I think it was a great rivalry because there was so much emotion involved with it. The stakes were high.” – Jimmy Lennon, Jr.
As part of Showtime Championship Boxing’s 30th Anniversary, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr. retells two classic fights between Johnny Tapia and Paulie Ayala.
Here, we also have several additional videos on the rivalry. Take a look at Ayala vs. Tapia II Round 10, which was part of their closely contested 12 round rematch on October 7, 2000, when Paulie Ayala defeated Johnny ‘Mi Vida Loca’ Tapia. Then, we have a separate video from Jimmy Lennon as he looks back on his time with Showtime over the decades.
It’s all apart of Showtime Boxing’s yearlong celebration of their 30th anniversary, and this month which is dedicated to rivalries. Last month was the Evander Holyfield career look back, and this month, in addition to Tapia vs. Ayala, there will also be content coming up on Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez. Keep on checking back for more great boxing history videos from Showtime.
