The criminal Luis Resto

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UNFORGIVEN

Following the infamous "stuffing-removed-from-gloves" fight that brought an end to the career and, possibly indirectly, the life of Billy Collins, Luis Resto has become a boxing pariah. STEVE FARHOOD catches up with a man still in love with a sport that hates him


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RESTO TODAY: a man in love with a sport that doesn't want him - Get Big Pic

The most memorable night of my boxing life was a giant birthday party. On 16 June 1983, Madison Square Garden was sold out for Roberto Duran’s challenge to junior middleweight champion Davey Moore. It wasn’t the greatest fight, mind you, but what a night! Just not for all the right reasons.

The rafters of the Big Building rattled when Muhammad Ali made his way to ringside before the main event; the deafening chant of “Ah-Lee!” provided the ultimate adrenaline rush. As for Duran, such was the magnetism of the man that Moore, an ever-smiling kid from the Bronx, was booed in his own hometown. After Duran, reborn at 32, masterfully managed an upset KO win, he climbed the ring ropes and shed tears as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday”. He wasn’t the only one crying.

Luis Resto doesn’t remember that night too well. After beating up the previously undefeated Billy Collins on the undercard, Resto celebrated by getting drunk at Victor’s Café, a Cuban joint in Midtown Manhattan. “Beer, rum, wine, everything,” Resto recalled. “I was so happy. I drank so much, I forgot to eat.”

Resto went to sleep dreaming about a shot at welterweight king Donald Curry. When he woke up, a hangover was the least of his problems.

[AntonTheMeh]

some more tito hating

http://www.braggingrightscorner.com/Sugar1.html
"Just the Facts, Steve"

By Sugarfree Shaw



Let me preface this edition of the 'Corner' with a couple of definitions, just to be sure we're all starting from equal ground.

EDITORIAL (noun): a newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinions of the editors or publishers; also : an expression of opinion that resembles such an article

JOURNALISM (noun): writing characterized by a direct presentation of facts or description of events without an attempt at interpretation

Steve? Steve Kim? Are you out there, Steve?

I mention your name because of your October 29th www.maxboxing.com article entitled "Cheat-o Trinidad?" I know I don't need to remind you, but for the benefit of everyone who hasn't seen it, I'll restate your point. You speculate that special hand wrapping techniques may have contributed to Felix Trinidad's 40-0 record, and that Trinidad's loss to Bernard Hopkins is a direct result of a change in that wrapping. There are all sorts of other indictments of Trinidad, Puerto Ricans in general, and the New York State Athletic Commission on the side, but I think that about covers it.

I'll provide a link to the article for everyone later. I'll encourage them all to check it out. It's actually quite stirring. You write with passion, Mr. Kim. You make your points. Unfortunately, Journalism isn't solely for making your points. What happened to fact and unbiased observation? What happened to credible sources? What happened to logic? You see Steve, as I've stated above, there's a difference between journalism and editorial writing. "Cheat-o," doesn't seem to know which it wants to be. It abounds in obvious personal opinion and bias, but is presented as a journalistic report. Since you seem to have some confusion on this issue, let me take you briefly back to school.

Let's assume we're talking about a report, here. In this instance, you would devise a topic for a story, do some research, and present the facts, right? Good, I'm glad we can agree on that. Here are a few more specific essentials you'd probably want to include:

Interviews from opposing sides:
The old adage goes, "There are two sides to every story." As a general rule, people want to see interviews from those who are -- and this is very important -- direct representatives of the parties involved. I see you've done half of that job very well.

I appreciate the comments from people Trinidad has knocked out, especially the very vocal and opinionated views of William Joppy and Fernando Vargas. I also thank you for including the interview with James Fisher, who was in the locker room during the taping incident before the Trinidad/Hopkins fight. Thanks for showing me that side of things.

Let me ask, if I may; was there anyone from the Trinidad camp available for comment before you decided to present these accusations to the masses? If you're a journalist whose report questions the integrity of a former World Champion and his family, why aren't they represented? Thanks very much for throwing in Teddy Atlas' explanation of how to turn your tape job into a hard cast, and (David Reid's trainer) Al Mitchell's admission that he didn't see anything wrong with the hand wraps, but that's not exactly the same as asking the person you're accusing for their version of the story, is it? The way you so heavily rely on Trinidad-bashers makes me think you keep a few of them on speed dial. In short: Stories have two sides. Try to include them both, if it's not too much trouble.

