!” Tapia screamed to the packed, standing-room-only crowd of 3,000 frenzied fans after he was announced winner by majority decision.

After the crowd was swept out by security and maintenance, Tapia, at his final press conference, told the media, “This was for them.”

“My fans have kept me in this game. My fans have kept with me through thick and thin, through left and right. When I was down, they were down. When I got back up, they got back up . . .

“When I got hit, they got hit . . . .”

If that was the case, the 3,000 in attendance, most likely, left the Isleta Showroom with several bruises and headaches, for, through ten thriller rounds, the 40-year-old Tapia, although deservedly winning, was on the receiving end of the milling more so than ever.

Contradicting his surname, Juarez’s Evaristo Primero was not the first choice for an opponent—but he was the last, both, for this fight and for Tapia’s career.

Originally, Tapia was slated to take on Colombian Ilido Julio (33-10-1, 29 KOs), at least up until the day of the fight—until the Isleta Athletic Commission realized he’d failed his medicals. Promoter Lenny Fresquez scrambled for a desperate last-minute opponent, a list that began with Paulino Villalobos (26-35-2, 16 KOs) , who’d pulled out of his bout with Cesar Lopez due to a cut that must’ve miraculously healed when he gleefully jumped at a chance for a much bigger payday with Tapia.

But instead of Villalobos, who was shot down for one reason or another, next in line turned out to be shopworn Juarez retiree Albert Cepeda (15-13-1, 11 KOs), who’d last fought as a jr. welter three years ago after dropping eight straight . . . but he didn’t work either so, with just a couple hours left before Tapia was scheduled to wind his way into the ring, the pressure fell on two El Paso stablemates who were scheduled to open up the show with a six-round exhibition bout, both having lost their opponents the week of the fight—Cesar Lopez lost Villalobos and Juarez’s Primero, Espanola’s Tony Valdez, who backed out with a broken rib or two.

Both Primero and Lopez were game—and the Tapia camp opted for Primero, who, outweighed by ten pounds from the weigh-in results the day before, still posed a much more dangerous threat to Tapia than Ilido Julio ever did.

Temporarily groaning when announced of Cepeda as the late sub, media ringsiders, at least those in the know, now knew there was going to be a fight in Tapia’s last stand.

And Tapia’s last dance, this turned out to be for, if there were any doubts that he should retire before getting into the ring against Primero, there is certainly no longer any questions.

Reflexes, speed and power—even the trademark victory back flips attempted over and over without success—were but a shade of the great champion who is sure to enter the Hall of Fame.

But the fans, the press—we all knew that. What we’d come to see was not a 40-year-old body—that had survived 62 pro and 162 amateur wars, not to mention the comas, the duels with death, the drugs—but the heart and soul of Tapia eke out his much-deserved final win.

The fans, and Johnny, got what they wanted—but it was not easy.

Primero played cautious in the opening stanza, content for a single counter-shot now and then, while Tapia rushed him, jabbing and working him to the body. 

A solid right hand to Tapia’s face opened up the second heat, but, again, Tapia, working behind the jab, outworked the Juarez pug, who was showing a solid defense and preventing the former champ from hitting him clean.

Primero’s big right earned him the third round. While Tapia was more active, it was Primero who was scoring the cleaner blows until, by the round’s end, the hometown hero was looking tired.

Dancing left and right, Primero outboxed Tapia in the fourth, and looked more confident with every telling blow. Still, Tapia sought to mix it up close quarters, trying to land left hooks to the body.

Both fighters traded body shots in the fifth—both fighters swinging lower than they needed to. After losing the third and fourth round, Tapia put his noggin’ to work and bobbed his way out of what would’ve been two or more clean, straight right hands of Primero’s, edging the round with aggression.

Round six was a toss-up, with Tapia jabbing and hooking to the body, with a damaging head butt that marked both fighters. Tapia’s nose made a cracking noise from the butt while the right side of Primero’s head opened up a rivulet of crimson.

Tapia targeted the wound in the seventh, but it was Primero’s big rights that landed nearly every time he threw one, sealing the round. In the last minute, however, Tapia forced Primero to mix it up, but was unable to land clean enough to steal the round.

