New Mexico Boxing The world of boxing suffered a massive loss when Johnny Tapia passed away on Sunday, May 27. Along with being a five-time world champion, Tapia managed to be a positive member of the community while being a respected figure in the sports world. On Sunday night, thousands waited in line to pay their respects to the champ at University Arena. Several members of the boxing community were in attendance, and others offered tributes though video messages. If your’re wondering how much Tapia meant to the boxing world, or just want to relive a classic bout, check out one of most memorable fights in his career when he battled Danny Romero in Las Vegas in 1997.Las Cruces native and WBA 154-pound world champion Austin Trout retained his title by defeating Delvin Rodriguez by unanimous decision on scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111. Fans and media were unhappy with Trout’s performance, but he got the win and is now in the running to face rising star Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez’ original opponent Paul Williams pulled out after a motorcycle crash and his replacement James Kirkland declined the bout after originally accepting it. Hopefully the sport of boxing will do the right thing and give Trout a chance to prove his worth to a larger boxing audience. But his critics are out in force to prevent the fight from happening, not to mention that Alvarez’ promoter, Golden Boy Productions, is unlikely to put a fighter with a difficult style against a rising star. NBA Playoffs Let the bashing begin. Haters of the Heat had plenty of ammo to throw at Miami for its game four performance. Between being down by 18-points at halftime, LeBron James fouling out and Dwyane Wade missing the game winning shot the seemingly unstoppable Heat looked vulnerable. For casual fans, Boston’s 93-91 win may be a sign of Miami cracking, but those who look closer know it’s no time to panic. These teams have developed a heated rivalry by playing close and physical basketball. While Boston has many flaws, the Heat isn’t able to exploit them. Chris Bosh’s injury enabled the Celtics score 17 second-chance points and get 11 offensive rebounds, despite losing the overall rebounding battle. Momentum may lie with the Celtics, but the Heat have the homecourt advantage and may get the services of Bosh after all. If Miami gets Bosh close to 100 percent and its bench can produce, Boston is in trouble.
Hangover Sports Roundup
Johnny Tapia's Memorial, Trout Defeats Rodriguez, Celtics Cool Off Heat
3 min read
