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Johnny Tapia defends his WBO Jr Bantamweight Title against Jorge Barrera on HBO Boxing After Dark.
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00:00Next up, it's a 115-pound boxing doubleheader from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
00:05Albuquerque's Johnny Taffia takes on Jorge Barrera in the first fight.
00:08Albuquerque's Danny Romero takes on Jaji Cibale in the second.
00:12Boxing at the Dark is next.
00:30In our 25th year, the following is a special presentation of HBO Sports.
01:30Tonight on HBO's Boxing After Dark, you'll see a budding rivalry begin to blossom.
01:59In one fight, Albuquerque hard case Johnny Taffia takes on Jorge Barrera.
02:04Also, Albuquerque puncher Danny Romero meets South African Jaji Cibale.
02:09Watch for Taffia and Romero to make their opening statements tonight as they look ahead toward a possible showdown.
02:17It's an intra-city battle here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a clear division among the fans.
02:22Mexican-Americans of the East San Jose section of Albuquerque identify with their man, Johnny Taffia.
02:29He's been down and out, victim of drugs, violence, and his own bad habits.
02:34Now he's back on top, and his followers love him for it.
02:37Meanwhile, the near-North Valley Mexican-American crowd favors the more fully-assimilated, cleaner-cut Danny Romero.
02:45He's been an exemplary citizen all along.
02:48But does that make him a hero here?
02:51It's a class war, a neighborhood scrap, a Southwestern morality play between two fighters surrounded tonight by the friends and family with whom they grew up.
03:01Hello again, everybody. I'm Jim Lafley, and welcome to this unusual edition of HBO's Boxing After Dark.
03:09Tonight marks a departure for this series.
03:12In the past year, you've gotten accustomed to a steady stream of highly competitive fights,
03:16fights in which both fighters had a reasonable chance to win.
03:18That isn't so much the case here tonight, on which both halves of the doubleheaders feature heavily favored fighters.
03:26However, there's no shortage of drama here, because this telecast serves as your general introduction to what may be the most compelling boxing story of 1997.
03:37Because Johnny Tapia and Danny Romero have known each other since early boyhood,
03:41have grown to manhood together here in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
03:44have both won world championships in the same weight class,
03:48and tonight will try to take the semifinal steps toward a confrontation which has been seen for years here in Albuquerque as inevitable.
03:56Tapia Romero, if it takes place, will be the culmination of a five-year war of nerves.
04:03And for that reason, there are eight uniformed policemen on horseback outside the arena tonight.
04:08There are reported 50 uniformed policemen inside the arena,
04:12and no alcoholic beverages will be served inside the Albuquerque Convention Center tonight.
04:18Working with me, as always, here on HBO's Boxing After Dark, our boxing analyst, Larry Merchant.
04:23An unusual situation, Larry.
04:25Have you ever seen so much concern, so much care about possible fireworks surrounding what was once seen as a friendly neighborhood rivalry?
04:34Well, certainly not when the two fighters aren't even meeting each other yet.
04:38That's what's so unusual about this.
04:40But it does indicate how very, very, very high the stakes will be when and if their showdown comes off.
04:48High more personally for them even than professionally.
04:52But because both of them are expected to win tonight, the focus of attention, oddly enough, is on the crowd.
05:00Is the crowd championship quality?
05:02Enthusiastic, passionate, but letting the fighters do the fighting.
05:07Depending on how the crowd reacts, will be determined whether that showdown can, in fact, take place where it should.
05:15Right here in Albuquerque.
05:17And this is a new one on me, Jim.
05:19The crowd being the focus of attention as much as the fighters.
05:22Well, if, in fact, Tappy Romero can take place, one man will want to see it just as much as you and I.
05:27He's made his way all the way across country tonight, despite the fact that he's training for his own world championship fight just 13 nights from now.
05:35World light heavyweight champion Roy Jones, Jr.
05:39Roy, welcome back to Boxing After Dark.
05:41Thank you, Jim.
05:42One element of the war of nerves here.
05:44Johnny Tapia discovered that Danny Romero wanted his fight to take place first tonight.