Credible vs. Non-Credible Interviews:
Again, thanks so much for your interviews with the ever-entertaining William Joppy, Fernando Vargas, and David Reid. I'm so glad you brought their testimonies to the page. And what an opportunity this is for them to break this story wide open. Those must have been tough interviews. What did you ask them? Was it something like, "Did you get knocked out because you got beaten, or was it because your opponent had 'loaded' gloves?" It's your story, I know, but I might have suggested interviewing fighters who weren't completely embarrassed in their meetings with Trinidad. You see, when someone clearly has a vested interest in seeing the subject of the accusations brought down, their testimony loses what we like to call "credibility."

[AntonTheMeh]

and more tito hating

Come on, Steve. Trinidad had 37 other opponents to pick from. Choosing the three who suffered notable knockouts for this piece is clearly poor thinking on your part. Where is De La Hoya? Where is Whitaker? Wasn't Oba Carr around somewhere? Mamadou Thiam? Maurice Blocker, for Pete's sake? My point is this: If you're set on including these three guys in the piece, at least ask them something harder, like "Why we haven't heard these accusations from you until now?" Ask them for evidence; ask them for something, anything, to substantiate what we got. Shining through these interviews is the underlying impression that these guys are sore losers given a convenient opportunity to lash out and offer an excuse. An internationally published one, at that. For a great example of what I'm talking about, take a look at this excerpt from your story:

"Somebody came up to me at the press conference in Puerto Rico," stated Vargas. "He was Puerto Rican and I don't know who he is, but I've seen him around many fights, he's affiliated with boxing. I don't know if he's a trainer, manager, whatever he might be. He said, 'Look, I'm Puerto Rican, but I don't like Trinidad's people. I'm gonna tell you guys, you better watch out for the way he wraps.'"

Huh?!?!? No offense, Steve, but I've seen stronger scoops at the local Baskin-Robbins. When I hear a Champion has been accused of wrongdoing, I want the hard details, not "my friend's sister's boyfriend knows this guy who works with this chick who knows a lot about boxing, and her Dad's mechanic told him that Tito doesn't fight clean." Not very convincing. Not very credible.

I'll take "Logical Conclusions" for $1,000, please:
If you absolutely must make a jump to a conclusion (and in case I haven't stated this previously, a reporter of the facts shouldn't), at least make sure it's reasonable. That's really the only requirement I'll ask of you.

Don't get me wrong, Steve. I see you working here. I see how you've extensively interviewed James Fisher, and I can appreciate that. He was there, and that speaks well of you. But when you look at his interview, you still make an overall point that is entirely conjecture. Let's look at Fisher's version of the facts:

Fisher walks into the dressing room, where Trinidad's left hand was already wrapped.

Fisher talks with the Inspector, in his words "a Puerto Rican guy," who tells him the wraps are regulation. An argument ensues.

A superior inspector comes in and gets the Trinidad camp to take the wraps off. They re-wrap again, the same way. An argument ensues.

The supervising inspector tells the Hopkins camp they can wrap Bernard's hands in similar fashion, if they choose. They decline. Trinidad's hands get re-wrapped again.

After removing all your persuasive phrasing, this is what Fisher's account boils down to. It may be enough to justify saying that the Trinidad camp needed to re-wrap to satisfy the Chief inspector on that night, but it is hardly enough to justify the stance you seem to be taking. Imagine, Steve, the ramifications of what you're suggesting. If you are correct, and Trinidad's complete record is due to illegal hand wraps, that casts aspersions on the entire sport. Trinidad has fought 40 opposing camps in 14 separate cities and 5 countries. How is it possible that this is just coming out? Are we to believe they were all incompetent? All on the take? Are we to assume that the Trinidad camp is so far-reaching that they can plant inspectors in every venue? If so, what are you saying about the Athletic Commissions therein? Are they all involved in some grand coup to ensure undefeated status for a Puerto Rican boxer? It hardly seems likely, Steve. And if I were a representative of any one of these groups, I'd be incensed at your insinuation.

But, back to a final point about report writing: Word choice. Steve, the words you use convey more than their own meaning; they reveal the intent of the writer. Taking a look at your word choice tells me that you have a lot of personal bias on the subject, and you want me to take it as fact.