In round eight, it was more of the same, Tapia’s reflexes not obeying and Primero finding a home for his right. After eight, the writers both scored it four rounds apiece.

But it was in the last two rounds that Tapia dug deep, pulling out enough veteran moves and must-win aggression to edge out Primero for the win.

In the ninth, it was Tapia’s snapping jab that edged Primero. In the final heat, weathering Primero’s body attack, Tapia poured on every last ounce of aggression, keeping the Juarez scrapper against the ropes and banging away upstairs and down for what was, still, a flip-a-coin round.

At the end of ten, judges went from a ridiculous 98-92 (Garcia) to dead-on variances of 96-94 (Martinez) and 95-95 (Saiz).

NewMexicoBoxing.com/Fightnews.com writers varied only on the final round. Trujillo scored it a draw, 95-95 and Cozzone, 96-94 for Tapia.

“I didn’t feel his power and he was much heavier than me,” said Primero, now 14-10-1, (7 KOs).

“I thought I won but I knew I was going to have to knock him out to win here. We were in his house . . . but I’m glad he gave me the opportunity to fight him. It was a good fight.”

Teresa Tapia, Johnny’s wife and manager, was satisfied with the night:

“I thought it was a great fight. He came to give the crowd what they wanted and that’s all he cared about. He was with an opponent who kept taunting  him—when that happens, you’ll always see the Johnny the brawler instead of Johnny the boxer.”

After 31 years of boxing, Tapia closes his career with a record of 56-5-2 (28 KOs), five world titles, two national amateur championships in 162 bouts, and the lifelong admiration of a hometown crowd who will not soon forget him.

“It’s a beautiful thing and I could not have done it without my fans,” said a jubilant Johnny at a press conference held 20 minutes after the fight.

“I did what I had to do and I retired here in Albuquerque. This was the way I wanted to go out—with a good fight.

“I went through seven opponents for this one. I studied for one opponent—Ilido Julio—and this other guy was real awkward. He took some good shots when I hit him and he ran too much, but it’s all good.”

Former world champ Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas was on hand to support his carnal, Tapia.

“He proved that he’s not only a champion in the ring, but a champion in life,” said Vargas, who is gearing up for a June fight against Ricardo Mayorga.

As for the next stage in the life of Johnny Tapia?

“What does the future hold? To lay back and make a lot of babies. I’m done with fighting but I am so thankful. I got three beautiful kids and a beautiful wife. It’s time for the youngsters to take over. I’ll be there for them, 150 percent. I’m gonna sit back and enjoy life, and train fighters. But this is it for fighting—besides, I’ve missed my Dr. Peppers.”

When asked about the highlight of his career, Tapia spoke about his 1994 world title fight against Henry Martinez.

“It was the first time a title was won in the state of New Mexico. It was also after three and a half years of abusing [cocaine]. That was my most important fight. The fans were there for me and it was a beautiful thing.

“Like tonight.”

'Finito' shows his stuff

Looks like Duke City’s David “Finito” Martinez might’ve won his fans back last night, after his blistering, dominating performance over the always-gutsy, always-game Santa Fean, Bryan Garcia.

In his last showing, Martinez was booed—this time the crowd was all for him as he, over eight heated frames, put on a clinic, then poured the punishment on Garcia.

Martinez won round one jabbing to the head and body, showing superior speed and himself, a more accomplished boxer than Garcia, whose plan was to bull his way at Martinez.

Garcia’s pressure increased tenfold in round two—but so did Martinez’s boxing science. Martinez kept his composure, even when he was wrestled to the canvas where Garcia got off a quick UFC-style ground-‘n’-pound punch on Martinez. Ref Lorenzo Saiz gave him the warning and, for the most part, the Santa Fean obeyed, keeping it clean yet compelling.

Finito put on a clinic through round six, at first, peppering, pop-popping and pot-shotting the rushing-in Garcia from the outside, then turning the aggression around and forcing the Santa Fe scrapper to the ropes where he went to work on Garcia’s body.

While Martinez’s big rights made the most impression, Garcia’s relentless aggression and occasional big punch kept him from being labeled a punching bag and easy win for Martinez, although the Duke City hopeful did not seem effected by any of Garcia’s scoring blows.