05:49Tapia then shifted gears and said he'd like to fight first.
05:52They wound up having a coin flip won by Tapia.
05:55How much does a little chess game like that mean in a situation like this?
05:59Well, that chess game means a lot.
06:01Any champion, most of the great champions, including myself, when you know you and a guy are going to come face-to-face one day,
06:07you might as well start attacking him immediately.
06:10And that's what Johnny Tapia has done here tonight.
06:13Johnny Tapia immediately let Danny Romero know that you're not going to do what you want to do without a contest.
06:20Therefore, if you want to go first, I want to go first.
06:22If you want to go last, I want to go last.
06:24He's making his statements felt right now so that when the fight starts, it'll already halfway be resolved.
06:31And rest assured, as Johnny enters the ring against Jorge Barrera, he'll be wanting to take it one step further with a spectacular performance.
06:37Indeed.
06:38All right, Roy, let's take a look at the tail of the tape now for Johnny Tapia against Jorge Barrera.
06:43Barrera is the older brother of Marco Antonio Barrera, the 126-pound star, whom you have seen before here on Boxing After Dark.
06:51You can see that Tapia has a 4-inch height advantage.
06:54They both weighed in at 115, although it took Johnny an extra half hour to get down to that level.
07:00Tonight, they both weigh 123 as they leave their dressing rooms to approach the ring.
07:05And Johnny Tapia has a 4-inch reach advantage.
07:08Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
07:11The Johnny Tapia-Jorge Barrera fight is scheduled for 12 rounds.
07:15There is no standing eight count, but the three-knockdown rule is in effect.
07:20Only the referee can stop the fight, and he can be saved by the bell in the 12th and final round only.
07:25Jim.
07:25All right, Harold, a crowd of 8,000-plus here in the Albuquerque Convention Center.
07:33Larry Merchant discovering just within the past hour that they added, what, 400-plus seats at the last minute, Larry?
07:39Yeah, they were looking originally for a crowd of about 5,000, they say.
07:44Moved up to 7,000 earlier today.
07:47Now it's about 8,000.
07:48And the boos of the locals for Barrera as he enters the ring, as we mentioned, the older brother of Marco Antonio Barrera.
07:57In fact, you can catch a glimpse of the former 126-pound world champion just behind Jorge as they enter the ring.
08:04And Marco Antonio Barrera will be fighting within the next few months here on HBO
08:08as he tries to regain the title that he lost by knockout to Junior Jones last year.
08:14Well, one way you can see that he's different outside of the ring already is that he has a big smile on his face,
08:21and you can see his younger brother behind him with that grim countenance.
08:27And we're told that Barrera wanted walk-in music.
08:30The tape was not rewound when he left the dressing room,
08:33so he'll get an abbreviated chunk of it just as he steps into the ring.
08:36It can't be easy for the older brother to watch the younger brother rise to stardom,
08:49but he seems to have handled it with great grace.
08:55And you can see the difference.
08:57Marco Antonio Barrera was at one point unbeaten in 44 fights.
09:00Jorge Barrera, as you can see, 18, seven losses, one draw, only seven KOs,
09:07only knocked out once by an opponent in his career,
09:10but he has nowhere near the firepower of his younger brother,
09:14the man they call the Mexican assassin.
09:16And now, if advance billing is worth anything,
09:33this crowd will explode for Johnny Tapia.
09:35Sounds like a police siren to me.
09:51I wonder about that.
09:58The noise he heard was a fire alarm.
10:01Now we'll wait to learn whether it was a legitimate fire alarm.
10:05Or whether it was simply an outlaw sound effect.
10:18Tapia's championship belt being held aloft by his Spengali-like wife, Teresa.
10:25She's more than just his biggest fan.
10:28She knows from boxing and knows his habits.
10:30And he says he depends on her to keep a close look at him.
10:39Johnny Tapia is unbeaten in the ring.
10:42This despite a three-and-a-half-year absence in the middle of his career
10:47because of drug suspension.
10:49Part of that time he spent in prison.
10:51The fire alarm, we are told, is a false alarm.
