CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY SECOND COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-17-194 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa J. Peña
RESOLUTION
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Renaming The Wells Park Community Center The “Johnny Tapia Community Center At Wells Park;” Directing The Department Of Family & Community Services To Place The Sculpture Of Johnny Tapia Entitled “Boxing Victory Celebration,” Created By Steve Weems, In An Appropriate Location At The Community Center (Peña)
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RENAMING THE WELLS PARK COMMUNITY CENTER THE “JOHNNY TAPIA COMMUNITY CENTER AT WELLS PARK;” DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES TO PLACE THE SCULPTURE OF JOHNNY TAPIA ENTITLED “BOXING VICTORY CELEBRATION,” CREATED BY STEVE WEEMS, IN AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
WHEREAS, Johnny Tapia was raised in the Wells Park Neighborhood of Albuquerque; and
WHEREAS, against odds, Johnny won the 1983 National Golden Gloves light flyweight and the 1985 National Golden Gloves flyweight amateur championships; and
WHEREAS, Johnny went on to become a professional boxer, winning fifty-nine of his sixty-six fights and earning five titles: World Boxing Organization’s Super Flyweight Champion, International Boxing Federation’s Super Flyweight and Featherweight’s Champion, and World Boxing Association’s Bantamweight Champion (twice); and
WHEREAS, Johnny would be the first to admit that he was not perfect: he struggled throughout his life to overcome substance abuse addictions as well as ADHD and bi-polar disorder; and
WHEREAS, when Johnny wrote his autobiography “Mi Vida Loca,” which detailed his many struggles both professionally and personally, his intent was to help those who were suffering from the same afflictions and to share his personal testimony in the hopes that it would inspire others to seek the help that they need; and
WHEREAS, Johnny was married to his loving wife Theresa with whom he was raising three sons; and
WHEREAS, Johnny opened Team Tapia Gym in March 2011 and worked tirelessly to give back to his community; and
WHEREAS, anyone who met Johnny felt as though they had met a new best friend; and
WHEREAS, Johnny tragically died on May 27, 2012 at the age of 45; and
WHEREAS, in June of 2017 Johnny will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, in a class that includes Evander Holyfield and Marco Antonio Barrera; and
WHEREAS, Johnny will be enshrined along with the greatest boxers in history, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano, Oscar de la Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Albuquerque’s own Bobby Foster; and
WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to honor Johnny Tapia’s world class achievements in the sport of boxing and pay tribute to a native son.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. That the Wells Park Community Center is hereby renamed the “Johnny Tapia Community Center at Wells Park” to commemorate his many contributions to the boxing world and the City of Albuquerque.
Section 2. That the Department of Family & Community Services is hereby directed to place the statue of Johnny Tapia entitled “Boxing Victory Celebration,” created by artist Steve Weems, in an appropriate location at the community center.
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