Saw the preview for this last night and it looks incredible. Anyone who doesn't know this story should read up on it. Premieres Aug. 1rst.
ASSAULT IN THE RING revisits a boxing scandal considered one of the sport's darkest hours, and traces a man's despairing journey following his alleged involvement in a criminal plot. The documentary examines new evidence about this boxing match turned 30-minute assault, and reveals much more about the pre-fight activities of Luis Resto, his trainer Panama Lewis and the athletic commission representatives.
On June 16, 1983, undefeated prizefighter Billy Collins Jr. set out to fulfill every boxer's dream of fighting in the world's most famous arena - Madison Square Garden. Collins' opponent, Luis Resto of the Bronx, moving up from welterweight, had his own dream of rising to the occasion in front of hometown fans. But what began as a match that Nashville native Collins was favored to win changed both athletes' lives - ending Collins' career dreams and landing Resto in prison.
Resto seemingly reached a fighter's ultimate goal by upsetting Collins, but his post-fight victory celebration was short-lived when it was discovered that the padding had been illegally removed from Resto's gloves by his trainer, Panama Lewis, before the fight. Resto was subsequently incarcerated and banned from the sport, while the brutally beaten Collins went into a tragic downward spiral. Resto gives his account of the story in the documentary. Lewis, whose official career as a trainer came to an end that night, was also subsequently banned, and speaks for the first time in Assault In The Ring about the events of the fight and their impact.
http://www.hbo.com/events/assaultinthering/index.html
Lies and myths???
Both lewis and Recto admitted to what they did
Resto Cornered in New York
April 9, 2008
By Declan O’Kelly
Declan O’Kelly FORMER professional welterweight boxer Luis Resto owned up to fighting against “Irish” Billy Collins Junior with tampered gloves in their fight at Madison Square Garden on June 16 1983 at a press conference at Jack Demseys in midtown last Thursday.
The Bronx native, now 47, admitted to press that not only did he fight with gloves that had their padding removed, but that his hands were also cast in tape that was soaked in plaster of Paris.
The gruesome fight that Resto won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds saw Collins absorb tremendous facial damage that resulted in permanently blurred vision due to a torn iris and a decimated career. Collins, who was from Tennessee and had a 14-0 record going into the Resto fight, died nine months later in a car accident.
The fight and its aftermath is the subject of a documentary called Cornered, which will be shown at the Nashville Film Festival later this month. Director Eric Drath was with Resto at Demseys.
In the documentary, Resto apologizes to Collins’ widow, Andrea Collins-Nile, who was on conference call during the press conference.
Collins’ trainer and father, Billy Senior, sensed there was something amiss when he felt Resto’s gloves after the fight and furiously looked for an inquiry into the matter. An investigation found that Resto’s trainer Panama Lewis cut a hole in each of the gloves and removed the padding.
Both Resto and Lewis were jailed for the incident and Resto got a lifetime ban from boxing. The result of the fight was changed to a “no contest.”
Until last week Resto had never openly admitted to any wrongdoing. Asked if that was the only time he used tampered gloves, Resto said he had done it a few times, but only with Lewis.
When asked if she could forgive Resto, Collins’ widow said, “I am not the judge of Luis Resto, but the commission was negligent and did not protect my husband.”
Collins-Nile’s lawyer has filed a motion for the Collins-Resto case to be reopened in Federal District Court against the state of New York.
For more information on this tragic chapter in boxing and information about the documentary visit www.corneredthemovie.com.
In other news...
http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irish-voice/sport/Articles/Resto-Cornered-in-New-York120408.aspx
more retards about to fall victim to the lies,myths and bullshit hbo feeds them.None of you know the whole story and neither does hbo so I you have any ounce of integrity you will boycott this shitty documentary and demand what hbo is supposed to be giving you sheep
and that is boxing,your supposed to be fans yet your more interested in silly drama
I shit on the documentary and it's thread it has spawned
Are you saying that this assault did not happen? What is your basis?
Heres Billy Collins and Resto's full fight. Decent quality you can see at the end the trainer catching the gloves.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V2B5JPG5
Thanks to pitty pat for the upload.
Looks good, it's a shame such episode ever happened, it's dangerous enough as it is already, it just seems incredibly stupid and selfish to even consider these kind of actions.
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