11:12So, let's settle down and go to ring announcer Michael Buffer
11:16for the pre-fight introductions.
11:18Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Double Rumble
11:24on the Rio Grande here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
11:29Top-ranking for three.
11:30With better fishing promotion present, part one.
11:33Twelve rounds of boxing for the WBO Junior
11:37Phantom Wings Championship of the World.
11:43This battle is off the end of the game
11:45with the Stanley Cupfino, New Mexico's largest.
11:48And of course, your undisputed, undefeated king of beers,
11:53Budweiser.
11:54This buzz for you.
11:56This contest is sanctioned by the New Mexico Athletic Commission
11:59Chairman Jim Bozio, commissioners Louie Burke,
12:02Juan Nunez, Stan Gullock, and Leo Dow.
12:06It is also sanctioned by the World Boxing Organization.
12:10President from our people of Brazil
12:12and supervising the WBO Grayside, Van Gaal.
12:16Green judges.
12:17Who's the man?
12:19This will be Al Morio, Dr. Ruan Garcia, Robert Gonzalez.
12:25And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action,
12:29your referee, Tony Rosales.
12:31And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the best of two times a minute,
12:37from Albuquerque, New Mexico,
12:40you're...
12:42Let's get ready to rumble!
12:44Red and white, trimmed with red and green.
12:58His weight, 115 pounds.
13:00He brings to the ring a professional record of 18 victories
13:04with seven defeats and one draw.
13:06Ladies and gentlemen, from Mexico City, Mexico,
13:10here is the challenger, Jorge Padrella.
13:21And across the ring, in the blue corner,
13:24wearing black with gold trims,
13:26weighing also 115 pounds.
13:29His professional record,
13:3139 victories without a loss,
13:34with two draws,
13:3523 of his victories are by knockout.
13:39Ladies and gentlemen,
13:40from Albuquerque, New Mexico,
13:43presenting
13:43the undefeated
13:45WBO Junior Bantamweight Champion of the World,
13:51the baby face the assassin,
13:53Johnny...
13:56...
13:56...
13:57...
13:57...
13:58...
13:58...
13:59...
14:00Johnny Tapia has had his nose broken at least 20 times,
14:25which tells you the kind of fighter he is.
14:28I'm not sure what kind of fighter Barrera is.
14:33You saw Tapia's record in his 11 previous appearances
14:36here in his hometown of Albuquerque.
14:3911 wins, no losses.
14:40Only five times was he able to get a knockout.
14:44He's been training in Big Bear, California,
14:46for most of the past two years,
14:48so this is something of a homecoming for him.
14:51Roy Jones, what kind of a fighter is Johnny Tapia in your view?
14:54Johnny Tapia is a guy who doesn't fight mainly off skills,
14:57but he uses his heart.
14:58He does have skills, however,
15:00and he's a good puncher,
15:02but he mainly uses his power and his will,
15:04his determination to win fights.
15:09Tapia working with a new trainer,
15:11Jesse Reed, a veteran of the sport,
15:13has had 14 world champions,
15:15including Roger Mayweather.
15:17Jesse says,
15:18I've never had a fighter as talented as Johnny.
15:20I just want to polish him.
15:22We ought to note here that if you see the name Tapia
15:25on Barrera's trunks,
15:28on the back of his trunk,
15:29it's because it's in honor of his mother's maiden name.
15:33His brother has the same kind of trunk.
15:36And on the back of Tapia's trunks,
15:39as has been the case for a few years now,
15:42Mibita Loca,
15:43translated,
15:44my crazy life.
15:47Hard right hand by Tapia in close,
15:49Barrera backs up.
15:52Tapia's putting a lot of mental pressure on Barrera.
15:56He's letting Barrera know that he's in the ring with the champion,
15:58a guy who plans to keep his title,
16:00and he's not going to be letting up off of him no time soon.
16:04One thing Johnny does well is to cut off the ring.
16:06He never gives his opponent room to breathe
16:08if he can avoid it.
16:10If you keep your opponent on the offense,
16:12I mean, on the defense,
16:14he has less time to try to counter
16:15or be offensive-minded.