"It's like finding out that Babe Ruth had corked his bat," you begin. Curious. If nothing's been established yet, why are we stating it like its fact? How about, "It would be like finding out?" I know it's not as inflammatory, but it's a tad less biased. While we're at it, you might try to describe the opinions of angry boxers as "allegations" instead of "findings," and refer to Trinidad's hand wrapping process as a "technique" rather than a "shenanigan." Also, you mention that the Joppy camp "didn't catch the infraction," in their fight, which tells me that you believe there was an infraction to catch. I'd love to play poker with you sometime, Steve; you can't keep from showing your hand.

To sum up, Steve, I'd like to thank you for your passionate writing and for your creativity. In the future, though, I'd appreciate it if you'd just call a piece like "Cheat-O Trinidad" an editorial of your personal beliefs. If you've got something to say or a cause to champion, just say it. Don't hide behind a barrage of fighters and trainers who've lost, and let them offer your view for you. To do so is an abuse of your position as a writer for www.maxboxing. com. After all, people (myself included) come there for news and coverage, not propaganda.

Incidentally, I saw that your maxboxing.com colleague Doug Fischer posted an interview with Felix Trinidad, Sr. on October 30th. He did the unthinkable; he let us see Trinidad's take on this situation. Shouldn't that have been in the original piece? I guess it didn't quite fit your purpose.


Be sure to read TB Editor Kevin Aymat's article "Kim" You Believe This Guy?

Responses or Comments? Email Sugarfree

Click here to visit Tainobox web site.



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**Editor's Note: Bragging Rights Corner wishes to thank sister site Tainobox.com and its highly talented staff for their support and encouragement. This outstanding piece has been reproduced with their permission.

[AntonTheMeh]

"Kim" You Believe This Guy?

By Kevin Aymat, Editor, Tainobox.com


OK, so it's not the catchiest title out there, but I've obviously got your attention. Besides, cut me some slack here, no one said anything about Steve Kim's 'Cheat-o' Trinidad eye-catcher on MaxBoxing.com last week. If you missed Kim's latest brain fart of a 'news' column by the same title, don't sweat it, he'll have another one for ya before you can say bean burrito.

It was indeed a toss up between Max Kellerman's editorial piece entitled Tszyu's overrated, so go with Zab humdinger, over Kim's equally asinine ***el. As tough a choice as it was, I allowed my obligation to all those who took the time to email us last week about the hand wrapping piece to sway me. However, hats off to Max, yours was no less a gem in its own right.

The essence behind Kim's article was that of shedding light on some infamous hand wrapping technique used by the 'Puerto Rican underground' to grant their boxers a punchers' edge. A ploy that was 'astutely' caught by the Hopkins camp, prior to Trinidad entering the ring on the 29th last month. Thus, exposing not only Team Trinidad as being a cheat and a farce, but the whole Puerto Rican boxing institution was incon****uously thrown in the mix as well. If you think I'm being melodramatic, and you have a couple of minutes to lose, don't take my word for it, read the article if you haven't already.

Honestly folks, if it were not for the fact that the columnist writes for the top cyber-dog in Boxing, there probably wouldn't be any need to even address the subject, but I got a few minutes to kill, and again, judging from the emails received by TB this past week, Kim obviously struck a cord with some of you, so we'll play along with Steve on your behalf.

The column showcases former opponents of the Puerto Rican Trinidad (Reid, Vargas and Joppy), as they are given open forum to digress into one of the more pathetic displays of grown men wining about how they were slighted by the artificially induced cast iron fist of Trinidad. Each of which (with the exception of Joppy) have gone on to struggle with their chins and stamina due to the after shock of Tito's 'unjust' devastation of their egos, explains Kim as the story develops.

It came as a surprise to me that Steve didn't take a step further by also insinuating that Team Trinidad covertly acted as accomplices to Wilfredo Rivera, by wrapping the light punching former welter weight's hands for his bout with Vargas given that Wilfredo is also from Puerto Rico. Rivera you may recall, floored the rebounding Jr. middleweight Fernando Vargas a few months after his bout with Tito, only to pull back from the kill allowing the younger Vargas to turn the tide on him shortly thereafter.

