Tapia Reneges!

Former champion refuses to fight in El Paso

By Moncayo Blackbull

Photo: John Kloepper/InsideBoxing.com (Click on picture for larger view) Pictured from left to right: Tommy Pfarr, Antonio Maestas and Ron Weathers

El Paso (May 3, 2008) - Last night at the El Paso County Coliseum a fight card was being promoted with the main event being the comeback of former 5 time world champion Johnny Tapia. Never happened…

Hours before the fight and while tickets were still being sold Tapia informs promoter Ron Weathers through Teresa Cole, The wife of Dick Cole the Texas Boxing Commissioner that he won’t fight unless he receives $60,000. Dick Cole was out receiving a treatment in acupuncture and was unavailable.

Needless to say, that was not going to happen and Weathers attempts to adjust the card by flying in a substitute fighter for the main event.

A press conference was held last night in hopes of clarifying the situation to the attending media but turned out to be a lot of pointing of fingers, shouting and foreplay to what will surely end up in a court of law.

Tapia did not attend the press conference but was represented by Civil attorney Tommy Pfarr and general attorney Antonio Maestas .

Pfarr offered little in clarifying the issue and was of diminutive value, aside from saying over and over, "this wasn't because Johnny wasn't in shape"

Maestas gave the generic statement that the reason Tapia was not fighting was because team Tapia was not able to come to a contractual agreement with the promoter, and while efforts to address that had taken place as late as this afternoon, the two parties could not come to an agreement.

Ron Weathers was bit more colorful, detailed and informative in his explanation.

He said a contract had been filed with Dick Cole (Texas Boxing Commissioner) somewhere between a week and 10 days ago.  That the contract stipulated a 70/30 split of the gate proceeds and any TV revenues.

Tapia’s lawyers made faces and muttered about none of that being true, but Weathers kept saying he had a strong paper trail and a signed contract, and that they'd be going to court to resolve this, so we'll see who's lying then.

Bottom line is a bunch of people were dissatisfied ranging from Media and photographers who spent their time traveling and preparation for this event to the fans who bought tickets to see Tapia make a run at another world title.

I’m not sure how the figure of $60,000 came out of Tapia but if he thinks he can command that kink of money at this stage of his career, then maybe he’s just fooling himself or simply used the large sum of money as an excuse to cover up any real reason he would not or could not fight.

The promoter who had agreed to have Tapia on a fight card promoted in Denver later this year was in attendance and has reconsidered. The promoter is no longer interested in having Tapia on the card.

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