16:17Already, I sense that Tapia believes
16:20he can't be hurt by Barrera.
16:23Hard right hand again by Tapia across the top.
16:27That hurt Barrera.
16:28That right hand hurt Barrera badly.
16:30Oh, good point sack.
16:33And Tapia's much too strong for this kid.
16:36Johnny Tapia fighting with a willful purpose here in round one.
16:39No doubt hoping to put on a show
16:41to shift the levers of pressure just a little bit
16:45for Danny Romero
16:46as Romero comes out for the second of the two main events.
16:50Barrera's trying to keep a straight face here,
16:52but he is feeling real bad right now.
16:54Tapia digging hard to the belly with the left hand.
16:57Backs Barrera off with a shoulder
17:00and looks for another opening.
17:02Hard left hand by Barrera.
17:04Tapia drops his hands as if to say it didn't hurt.
17:14Barrera can't let Tapia know
17:16that he's scared to mix it up
17:17because if he does,
17:18then Tapia will continue to walk right through him.
17:20Go!
17:30Punch out, punch out, fighters, punch out.
17:36Yet another Tapia left hook
17:38backing Barrera up into the ropes
17:40and round one
17:41comes to a close.
17:58I'll get it.
18:01Sorry.
18:02Johnny, right hand to the body,
18:05left hook will work all day long.
18:06When you throw a right hand,
18:08he's going back,
18:08so start driving to the body.
18:10Okay.
18:10All right?
18:11Try to relax with your jab.
18:12You're trying to load up too much.
18:14Okay.
18:14Relax with your jab.
18:15Pop, pop.
18:16Get a little rhythm going up and down
18:17with your head.
18:18Okay.
18:18All right?
18:19You look good, son,
18:21but you're a little tight.
18:22Nice and relaxed.
18:24Come on, let's get these arms nice and loose.
18:27Come on.
18:27All right.
18:28Just trying to loose.
18:29Here we see a trade of left hooks,
18:32a clean left hook by Barrera.
18:37It would be an unfair trade
18:39if Tapia's hook had landed.
18:41That voice you heard in Tapia's corner
18:43is Jesse Reed,
18:44a new trainer for Tapia.
18:46He's a familiar figure around boxing.
18:50A very good trade-off, my dad.
18:52Johnny Tapia says he's the best teacher
18:54that he's ever had.
18:56Johnny's had four previous trainers,
18:58including the man
18:59who brought him through
19:00most of his professional career,
19:01Paul Chavez.
19:03And one thing I do notice in Tapia already
19:05is that he is using his hands
19:07for defense better tonight than normal.
19:09Have fun.
19:09Herrera trying to get to the body
19:21as he launched the slow left.
19:23Tapia countered with a right hand
19:24and landed flush.
19:26Every time Herrera lands a good punch,
19:28Tapia just comes at him harder.
19:31This can be very disencouraging to a guy.
19:33Jesse Reed says,
19:46Johnny Tapia's greatest natural talent
19:48is that he throws a natural left hook.
19:50So many fighters have to be taught
19:52Johnny punches easily off his front foot.
19:56He actually throws a very good right hand, too.
19:59Barrera with a left hand
20:10that sneaked in on the side of Tapia's face.
20:13Johnny stepping forward
20:14and resolutely cutting off the ring again
20:17to limit Barrera's space and his options.
20:20And Tapia holds his head
20:30indicating a headbutt.
20:32Cut from the headbutt
20:33over Tapia's left eye, too.
20:35Yeah, both of them sunk down.
20:39And now Tapia's mad.
20:43Anger is a force
20:45in every element of Johnny Tapia's life.
20:47There may be blood
20:49over the left eye now
20:50and Tapia is forgetting
20:52all of the instructions
20:53from his corner
20:54and going for the kill.
20:56And there's blood coming
20:57from the head of Barrera.
20:59Yep, blood up around the hairline
21:01of Jorge Barrera.
21:03Blood on the left eye
21:04of Johnny Tapia.
21:05Don't look at the good body shop.
