by Sammy Hagar
First published 2019
Johnny Tapia carries the weight of his mother's brutal murder as he steps into boxing rings across America. Known as "Mi Vida Loca," he fights with pure emotion, his fists delivering the escape he desperately seeks from childhood trauma. Between training sessions and championship bouts, Tapia turns to drugs, finding temporary relief that becomes permanent torment. His wife Teresa watches as two sides of the man emerge: the sweet, caring husband and the tortured addict who could turn dangerous without warning. Tapia's boxing genius propels him toward greatness, but his demons fight back with equal force. Each victory in the ring feels hollow against the losses piling up in his personal life. The drugs that once offered sanctuary now threaten to destroy everything he has built. Tapia must choose between the substances that numb his pain and the people who love him, knowing that his survival depends on defeating an opponent more dangerous than any he has faced in professional competition.
Genres: drama, addiction, crime, sports, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: redemption-arc, tortured-hero
96 pages · Paperback · Hamilcar Publications; 1 edition (14 Nov. 2019)
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, mental-illness