If you note some cynicism on my part towards Mr. Kim it's only because the columnist continually abuses the medium of reporting the news when in fact he is just writing an editorial piece . 'Cheat-o' Trinidad is a perfect example of the reporter not being able to make the distinction or even worse, deliberately presenting it as fact knowing that it is nothing more than a full blown commentary piece masked to look like journalism. But for more on that, I would encourage you to read Sugarfree Shaw's article and the obvious differences of the two mediums and how Kim in particular has a problem distinguishing them.

As do all reputable publications, MaxBoxing.com has its obvious anchor to reality by way of its editor and chief Doug Fisher. Having once again been left to clean up after his 'shoot from the hip' peer, Fisher posted an almost immediate counter article relating Trinidad Senior's response to the rumors generated by Kim's article, as they were presented to Don Felix back in Puerto Rico.

[AntonTheMeh]

Fisher basically presented the facts straight from the horses mouth, as Don Felix dismissed the whole debacle for what it really was as the trainer explained in detail the obvious intent of his wrapping technique being that of protecting the boxer's bread and butter if you will. I urge you to read Fischer's article as well which is granted, not as entertaining as Kim's but obviously far more trustworthy a source in my estimation.

I did find however, one very important oversight by the sites' chief. Shortly after Kim's story posted it appears Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic commission, Marc Ratner, in direct response to the article, did not hesitate to discard the whole matter as being less than unmerited. A gesture I thought to be far more revealing and appropriate then even that of Don Felix. But that's just me.

Ratner, having been the man in charge of keeping things on the 'up and up' on numerous occasions for Tito's bout in Vegas, went on to comment that to his recollection, he never saw any reason to question Team Trinidads' means of preparing their boxer to fight. These being in essence the words used by the commissioner as he addressed the matter. The statements included Tito's bouts with Oscar de La Hoya, Reid, Vargas etc.

He (Ratner) also pointed out that in each one of those bouts there was always someone of the opposing camp; as well as an assigned representative of the commission present, to witness first hand, the wrapping process from beginning to end.

Heck, even trainer and father figure to David Reid, Al Mitchell having been present in Tito's dressing room while they wrapped his hands did not pick up on any of this, even with his trained eye as a trainer. I guess Mitchell did not care as much about David as Don Felix does his son is the implication. Or maybe Mitchell needs to take a refresher course on one of the more basic aspects of his craft as a trainer.

What does this say of the dozens of corner men and state commission appointed officials present in all the other bouts Tito participated in? Is Kim inferring that every last one of them was completely oblivious of the goings on?

According to Ratner, never once was there any reason to question the Puerto Rican trainer's methods. The process presented by Don Felix met the governing body's rules and regulations each and every time.

Even veteran trainer and Boxing analyst Teddy Atlas made light of the whole thing focusing more on Team Hopkins having got the upper hand psychologically by offsetting, what to Trinidad had always been the customary wrap used for his fights. The no holds barred commentator opting not to touch on the subject, which obviously holds about as much water as a screen door on a submarine.

For the most part, all the other publications have had a similar reaction to the whole allegation made by Kim by choosing to just ignore it for it's lack of substance.

To further add irony to the matter, earlier in the year Dr. Margaret Goodman who has assumed the role of ringside physician for years now, spear headed the task of publishing a manual, which would serve to protect boxers from the obvious hazards of the sport. Goodman elected to quote and use the savvy Don Felix' input and technique in regards to --yes you guessed it-- the importance of protecting the athletes' hand by way of properly wrapping them.

The irony of this last fact almost being poetic and hard for me to refrain from, but instead, we'll move on shall we.

Perhaps it was the element of conspiracy that gripped you about Kim's story, then let's set our sights towards the officials responsible for correcting the "infamous" hand wrapping act that night of September 29th, prompted by the Hopkins Camp.

Now ex- president and lame duck official of The New York State Athletic Commission Mel Southard, for reason that have yet to be addressed, was for some odd reason the acting representative of the commission and the man responsible for carrying out the threat to withhold Trinidad's purse if he did not oblige them in making Tito re-bandage his hands.

Is it just me, or is this but another convenient oversight on Kim's part, who has himself questioned the reputation of this particular Commission and its subordinates, if recent memory serves me correctly.

I guess it was ok and not the least bit su****ious for Southard, whose ethics have come under severe attack from everyone imaginable, to execute the Commissions reprimand of the Trinidad's. But that's another story.

