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| IN 2003, JOHNNY AND I STARTED RENTING UFC FIGHT VIDEOS. AFTER WATCHING THE VIDEOS, JOHNNY WANTED TO GET INTO FIGHTING (UFC STYLE) IN THE RING. |
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WHEN JOHNNY WAS 6 YEARS OLD I HAD ASKED JODY (JOHNNY’S MOM) IF IT WAS OK TO TEACH HIM MARTIAL ARTS. SHE SAID NOT UNTIL HE WAS OLDER. BUT SHE DID ENROLL HIM IN KARATE SCHOOL AT THAT TIME. |
| AT AGE 15, DUE TO HIS MOM NOT AGREEING WITH JOHNNY’S DECISION
TO CONTINUE PURSUING A TRAINER, WE DECIDED TO LOOK FOR A TRAINER WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE. AFTER LOOKING
AROUND TOWN FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS, WE FOUND “HOUSE OF PAIN” RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM OUR HOUSE. WHEN WE ASKED IF THEY HAD A
GRAPPLING TRAINER THEY GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER FOR JOE TRUJILLO. WHILE MEETING WITH JOE WE ALSO MET ONE OF HIS TEAM MATES PATRICK SMITH. AFTER SPARING WITH JOHNNY FOR AWHILE TO SEE HIS POTENTIAL AND EVEN THOUGH HE WAS YOUNGER THAN ALL THE OTHER FIGHTERS, THEY DECIDED TO TRAIN HIM. DURING THE NEXT 6 MONTHS JOHNNY TRAINED WITH MANY TEAM MEMBERS INCLUDING NOAH, STEVE O, ALONG WITH OTHER FIGHTERS LIKE CRUNK AND ANDREW. HE ALSO WAS ABLE TO TRAIN WITH PATRICK SMITH TO HELP HIM PREPARE FOR HIS FIGHT. THE DAY OF PATRICK'S FIGHT I DROPPED JOHNNY OFF IN GOLDEN SO HE COULD GO ALONG WITH TEAM TORTURE TO CENTRAL CITY. HE WAS ALLOWED IN BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT BECAUSE HE WAS WITH TEAM TORTURE THAT HE WAS 21. AFTER THREE HOURS OF BEING THERE THEY WERE INFORMED THAT PATRICK SMITH’S OPPONENT CANCELED. ON THE WAY HOME THAT NIGHT, THERE WERE 2 SUVS FULL OF TEAM TORTURE MEMBERS. A CAR OF GUYS CUT THEM OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO START TROUBLE BUT BACKED OFF. JOHNNY TOLD ME THAT ALL THEY DID WAS LAUGH AND SAY, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE IF THEY WOULD HAVE STOPPED WITH THIS MANY FIGHTERS IN THE CAR. |
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THE NEXT DAY JOHNNY WENT RIGHT BACK TO TRAINING AS HARD AS HE COULD. HE WAS COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO BECOMING A FIGHTER. I REMEMBER ONE TIME HE WAS SICK WITH THE FLU ALL DAY LONG AND STILL WENT AND TRAINED AT 10 ‘OCLOCK AT NIGHT UNTIL 2 IN THE MORNING. THERE WAS EVEN ONE TIME THAT HE WAS TRAINING SO HARD THAT HE WAS VOMITING. HE EVEN VOMITED ON AMANDA’S (JOHNNY’S STEP-MOM) SHOES. BUT HE KEPT GOING BACK IN. HE ALWAYS GAVE HIS ALL. WHEN HE WASN’T AT THE GYM, OUR HOME BECAME HIS GYM. JOHNNY WOULD ALWAYS HAVE HIS FRIENDS BRIAN, JOHNNY B, PAUL, CHAZ (COUSIN), AND MYSELF. ON THE WEEKENDS SOMETIMES THERE WOULD ALSO BE VICTOR (COUSIN) AND JOSEPH (BROTHER). THEY WOULD SPAR AND WRESTLE AROUND IN THE HOUSE. JOHNNY WOULD SHOW THE GUYS MOVES AND WOULD PRACTICE NEW MOVES ON THEM. |
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AFTER A MAJOR FALLING OUT. MANY TEAM MEMBERS EITHER QUIT OR STARTED THEIR OWN TEAMS. AT ONE POINT PATRICK SMITH ASKED JOHNNY TO COME FIGHT FOR HIS TEAM. AFTER JOHNNY AND I TALKED ABOUT IT THE POSITIVES AND THE NEGATIVES, WE KNEW HE WOULD HAVE A BETTER FUTURE FIGHTING FOR JOE AS A TEAM TORTURE MEMBER. JOHNNY AND JOE BECAME THE BEST OF FRIENDS. THEY WOULD TRAIN LATE NIGHTS AND JOHNNY WOULD STAY OVER AT JOE’S. THEY WOULD PLAY VIDEO GAMES AND WATCH FIGHT VIDEOS AND THEN ON SUNDAYS THEY WOULD GET UP AND GO TO CHURCH TOGETHER. |
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IN SEPTEMBER JOHNNY TOOK A BREAK FROM TRAINING WITH JOE
DUE TO OUR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS. HE DID CONTINUE TO SPAR AND TRAIN AT HOME WITH HIS BUDDIES AND ME. |
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| ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2004 JOE TOLD JOHNNY THAT HE HAD
GOT HIM A FIGHT SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 27,2004. WHEN JOHNNY TOLD ME HE WAS SO EXCITED AND SO WAS I. HE INFORMED ME AT THAT
TIME THAT HE STILL DID NOT WANT TO TELL HIS MOM. HE SAID HE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL HE WENT FOR HIS FIRST TITLE FIGHT BEFORE INVITING HER.
