by Stop Mike Lupica on April 4 at 1:55PM
Update time on a story we first wrote about last year in this post about the 25 year anniversary of one of boxing's most tragic and brutal stories.
If you don't know the story of the Luis Resto-Billy Collins, Jr. fight that took place June 16, 1983, here's the back story:
The two middleweights fought a 10-round fight at Madison Square Garden. Billy Collins was a 21-year old rising star; he was 14-0 (with 11 KOs), featured as an ESPN champion, and looked like a legitimate contender. He was trained by his father, Billy Collins Sr, from a young age to be a boxer. Luis Resto was a 28 year old Puerto Rican often described as a journeyman. His record was 20-8-2. He had a grand total of 8 KOs in his career, and was generally considered a light puncher.
Billy Collins was a big favorite to win the fight. They fought for the full 10 rounds, trading punches.
It has been reported that in between rounds, Billy told his father and the rest of his corner that when Resto hit him "it felt like he was hitting me with a brick". Billy Sr. asked him if they should stop the fight. "No", said Billy Jr., and the fight continued for the entire 10 rounds.
By the end of the 10th, Billy's face was messed up badly. He had huge welts around both eyes, which were blackened by the force of Resto's punches. The decision was obviously unanimous in favor of Resto. As Resto was shaking hands with Billy's corner (as is the standard in boxing), Collins Sr. noticed something was wrong with Resto's gloves. He claimed he felt nothing by knuckles, and that the padding in Resto's gloves was missing. He complained immediately to the ring officials, who grabbed Resto's gloves after the fight and investigate the claim.
The TV footage captured the moment: Collins Sr. starts yelling almost immediately after the hand shake... "Hey! All of the padding is out... it's all out! Commissioner, commissioner...there's no damn padding."
After a brief investigation, the New York State Police Laboratory report's conclusion was that Resto's gloves were tampered with by Panama Lewis, Resto's trainer; he was charged with cutting a 3/4 of an inch hole in them, and removing the padding so that Resto was hitting Collins with his bare knuckles. In other words, the protection that gloves are suppose to give was not there.
"We have scientific proof that the gloves were tampered with", said Jack Prenderville of the NY Athletic Commission, at the time.
Collins Jr. was severely injured by the fight. He had permanent eye damage in his left iris, which was teared. Permanently blurred vision. His promising boxing career was finished, done.
Less than a year after the fight at MSG, Billy Collins Jr. was DUI when his car crashed off the road and landed in a river, killing him. Was it a suicide, or just a plain old DUI? It doesn't matter, really. He was dead at 22. Billy Collins Sr. still holds Resto and Panama responsible.
"You don't think Resto knew he didn't have padding in the gloves. You don't think Panama Lewis took it out? I've had 15 years to think about it, and I know - I know - they did it."
Luis Resto had denied that numerous times over the past quarter century. But, according to this report in today's Daily News:
"Resto added another heinous chapter to that sad story on Thursday when he admitted that Lewis also put plaster on the tape over his knuckles, encasing his fists in a cast inside of the gloves with the pad removed." [emphasis added]
Resto said he made the admission because he wanted to unburden himself. "Yes, I feel better," he said when asked if he was glad he finally told the truth.
Special thanks to commenter Gary, who tipped us off to this story today.
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If you don't know the story of the Luis Resto-Billy Collins, Jr. fight that took place June 16, 1983, here's the back story:
The two middleweights fought a 10-round fight at Madison Square Garden. Billy Collins was a 21-year old rising star; he was 14-0 (with 11 KOs), featured as an ESPN champion, and looked like a legitimate contender. He was trained by his father, Billy Collins Sr, from a young age to be a boxer. Luis Resto was a 28 year old Puerto Rican often described as a journeyman. His record was 20-8-2. He had a grand total of 8 KOs in his career, and was generally considered a light puncher.
Billy Collins was a big favorite to win the fight. They fought for the full 10 rounds, trading punches.
It has been reported that in between rounds, Billy told his father and the rest of his corner that when Resto hit him "it felt like he was hitting me with a brick". Billy Sr. asked him if they should stop the fight. "No", said Billy Jr., and the fight continued for the entire 10 rounds.
By the end of the 10th, Billy's face was messed up badly. He had huge welts around both eyes, which were blackened by the force of Resto's punches. The decision was obviously unanimous in favor of Resto. As Resto was shaking hands with Billy's corner (as is the standard in boxing), Collins Sr. noticed something was wrong with Resto's gloves. He claimed he felt nothing by knuckles, and that the padding in Resto's gloves was missing. He complained immediately to the ring officials, who grabbed Resto's gloves after the fight and investigate the claim.
The TV footage captured the moment: Collins Sr. starts yelling almost immediately after the hand shake... "Hey! All of the padding is out... it's all out! Commissioner, commissioner...there's no damn padding."
After a brief investigation, the New York State Police Laboratory report's conclusion was that Resto's gloves were tampered with by Panama Lewis, Resto's trainer; he was charged with cutting a 3/4 of an inch hole in them, and removing the padding so that Resto was hitting Collins with his bare knuckles. In other words, the protection that gloves are suppose to give was not there.
"We have scientific proof that the gloves were tampered with", said Jack Prenderville of the NY Athletic Commission, at the time.
Collins Jr. was severely injured by the fight. He had permanent eye damage in his left iris, which was teared. Permanently blurred vision. His promising boxing career was finished, done.
Less than a year after the fight at MSG, Billy Collins Jr. was DUI when his car crashed off the road and landed in a river, killing him. Was it a suicide, or just a plain old DUI? It doesn't matter, really. He was dead at 22. Billy Collins Sr. still holds Resto and Panama responsible.
"You don't think Resto knew he didn't have padding in the gloves. You don't think Panama Lewis took it out? I've had 15 years to think about it, and I know - I know - they did it."
Luis Resto had denied that numerous times over the past quarter century. But, according to this report in today's Daily News:
"Resto added another heinous chapter to that sad story on Thursday when he admitted that Lewis also put plaster on the tape over his knuckles, encasing his fists in a cast inside of the gloves with the pad removed." [emphasis added]
Resto said he made the admission because he wanted to unburden himself. "Yes, I feel better," he said when asked if he was glad he finally told the truth.
It's a sad story in boxing history. Panama Lewis is still allowed to train boxers, though he hasn't trained anyone major since the 80's, with the exception of being an "training advisor" to Mike Tyson before his fight with Lennox Lewis.
Special thanks to commenter Gary, who tipped us off to this story today.
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4 Comments
Comments
stopmikelupica
said
Modi: That's right, I forgot about that. Those were some crazy days in boxing, back in the 80's, when you would see a coked-up fighter going nuts, getting pounded by punch after punch, and not feel the effects because he was so high. That was a crazy fight...
SML, thanks for posting this. Panama Lewis is a a straight-up dirty trainer. He is most known for giving Aaron Pryor some of his special water bottle before the famous 14th round vs. Alexis Arguello