The tattoo on Johnny Tapia's torso said it all: "Mi vida loca"--"My crazy life." Tapia, who died May 27 of a drug overdose at 45, won world boxing titles in three weight classes: super flyweight (115 lb.), bantamweight (118 lb.) and featherweight (126 lb.). Drawing on the memory of his mother, who was kidnapped and murdered when he was 8, he tore into opponents, winning 22 fights without a loss before being suspended for drug use. His comebacks were punctuated by endless personal battles. (His drug abuse caused him to be declared clinically dead five times.) He won his last fight,...
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