We could go on and on, but the bottom line simply being this, anyway you slice it, Kim's article is at best irresponsible, at worst hypercritical. How this stuff ever even makes it to print is probably the bigger question here.

I will leave you with the quandary. -- indulge me on this if you will-- what if the outcome of the fight would have gone the other way? Given Kim's reaction even in lap of being right about Hopkins victory over Trinidad, one is left to shudder and think, to what length would the writer have gone to prove his point when reality and fantasy so conveniently intertwine for Mr. Kim.



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**Editor's Note: Bragging Rights Corner wishes to thank sister site Tainobox.com and its highly talented staff for their support and encouragement. This superb piece has been reproduced with their permission.

[AntonTheMeh]

at you trying to make tito a criminal.

[Bambicolors]

Sixteen years later, Resto, 44, wearily waited for the inevitable line of questioning like a trialhorse waiting for a rising contender’s money punch. I hadn’t seen Resto since the Collins fight. In the tiny office at the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx, I told him I had watched most of his early fights, either live at the Felt Forum or on ESPN. We enjoyed shooting the bull about the good old days, but it was just prelim chatter. This interview wasn’t going to be that easy for either one of us. That’s because we both knew we had to talk about the gloves.

Until reintroducing myself to the one-time fringe contender, the thought of Resto sickened me. After the featherfisted welterweight blinded Collins by hammering his face into a hideous mass of purple welts, it was discovered that padding had been removed from both of his gloves. Immediately after the final bell, Billy Collins Sr., who worked his son’s corner, shook Resto’s right glove, saying: “Good fight.” As reported in Sports Illustrated, the following was recorded by TV microphones:

Collins: “Hey! All of the padding is out of the beep gloves. It’s all out.”
Resto (looking across the ring to trainer-manager Panama Lewis for help): “Huh?”
Collins: “Commissioner . . . Commissioner! No padding . . . There’s no beep padding.”

Who did it? Who cut 3/4-inch holes on the lower palm side and removed an ounce of padding from each of the eight-ounce Everlast gloves? The record shows that in October 1986, Resto was convicted of assault, conspiracy, and criminal possession of a deadly weapon (his fists). He served 21/2 years of a three-year sentence. Lewis was convicted of the same crimes, as well as tampering with a sports contest. He served 21/2 years of a six-year sentence. Both were banned from boxing for life.

Billy Collins didn’t escape so easily. Hyped by Top Rank as a future champion, Collins had absorbed a frightful beating. Permanently blurred vision, the result of a torn iris, meant his career was over. Nine months after the fight, a drunken and depressed Collins drove his ’72 Oldsmobile off the road in Antioch, Tennessee. He landed in a creek and died upon impact. He was 22 years old. Depending on one’s perspective, Collins’s death was either a suicide, a result of drunk driving, or indirectly, murder.

“You don’t think Resto knew he didn’t have padding in the gloves?” Collins Sr. told Sports Illustrated in 1998. “You don’t think Panama Lewis took it out? I’ve had 15 years to think about it, and I know - I know - that they did it. They killed him. They killed my son.”

Eric Drath doesn’t see it that way. A boxing manager and former producer for CNN and Fox News, Drath, 29, befriended Resto while working out at the Morris Park gym. He’s since paid the former fighter for the rights to his story.

“I found Luis instantly intriguing,” Drath said. “How could somebody with his character, somebody so devoted to boxing, be banished from the sport he loves so much? Everybody at the gym loves Luis. They respect the fact that he doesn’t walk around bitter. The first four years after Billy Collins died, Luis had to live with his demons. But he confronted those demons. You can see a rough past in his eyes, but he’s a warm, honest, sincere guy who’s always wearing a smile.

“I want to give him what boxing owes him. He doesn’t owe boxing.”

Spend five minutes with Resto and the last thing you’d take him to be would be duplicitous, much less conspiratorial. Resto is ruggedly handsome, with jet-black hair and dark skin, but also sad-looking. He’s quiet, and his English hasn’t improved much over the years. (Resto was born in a small town in Puerto Rico. He came to New York City with his mother and six siblings at age nine.) He remains married, but his wife Maria moved to ******ia in 1994. His sons, Luis Jr., 22, and Brian, 17, occasionally travel to the Bronx for weekends.

“My [older] son graduated from high school,” Resto said. “I’m proud of him. I didn’t do that.”

