FORT WORTH, Texas _ They were both brilliant fighters, and 20 years after they danced, one looks over the wonderful life he and his wife built together while the other is dead.
Paulie Ayala, one of Fort Worth's genuine good citizens, is now 49 with a successful career and a wife, who together have a daughter and a son.
Sitting in his office stuffed with mementos from his boxing career, Paulie speaks of the man who made at least some of this possible with kindness, respect, and sadness.
Twenty years ago, Ayala won the bantamweight title in a brutal 12-round match against Johnny Tapia. What might Ayala's life look like today without that fight?
Ayala won a unanimous decision, and was named the 1999 Fighter of the Year; his bout with Tapia was named the 1999 Fight of the Year. Watch the fight today and it remains as thrilling, and savage, as it was that night.
On May 12, 2012, Tapia died reportedly of heart disease at the age of 45. He was a beloved fighter for his theatrics, and his willingness to be vulnerable about his struggles, specifically with drugs, alcohol and a horrendous childhood.