JOHNNY HAD SIX DAYS TO GET HIS CARDIO UP. JOHNNY PROCRASTINATED FOR 3 DAYS. HE SAID HE HAD TO GET HIS REST. WEDNESDAY
EVENING JOHNNY AND I WENT RUNNING. WHEN WE GOT HOME AMANDA WAS TEASING US. SO, JOHNNY CHALLENGED HER TO RUN UP AND
DOWN OUR 14 STEPS FOR 7 MINUTES. SHE MADE IT (BARELY), I ALSO DID IT AND JUST LIKE AMANDA MADE IT (BARELY). AND OF COURSE, JOHNNY NEVER EVEN STARTED. |
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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27TH CAME AFTER LONG NIGHTS OF TRAINING
AND GETTING HIS CARDIO UP. JOHNNY TOLD ME, “I’M GOING TO HAVE (pic 7) TO MAKE THIS A QUICK FIGHT
BECAUSE I DON’T THINK I CAN MAKE IT PAST THE 1ST ROUND. JOHNNY LEFT THE HOUSE AROUND 3PM WITH JOE TO THE FIGHTS. HE HAD TO GO FOR WEIGH INS AND GET PREPARED TO FIGHT. AMANDA AND I RAN TO PICK UP VICTOR AND BRIAN PICKED UP JOHNNY B, PAUL, AND CHAZ. SEAN ALSO MET US THERE. JOHNNY’S FIGHT WAS THE SECOND FIGHT ON THE CARD. HE CAME INTO THE RING WITH HIS TEAM TORTURE HOOD ON. VICTOR, STEVE O, AND JOE WERE IN HIS CORNER. JOHNNY WON HIS FIRST FIGHT WITH A REAR NAKED CHOKE IN THE 1ST ROUND AT 48 SECONDS. I WAS SO PROUD OF HIM. I WENT RUNNING AND SCREAMING FOR THE CAGE. ALL OF JOHNNY’S FRIENDS DID TOO. AFTER ALL THE FIGHTS WERE OVER THEY WERE HAVING A AFTER PARTY NEXT DOOR AT THE STRIP CLUB. WE ALL WENT. JOHNNY WAS IN THE VIP ROOM MOST OF THE NIGHT. AMANDA AND I LEFT EARLY. IT WAS THE BEST NIGHT OF MY SONS’ LIFE AND I AM FOREVER
THANKFUL TO GOD FOR MY SON. |
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THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND ALL OF US GUYS GOT TOGETHER AND WENT TO SEE FIGHTS I CASTLE ROCK ON DECEMBER 11,2004 THAT WAS THE LAST FIGHT JOHNNY AND I WENT TO BEFORE HE WENT TO BE WITH OUR LORD IN HEAVEN.
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THAT NIGHT I WAS SO NERVOUS I KNEW JOHNNY HAD THE HEART CONDITION AND I WAS
SCARED. I REMEMBER BEFORE THE FIGHT JOHNNY CAME OVER AND GAVE ALAN A HUG AND SEAN A HUG AND THEN STARTED TO WALK AWAY I I SAID HEY DO I GET A HUG, HE
SAID," NO!” THEN HE PROCEEDED TO SHAKE MY HAND. I CRIED. I PRAYED FOR THE LORD TO PROTECT HI. I REMEMBER JUST HOLDING MY BREATHE. THANK GOODNESS IT WAS OVER IN 48 SECONDS. I REMEMBER FEELING THIS AMAZING RUSH OF HAPPINESS I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. ALAN WAS SO EXCITED. AFTER THE FIGHTS I JOINED THEM ALL AT THE STRIP
CLUB. ALAN WAS FALLING ASLEEP IN THE CHAIR AND SO WAS I BUT WE WERE THERE TO HELP JOHNNY CELEBRATE. AT ABOUT 11 PM WE DECIDED TO GO HOME WE TOLD JOHNNY AND I GAVE HIM ALL THE $1’S I
HAD. AT ABOUT 2:30 AM JOHNNY AND CHAZ CALLED AND SAID THEY NEEDED A RIDE. SO, I WENT AND PICKED THEM UP. IT
DEFINITELY WAS A NIGHT NONE OF US WILL EVER FORGET. WE LOVE YOU JOHNNY, |
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