21:06Tapia digging to the body twice
21:07and getting the left hook in, as well.
21:10This is about to turn
21:10to a dollar point, I think.
21:13Straight right hand landed for Tapia.
21:15Barrera holding up pretty well
21:17under some stern punishment
21:19in the last 30 seconds.
21:24He doesn't have much power
21:25in his right hand,
21:27but Tapia would have to be careful
21:28of the power in Barrera's left hand.
21:35Well, his younger brother Marco
21:36has one of the great left hooks
21:37in the sport.
21:38We asked Jorge if he sparred
21:40with Marco, and he said
21:41many, many times
21:42when we were kids,
21:43and both of us were down.
21:45Tapia with a good left
21:47digging to the body there.
21:48Round two comes to a close.
22:01Got men going to work
22:02in both corners.
22:05Water right here.
22:05Give me the water.
22:06I got the Vaseline.
22:16Yes, listen.
22:18Don't rush him.
22:18Use your angles
22:19and start banging that body.
22:21You don't like it to the body.
22:22Every time you throw a right hand,
22:24drive it to the body.
22:26Rinse the mouthpiece out.
22:27I got it.
22:28All right.
22:28Beautiful.
22:29That'll go three routes.
22:41The referee, Tony Rosales,
22:44accurately called it
22:46an unintentional but.
22:48Go, let's go.
22:50Go.
22:51I'm in here.
22:53Tapia racing out of his corner.
22:55Barrera just a little slow
22:56to leave his.
22:57Tony Rosales holding his arm out
22:59as if to say,
23:00wait a second, Johnny.
23:01He's not even off the stool yet.
23:03Harold Letterman giving
23:04the first two rounds
23:04to Tapia.
23:18Let him off.
23:20Punch that up and play in.
23:24Punch out.
23:25Don't hold him.
23:26Punch out.
23:32Rule the slip.
23:35Again, accurately.
23:37Yep, referee Tony Rosales
23:38doing a nice job in there so far.
23:42And you saw Tapia rushing up
23:43from the slip.
23:44He's going to be quite calm
23:54under Tapia's fire.
23:57Heavier fire.
23:58Jorge said to us,
24:00I've been around big events.
24:01My brother's been in a bunch of them.
24:03And I'm sure he's probably been
24:04used to sitting his heavy fire
24:06if he's far with his brother.
24:08Johnny Tapia asserting his will
24:18midway through round three.
24:23He's not a dynamite puncher.
24:25He just doesn't let you breathe.
24:26And down goes Berrera.
24:32A series of body shots
24:34that left Horne Berrera
24:36unable to keep his feet.
24:38That's nobody shot.
24:47Rosales stopped the fight.
24:53It appeared that Berrera
24:55wanted to go on.
24:57But the referee read him differently
24:59and thought he would say
25:01he didn't want to go on.
25:04You saw Johnny Tapia
25:06on the verge of pushing
25:08referee Tony Rosales
25:09out of the way.
25:10He wanted so badly
25:11to get back at Berrera.
25:14And now Johnny goes
25:15and holds his opponent
25:16in the air.
25:17But clearly Jorge Berrera
25:19is quite upset
25:20with the referee's stoppage.
25:29And the crowd chants
25:31for their favorite.
25:43In the title of fighters
25:44this defensive gym
25:45it makes the referee feel
25:46as though he really doesn't
25:47want to win the fight anyway.
25:49Then when he knows
25:49that Tapia is in his hometown
25:51he knows that if he takes
25:52a chance here
25:53this kid could be badly hurt
25:54because Tapia is looking
25:55to prove a point tonight.
25:57He's looking to prove
25:57to Danny Romero
25:58that he is ready
25:59for any type of a challenge
26:00that he wants to put up.
26:02And the referee saw
26:03the competitive frenzy
26:04that was gripping
26:05Johnny Tapia
26:06and surely that
26:08entered into the picture too
26:09as he thought to himself
26:10Johnny's really wanting
26:11to hurt this guy.
26:12I've got to protect him.
26:20Well let's go up
26:21to Michael Buffer
26:22for the official particulars
26:23on a third round TKO
26:25for Johnny Tapia.
