ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The widow and the father of late world champion boxer Johnny Tapia are locked in a fight over use of the fighter’s name and image.
Teresa Tapia recently filed a lawsuit claiming she has exclusive rights to the Johnny Tapia name, Albuquerque news station KOAT-TV reported Thursday (https://goo.gl/S2iYSz ). She says Jerry Padilla, Tapia’s father, is infringing on her trademark by maintaining a Johnny Tapia Facebook page.
The lawsuit filed in Albuquerque District Court accuses Padilla of using photos of Johnny Tapia and the boxer’s name to promote various ventures online.
Padilla says the Facebook page is a place he maintains for fans to share memories and he’s prepared to fight for that right.
“A lot of them just talk about what a warrior he was, what passion he had,” Padilla said.
Johnny Tapia died in 2012 at his Albuquerque home. Investigators found one hydrocodone tablet, a painkiller, on the floor beside his body. They said there were no indications of an overdose or alcohol use but said that the 45-year-old former fighter likely developed medical complications from past illegal drug use.
Teresa Tapia said her husband was taking medication for his bipolar disorder and for his high blood pressure.
Johnny Tapia won several championships in three weight classes, including the WBA bantamweight title, the IBF and WBO junior bantamweight titles, and the IBF featherweight belt.
During his professional career, he was banned from boxing for 3 1/2 years in the early ’90s because of his cocaine addiction. He also battled depression.
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