By Gabriel F. Cordero
Juan Carlos Tapia—the Panamanian journalist, writer, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who founded and directs the television program Lo Mejor del Boxeo—will be inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame this Saturday, September 26, as a member of the Class of 2026.
Tapia, 84, who enters in the “Pioneers” category, is the first non-boxer from Panama to be inducted into a boxing Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades, beginning on January 9, 1975, which has earned him the title of “Father of Panamanian Boxing.”
Over its 50-year history, Lo Mejor del Boxeo arrived on television during the golden age of Panamanian boxing, a time when the country had secured only six world championships since Panama Al Brown won the first one in June 1929. Thanks to Lo Mejor del Boxeo (“The Best of Boxing”), thousands of boxing fans in Panama have enjoyed extraordinary nights featuring 27 future world champions—24 men and three women—as well as great nights of world-class boxing featuring Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Marvin Hagler, Evander Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins, Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julio César Chávez, Héctor Camacho, Roy Jones Jr., Terry Norris, Tito Trinidad, Ricardo Mayorga, Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Johnny Tapia, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, and Canelo Álvarez, among many others.
Don Juan Carlos Tapia is a figure of national significance, having connected with generations of viewers over the past 50 years during unforgettable nights of world-class boxing and moments of patriotic pride, waving the tricolor flag during the bouts of champions such as Guillermo Jones, Eusebio Pedroza, Víctor Córdoba, Jorge Luján, Hilario Zapata, Luis Concepción, Anselmo Moreno, Rafael Concepción, Roberto Vásquez, and Celestino Caballero, among others.
Tapia is also regarded as one of Panama’s most important socio-political figures, a voice for the needy, and one of the country’s greatest entrepreneurs, as well as one of the greatest in Latin America.
Lo Mejor del Boxeo received a Guinness World Record for being the longest-running sports program in the world with the same host, spanning 42 years, and was recently recognized for its 50-year run.
