Rick Wright of the Albuquerque Journal is reporting this morning that Mickey Rooney was good friends with Albuquerque boxing legend Johnny Tapia. According to the Journal the two met in June of 1996 when Tapia fought in Los Angeles at the Great Western Forum. Jerry Buss, who owned the Forum at the time, introduced the two. Rooney told the Journal in 1996, that “I’m sort of Tapia’s surrogate father.” Tapia died in May of 2012 of heart disease. Rooney passed away this past
Sunday at the age of 93. Rooney played a boxer in the 1947 film ‘Killer McCoy’ and a trainer in the 1962 movie ‘Requiem for a Heavyweight.’ Ronney was still holding down two acting jobs and had just passed a physical so he could work on the set. Mickey Rooney’s will details final wishes: yhoo.it/1e90BK3
If you can, read Rick Wrights excellent article in today’s Albuquerque Journal on Tapia and Rooney. There is a great picture of Johnny praying before a fight with Mickey.
Yes I know that Johnny had his battles, so did Mickey, so do you and I. But the Lord knows all and I find it heart warming that these two became friends and prayed and talked. Mickey shared a couple of years ago how he had brought Jesus into his life.
Pictured here at top Johnny and then of course Mickey.
