Johnny Tapia’s Sons Celebrate Pro Debuts In Albuquerque
By Boxing Bob Newman
Tapia promotions, led by the widow of the late icon Johnny Tapia, hosted the Tapia Takeover – Burque Brawl on Friday night in Albuquerque, NM. The seven-bout card showcased the professional debuts of her sons, Johnny and Nicco Tapia.
In the main event, local heavyweight Cody East dominated KeShawn Jackson. Three knockdowns in the third round led referee David Rios to stop the contest. East improves to 7-1, with 5 KOs, while Jackson falls to 1-9.
The co-main event featured bare knuckle veteran Felipe Chavez from Albuquerque facing off against MMA veteran and Nova Scotia native John Makdessi in a super middleweight encounter. After a lackluster first round, Makdessi delivered a powerful overhand right in the second, knocking Chavez down. Referee Sid Ware opted not to initiate a count, bringing the fight to a close immediately. Makdessi celebrated his pro boxing debut victory at 1-0, with 1 KO, while Chavez ended up at 0-1 in his pro boxing debut.
Super middleweight Nicco Tapia entered the ring for his pro debut against the resilient Andres Parra in a competitive four-round bout. Tapia managed to drop Parra in the first round, as the ropes assisted in keeping Parra upright. What appeared to be another quick finish turned into the first fight of the evening that not only progressed into the second round but also went the full distance. Tapia showcased his dominance but couldn’t finish Parra. He achieved victory by unanimous decision, with scores of 40-35 across the board, beginning his record at 1-0. Parra now holds a record of 0-2.
In a super bantamweight bout, Yoruba Emilio Moreu II secured a knockout against Jonah Cahill with a body shot. Referee Sid Ware counted to 10 at 1:34 of the first round. Moreu II’s record improves to 3-0, all KOs, while Cahill drops to 1-4, with 1 KO.
The first of the Tapia sons to make his pro debut was Johnny Lee Tapia. He faced Leon Miles in a scheduled four-round super welterweight bout. The taller Tapia measured Miles for about a minute before Miles hit the canvas under pressure, but referee David Rios deemed it a slip. Shortly after, Miles was down for good after a Tapia left hook to the stomach. Referee Rios called it off at 1:56 of the first round. Johnny Lee expressed his desire to make his father and mother proud as he starts his career at 1-0, with 1 KO. Miles begins at 0-1.
Heavyweight Nicholas Joseph knocked down Samuel Jones, Jr. twice in the first round, leading referee Sid Ware to halt the fight. Joseph’s record now stands at 2-1, with 1 KO, while Jones, Jr. begins at 0-1.
The event commenced with super middleweight Jaiden Gappy quickly defeating Loren Higgs in the first round. Referee David Rios ended the contest at 1:01 of the opening round, where Higgs remained on the canvas for several minutes while medical personnel attended to him. He was eventually able to leave the ring on his own. Gappy starts his professional journey at 1-0, with 1 KO, whereas Higgs is at 0-1.
Published: 2026-01-10 05:31:00
source: fightnews.com