26:28Ladies and gentlemen
26:34following the knockdown
26:35and the mandatory eight count
26:37referee
26:38Tonyos Rosales
26:39has ruled the challenger
26:41unable to continue.
26:43He stops the bout
26:44at one minute
26:4558 seconds
26:47of round number three
26:48the winner by knockout victory
26:50and still
26:51the undefeated WBO
26:54phantom weight champion
26:55of the world
26:57from out the party
26:58New Mexico
26:59the baby-faced assassin
27:02Johnny
27:03Tapia
27:07The words are
27:18I want Danny
27:19I want Danny
27:21and here's the final assault
27:23Roy
27:23Johnny Tapia showed
27:29some very good body work here
27:31he showed patience
27:32he didn't get over anxious
27:33he didn't get excited
27:34there was a hook to the head
27:35a hook to the body
27:36one of my favorite combinations
27:37and Burrell
27:38which is too defensive
27:39and was unable to withstand
27:41the body blows
27:42Johnny
27:44come here Johnny
27:44here he's working
27:45a good uppercut inside
27:47he's staying close to him
27:48because he knows
27:48he doesn't like those body shots
27:50down he goes
27:51and that last
27:52vicious left hand
27:53body shot
27:54let's go to Larry Merchant
27:55with Johnny Tapia
27:56I don't mean to put
27:56all this shit on you
27:57alright don't worry
27:58I get paid to get sweaty
27:59alright thank you very much
28:02Jim
28:03Johnny
28:04it seemed right from the outset
28:05that you sensed
28:06you were much stronger
28:07than him
28:08but when you had
28:10that accidental butt
28:11and the blood flowed
28:12you felt that you had
28:13to end it quickly
28:15I need
28:15well first of all
28:16I'd like to give a lot of thanks
28:17to the Lord
28:18and also to the greatest promoter
28:20in the whole wide world
28:21as Bob Arab
28:22and also HBO
28:23okay now
28:25answer the first question
28:26well you know
28:27once you get cut
28:28I didn't want nobody
28:30to stop it on purpose
28:31or go to the scorecards
28:33I wanted to look good
28:34in this fight
28:35I trained very hard
28:36me and Mr. Reid
28:36and we look for bigger
28:38and better things right now
28:39what were you yelling
28:40right after the fight
28:41I want Danny Romero
28:44I want to show him
28:45who's the greatest promoter
28:46in the whole wide world
28:47and that's top rank
28:48well I'm sure
28:49that you would want him
28:50no matter who
28:51was promoting you
28:52why do you want him
28:53so badly
28:54I owe him
28:55what do you owe him
28:56I owe him a good fight
28:57with me
28:58I'm going to hurt him
28:59why do you want
29:00to hurt him
29:00tell them public
29:02why you want to hurt
29:03Danny Romero
29:03well first of all
29:04I ain't right to hurt anybody
29:05but in my sport
29:06you got to do it
29:07so whoever's the next
29:09top contender up
29:10I will fight him
29:11is this as much
29:13personal as it is
29:14professional
29:15for you to fight
29:16Danny Romero
29:16it's very personal
29:18you know
29:19I was out for
29:20three and a half years
29:21everybody knows
29:22my life story
29:23I'm a bigger and better
29:24man right now
29:25taking it one day
29:26at a time
29:27and he put me down
29:28a lot
29:28so I want to show him
29:29that you can fall down
29:30and also get back up
29:31with the grace of the Lord
29:33thank you very much
29:34Johnny
29:35Jim
29:35first of all
29:36I'd like to say
29:37hi to everybody
29:37in Big Bear
29:38hi
29:38thank you
29:40he's so greatly beloved
29:45and Roy Jones
29:47I gotta say
29:49maybe the training
29:49of Jesse Reed
29:50has something to do
29:51with it
29:51but we know
29:52how much emotion
29:53plays a role
29:53in sports
29:54the demand
29:55the desire
29:56is there
29:56on Johnny's part
29:57to move to that
29:58next level
29:59and fight
29:59Danny Romero
30:00I think that's
