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Late boxing legend, Johnny Tapia, passed away in May 2012 ... but his story lives on, and will be told in an upcoming documentary, which has been purchased by 50 Cent's G-Unit Films and Lou DiBella's BK Blu Productions.
The New Mexico-born brawler's life story will be told in the upcoming doc, titled Tapia, which will make its premiere on Saturday (June 15) at the L.A. Film Festival.
"I was drawn to the intensity of this project," 50 says. "His story resonated with me because like Tapia, I too lost my mother to violence and grew up with limited means. It's a heartfelt story and it was important for me to get involved with bringing this to a broader audience."
Below is a summary (via ProBoxing-Fans.com):
TAPIA chronicles the personal and professional life of the boxer, beginning with his poor childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The film explores the glory of his punishing ring prowess and five world titles in three weight classes, forever mired by personal demons: his mother's brutal kidnapping and murder when he was 8 years old, and his drug addiction, mental illness and near death experiences. Using first person narration from Tapia himself, archival footage, and personal photos, director Eddie Alcazar paints an intimate picture of the fighter and the man.
TAPIA follows the champ's winding road through victories, downfalls and redemption. Director Alcazar spent many hours with Tapia filming the biopic, just weeks before the fighter's tragic death at age 45. Tapia's last interviews now serve as the heartbeat of Alcazar's revealing documentary. In it, the soft-spoken champ opens up about his "vida loca" and the unending pain of his mother’s murder, which led to glory in the ring and struggle throughout his life.