Garcia stepped on the gas in the seventh and had one of his best rounds, but Martinez, throwing up the ear muffs, took it all in stride before coming back with vengeance in the final heat, when he put Garcia in a world of hurt, making the fight look like a stoppage was but a combination away.

But Garcia, nose gushing throughout the fight and spraying ringsiders with the red mist when on the ropes, weathered the storm only to lose it on the cards.

All three judges scored it for Martinez: 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74.

NMB/FN writers differed slightly: Trujillo had it 78-74, Martinez; Cozzone, 79-73.

“I give it up to him because he came up with a plan and did a great job,” said Garcia, 7-17-2 (3 KOs), losing his ninth straight but never failing to put on a show. “I put on the pressure but he fought a great fight.  I take my hat off to him.”

After announced the winner, Martinez got on his knees and proposed to his girlfriend, Veronica Canela, who accepting the offer, was rushed into the ring to join her fiancé.

“He’s got heart and I knew he was going to be tough,” said Martinez, now 17-2-1 (3 KOs). “I hurt my right in the third but I a right hand wasn’t going to keep me down—I knew I still had my left.

“I had the range on him, and could’ve stayed there all night long, but the fighter in me wanted to brawl with him and give the fans a good fight.”

When asked how he rated his performance, Martinez replied, “On a scale of 1 to 10, I give myself a 5. Why? Because I know I can be a lot better than that.

“You guys got five more steps to see, so stick around.”

Willie's back!

After two less-than-spectacular performances, Albuquerque jr. lightweight Willie Villanueva (4-0) showed his stuff by outboxing and nearly stopping the ever-game Gabe Gonzales (1-2, 1 KO) of Alcalde, N.M. in a six-round rematch that was upgraded from four at a moment’s notice.

Villanueva came out with the intention of outboxing the aggressive southpaw in the first, and the action heated up through the second, when Gonzales saw his best round—and only winning round on any scorecard—when he staggered Villanueva with a big left cross.

But after that, it was all Villanueva.

Unlike the first fight that had Gonzales all over Villanueva from start to finish, this time, the Alcalde fighter stayed right where Villanueva wanted him—at the end of his range. With each connecting punch, Villanueva stepped up his attack, until he was no longer counter-punching but coming at Gonzales with a knockout on his mind.

While round four was on the slower side, Villanueva countering again and conserving his energy, the last two rounds saw the Duke City fighter staggering Gonzales from a variety of blows until, in the last 30 seconds, the Alcalde scrapper looked moments away from dropping to the canvas. Big body blows—one in the fifth and several in the sixth—had Gonzales wincing, then tying up; and left hooks upstairs nearly ended the fight, but Gonzales weathered the storm.

All three judges had Villanueva the victor: 60-54 twice and 59-55.

NMB/FN gave Gonzales the second, scoring it 59-55.

“I’d never fought six rounds before so I thought I’d take my place a little slower,” said Villanueva. “But you can’t really take it slow when you have to fight.

“I was going for the knockout but he took it. I don’t know what kept him up.”

Gonzales, who’s been improving greatly at the Crego Gym in the South Valley, said he had problems with his wind and admitted he was thinking and hesitating too much in the fight.

“I’ll stay in the gym and I’ll be back in a couple months,” he promised.

Ortiz enters, Castillo exits

In the four-round curtain-raiser, pro debuting Antonio Ortiz (1-0) , little-known jr. welter of Albuquerque, earned a bit of rep with a well-earned majority decision over El Paso’s most reluctant fighter, Oscar Castillo (1-5).

Although green, Ortiz took the fight to Castillo, rushing at the counter-punching El Pasoan through the first two rounds with pawing jabs, effective body blasts and haymaker rights. Castillo did not fire back until the remaining moments of the second.

In the third, however, the only round in which he snapped out of his dream state, Castillo let his hands go and, while Ortiz started to tire, added one or two punches to his counters and won the round.

Castillo was back to sleepwalking in the final heat, while Ortiz woke up and resumed his aggressive attacks on his opponent to win with scores of 39-37 twice and 38-38.

NMB/FN had it three rounds to one, also for Ortiz, 39-37.

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