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Cheating Boxer Gets Convicted | Tales From the Bottle

Qxir | September 7, 2025



We all hate a cheat – but what this boxer did in the ring was criminal.

“On June 16, 1983 Resto unexpectedly beat undefeated prospect Billy Collins Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a 10-round unanimous decision. The fight was the undercard for a bout between Roberto Durán and Davey Moore.
However, when Collins’ father and trainer, Billy Sr., came to shake Resto’s hand, he discovered that Resto’s gloves felt thinner than normal. Screaming that he thought the gloves had no padding, Collins Sr. demanded that the New York State Athletic Commission impound the gloves. An investigation revealed that someone had removed an ounce of padding from each of his gloves then filled them with chalk. Collins’ eyes were swollen shut by the end of the 10th round, and the rest of his face was so badly swollen that it was impossible to believe a light puncher could have inflicted such damage.
Collins suffered a torn iris and permanently blurred vision, ending his career. He died only months later when he drove his car into a culvert while intoxicated. Some commentators have speculated that the loss of his livelihood drove him into a downward spiral. Collins’ father has since speculated that his son committed suicide.
After a month’s investigation, the New York State Boxing Commission determined that Resto’s trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed the padding from Resto’s gloves. It also determined that Resto should have known the gloves were illegal. The commission suspended Resto’s boxing license for at least a year. Since most state boxing commissions honor sanctions from other states, this effectively banned Resto from boxing in the United States for the duration of the ban. The commission subsequently changed its rules to prevent anything like what happened to Collins from ever happening again. Resto’s win was subsequently changed to a no contest.
In 1986, Lewis and Resto were both put on trial and found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon (Resto’s hands) and conspiracy. Prosecutors charged that Resto had to have known the gloves were illegal, and therefore the bout amounted to an illegal 10-round assault. Prosecutors also argued that the plot was centered on a large amount of money bet on Resto by a third party, who had met with Lewis prior to the fight. Resto served 2 and a half years in prison.
After 15 years of trying to regain his license, he was finally allowed to work as a cornerman by New York State. For many years, he has lived in an apartment near the gym where he once trained, and has worked with youngsters there as well.
For almost a quarter-century, Resto publicly denied knowing that Lewis had tampered with the gloves. However, in 2007, Resto apologized to Collins’ widow, Andrea Collins-Nile, who attempted to sue the state of New York for not protecting her late husband. Resto also told Collins-Nile that in addition to removing padding from the gloves, Lewis soaked his hand wraps in plaster of Paris. This caused the wraps to harden into plaster casts similar to those used to set broken bones, which greatly—and illegally—increased Resto’s punching power. The hand wraps have never been confiscated. Resto also disclosed that Lewis would break apart pills used to treat asthma and pour the medicine into his water bottles, giving Resto greater lung capacity in the later rounds of a fight. Resto also visited Collins’ gravesite and said, “I’m sorry for what I did to you.” At a 2008 press conference, Resto said that he knew Lewis had taken the padding out of his gloves and had done so at least twice before. Resto said he did not protest at the time even though he knew it was wrong. “At the time, I was young,” he said. “I went along.”
The 1983 incident and subsequent aftermath is covered in the HBO documentary Assault in the Ring. During this documentary, Resto appeared to confirm law enforcement’s theory that the incident was rooted in large bets on him.”

More on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Resto_(boxer)

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Written by Qxir

Comments

This post currently has 35 comments.

  5. @CameronSmith-w6b

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    As was said: When armed with all the facts, it's heartbreaking. Repeatedly blasting someone in the already disfigured face over and over, knowing what you're doing… is fucking sick.

  6. @m.michaels

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    Billy Collins Jr was also a wife beater. Just saying….

    We all go through horrible things. My dad abused me physically all the time but that doesn't give me the excuse to do that to my own kids.

    Billy went through something horrific but that didn't excuse him to beat his wife and become an alcoholic.

  7. @Acevant

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    Not only would I ban them from the sport entirely,
    They wouldn't even allowed to spectate.
    I would also let other sports organisations know to never let them in.

    Their actions ruined that poor lad's life.
    The fact they're even allowed back for training is embarassing!

  8. @Finnssssss

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    Thing is the ref from this match should've had his license taken away and fired.
    I boxed for a decade and a ref missing this on the preliminary glove check is either incompetence, laziness or being paid off.

  11. @nomnomnomymous

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    He shouldn't be allowed back. Not because of the risk of him cheating again, or even because he deserves to be punished, but because an example needs to be set and standards maintained. People need to see that this behavior is unacceptable, and engaging in it makes YOU unacceptable and has permanent consequences. There is a line that if crossed, cannot be backed over again. When you cross an event horizon you don't get to just say "whoops, that's too far, I won't do that again!" You don't always deserve the opportunity to prove you've changed.

  20. @williamwebster7325

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    This guy should have been in jail for 20yrs I hate anyone who cheated to win 🏆 love boxing I worked out at the same gym and he had a big time follower's behind him and he's lying 😢😢😢😢😢

  21. @andrewince8824

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    Who better to keep a fight honest than a man who paid the price for dishonesty? Louis should be allowed to second, the ghosts of his past mistakes will make him the most honest second in the sport.

  22. @RealityCheckTV

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    No one mentions Resto was the ESPN Welterweight champ & Collins was the ESPN Jr. Middleweight champ. Resto won that title from fellow journeyman Robert "boo boo" Sawyer ins a dramatic come from behind last round TKO. Sawyer had dominated that fight. His record was 10-5. Collins was 100 times better than Sawyer. When I heard Collins was fighting Resto, my first reaction was that Collins was going to steamroll over Resto(and he should have if it was a fair fight) i always pull for the underdog so I was rooting for Resto to pull an upset but I knew it was a long shot. I was happy to see he was winning the fight but something seemed off as he was just busting billy up and I knew that shouldn't be happening. So disgusted by what happened and what could have been.

  26. @jamespuffer2889

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    I think that we as human beings have to allow some space for people to try and redeem themselves.

    I am by no means saying what Resto did was right, but would you want to have to live the entire rest of your life based on the worst decision you ever made?

    No matter how much hate people can feel towards Resto, it isn’t going to go back in time and undo what happened.

    I say give him a chance to prove that he’s learned to be a better person.

    Otherwise, all that happened was that we allowed two lives to be ruined instead of one.

  29. @speleokeir

    September 7, 2025 at 9:38 pm

    The padding was also replaced with chalk powder.

    You have to wonder who was behind this and putting the money on? The mob? Wouldn't exactly be the first time in boxing.

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