30:00the best I've seen
30:01Tappi look
30:01in a couple of years
30:02that is the best
30:03Tappi look
30:03in a couple of years
30:05Tappi has a new trainer
30:06he has new pride
30:07about himself
30:08and let me tell you
30:09one other thing
30:09when you go down
30:11like I did in Korea
30:12they take something
30:13from you
30:13or you let yourself
30:14take something
30:14from you
30:15and you have to
30:16come back
30:16to prove to the world
30:17that you still
30:18can rise to the top
30:19it gives you
30:20a full tank of gas
30:22and it's almost
30:23unstoppable
30:23and he's got
30:25some technique
30:25but his real game
30:27is just sheer intensity
30:28his real game
30:29is that full tank of gas
30:31that I'm telling you about
30:32absolutely
30:32so we'll wait
30:33to see now
30:34what Danny Romero
30:35can do in answer
30:36to Johnny Tappi
30:37his sterling performance
30:38in knocking out
30:40his opponent
30:40in the third round
30:41Larry Merchant
30:42in that conversation
30:45with Johnny
30:45the answers we expected
30:46about his desire
30:47to get at Danny Romero
30:48what do you think
30:49it is
30:50that bothers
30:51Johnny Tappi
30:52about Danny Romero
30:53Johnny Tappi
30:55had a very close
30:56association
30:57with Danny
30:58and his father
30:59Danny Sr
31:00who was his
31:01trainer for four
31:02or five years
31:03when he was a top
31:04amateur
31:04and he feels
31:06that when he had
31:07all of his troubles
31:08which he acknowledges
31:09he brought on himself
31:10that they distanced
31:12themselves from him
31:13they no longer
31:14wanted to associate
31:16with him
31:16they were going
31:18in a different path
31:19and I think he is
31:20deeply
31:21deeply wounded
31:22by that
31:23what do you suppose
31:24it is
31:24that bothers
31:25Danny Romero
31:26if anything
31:27about Johnny Tappi
31:28well for one
31:30Danny Sr
31:31is very concerned
31:33about the fact
31:35that he feels
31:36that many of the fans
31:38who surround
31:38Tappi
31:39are violence prone
31:41Raider like fans
31:42and he thinks
31:43there could be
31:44some kind of
31:45explosion
31:46should they meet
31:48also as we spoke
31:49of earlier
31:50it is a very
31:51very personal
31:51high stakes fight
31:53and finally
31:54there is a bit
31:55of resentment
31:55that they took
31:57the high road
31:58that he is a good son
32:01that he has been
32:02a high school graduate
32:03he speaks to kids
32:04all the time
32:05about their lives
32:06and somehow
32:07the compelling story
32:09of Tappi
32:10still overshadows it
32:11as he put it
32:13in answer to what
32:14Johnny Tappi
32:15himself just said
32:16sometimes it is harder
32:18to stay on the horse
32:19than to fall off
32:20and get back
32:21on the horse
32:22let me ask you this
32:23do you think
32:24assuming that
32:25Danny Romero
32:26can get past
32:26his opponent
32:27as Johnny Tappi
32:27just did tonight
32:28do you think
32:29this fight
32:29will take place
32:30and more to the point
32:31could it take place
32:32here in Albuquerque
32:33well so far
32:34we've seen
32:35a championship class
32:36crowd
32:37the crowd
32:38has been terrific
32:39I think the fight
32:41will happen
32:41I can't be sure
32:42it will happen here
32:43economics will have
32:44something to do
32:44with that
32:45and also
32:46Mr. Romero
32:48has to win a fight
32:49coming up
32:50and he's in
32:50a lot tougher
32:52than Johnny Tappi
32:53was just in
32:54alright
32:54with an eye
32:55toward that
32:55let's talk
32:56about the
32:56opponent for
32:57Danny Romero
32:57Jaji Sabali
32:58who is
32:59the mandatory
32:59contender
33:00for Danny Romero's
33:01Junior Bantamweight
33:02World Championship
33:03he's going to be
Recommended
35:48
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