Monday, Jan. 13, 2003 | 9:14 a.m.
Boxer Johnny Tapia remained hospitalized in Las Vegas today but had his condition upgraded from "critical" to "serious" Sunday afternoon.
Tapia, 35, was admitted to University Medical Center early Saturday morning after his wife, Teresa, telephoned 911. He was placed on partial life support and was on a respirator as doctors investigated what was described as a "head trauma."
A confidential source told the Sun that Tapia had likely suffered a drug overdose. KLAS Channel 8, quoting another source, said that alcohol may have been a contributing factor.
Tapia, a Las Vegas and Albuquerque resident, has attempted suicide at least twice in his adult life, yet it was not believed this was a suicide try.
His admission to UMC capped an eventful 24-some hours in which he was also involved in a standoff with police near Bullhead City, Ariz. Tapia was not arrested after that Friday standoff was resolved, but he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Among those checking on him Sunday at UMC was his wife, as well as trainer Freddie Roach, who is in Las Vegas working with Mike Tyson.
Tapia's publicist, Trayce Zimmermann, said Teresa Tapia would not immediately be available for interviews. But Zimmermann did say "it's bad" when describing Tapia's condition and that "Teresa is really worried."
In her 911 call, Teresa Tapia told the operator that her husband "felt depressed" and "just fell down and lost consciousness," a hospital spokesperson said.
Tapia, who was once suspended from professional boxing for three years for lingering drug use, is a three-time former world champion with a record of 52-3-2 since 1988. He lost his most recent fight, to featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera, Nov. 2 at Mandalay Bay.
He underwent shoulder surgery following that bout and said he hoped to fight again this spring.
Those plans are obviously suspect in light of his turbulent weekend.
In the Bullhead City incident, Tapia told police he was attempting to get a cousin, Raymond Whiting, to turn himself into authorities on aggravated assault and weapons charges. Whiting, 31, is suspected of trying to slash a woman's throat during a carjacking in Albuquerque last April.
Tapia, Whiting and a third man, Walter Beck, apparently were at Beck's Golden Valley, Ariz., home when neighbors tipped off Bullhead City police that Whiting was inside. After about an hour, the three surrendered and Beck was also arrested on a cocaine possession charge.
Police said Tapia was fully cooperative and was not, as some Internet sources are claiming, struck or injured during the surrender process.
"Fortunately, the situation resolved itself," Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokesman Jarrod Lyman reportedly said.
Tapia and Whiting each has some history with police, and in at least one instance that history is intertwined. Tapia was arrested in 1992 on charges that he intimidated a witness to a murder committed by Whiting; Whiting later pleaded guilty to the killing, while Tapia was acquitted of the intimidation charge.
Tapia has also been arrested for attempting to sell imitation crack cocaine to an off-duty police officer in 1994, and was acquitted of that as well.
Most recently, Tapia had a bench warrant issued in his name after he failed to appear on a traffic-violation summons in Albuquerque.
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