In fact, Resto didn’t make it out of eighth grade. After smashing his teacher in the face with an elbow, he spent six months in a Bronx hospital for the mentally disturbed. Upon his release, he packed groceries until finding his way to a gym. Trainers found serious talent and a toughness that served him well. He won a pair of New York Golden Gloves titles and in 1976, competed in the Olympic Trials.

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When I turned pro, I just wanted to fight,” he said. “I didn’t think about money or winning championships.”

Although he briefly cracked the Top 10, Resto lost to most of the world-class opponents he faced. He was a 10-round fighter by his seventh bout, and in his eighth start, he was KO’d in one round by future world champion Bruce Curry. There were some notable wins, including KOs of the heavily hyped Domingo Ayala and Robert Sawyer, and frequent sparring with Duran, but by the time of the Collins fight, the Puerto Rican, only 28, was already a journeyman. The records told you all you needed to know: Collins was 14-0, Resto 20-8-2.

Though he could never have imagined it at the time, the punches Resto threw at Collins would be his last. Sixteen years after the fact, Resto still dreams of fighting again. Until recently, he sparred with the pros and amateurs at the gym, regardless of their weight. “He’d fight again in a minute,” said Joe DeGuardia Sr., a local businessman who employs Resto part-time as a security guard at his card store. “Lately, I’ve discouraged him from sparring with the better guys, like Aaron Davis, Monte Barrett, and Daren Zenner. Sometimes Luis gets very sad. He gets in moods. And it’s happening more now.”

For the past four years, Resto has lived rent-free in the basement of the gym, which is owned by DeGuardia’s son, Joe Jr. (“I would trust him with the keys to my home,” said DeGuardia Sr. “Luis will be at my house on Thanksgiving. As long as I’m around, I’ll look after him.”) His room, which measures approximately 20 feet by 12 feet, isn’t big enough to house a large dog. Worse yet, the ceiling is only six-feet high. There is a small bed, a bicycle, a pair of dilapidated chairs, a refrigerator, and not much else. On a wall hangs the ESPN championship belt won by Resto in 1982. “I never lost it,” he told me with palpable pride. “They took it away from me.”

Outside of the belt, the only adornments are an oversized Puerto Rican flag, yellowed newspaper photos of Resto’s ring triumphs, and pictures of his sons. “Sometimes I’m sorry I’m alone,” he said while gazing at the pictures. “I want to be with my two boys.”

There is no bathroom. I presume Resto uses the gym toilet, which sits, exposed, at the foot of the stairs to the gym.

Resto saves most of the money he earns working as a roofer (about $375 a week) and security guard ($90 a week). He jokes that when his sons visit, they reach for handouts before kissing him hello. No matter what I ask, however, the conversation comes back to boxing. Resto is in love with the fight game as much as he ever was. “I walk around at 165 pounds,” he said . “Give me two weeks and I could fight a six-rounder at junior middleweight.” His, dream, however, is a bit more conventional: “I only want to be with my family. The mother of Wilfredo Gomez’s nephew bought a house in Castle Hill [in the Bronx]. I’m gonna move there and take care of it.”

A simple man, Resto doesn’t seem to be prone to introspection. When I asked him what made him happy, he said: “My sons . . . working . . . eating . . . sleeping . . . my mother.” What makes him sad, of course, is the loneliness. It’s when Resto is lying on the small bed in that jail cell of a room that he thinks about Billy Collins Jr.

“Do you believe in God, Luis?”
“Yes.”
“Do you believe in heaven and hell?”
“Yes.”
“Which way will you be heading?”
“I don’t know. I leave that to the guy upstairs.”

The horror of Resto-Collins is symbolised by a black-and-white photo taken by The Ring the morning after the fight. It is a close-up of Collins’s face, which is grotesquely swollen. His hair is combed, but his eyes are badly discoloured and shut-perhaps not by choice.

“Look at the photo again,” Resto said. “You see how he has a cut under his [left] eye? [Stitches are plainly visible.] There was no cut in the fight. And if Collins was blind, how come, when we rode in an elevator together at the commission, he was reading a boxing magazine?

“You know, I was hurt, too. I had a black eye from the fight, but nobody said nothing about me. They only show me hitting him, never him hitting me.”

As for the gloves, Resto contends they were switched some time between the end of the fight and four days later, when the holes were discovered at an upstate police laboratory.

(After the fight, John Squeri, the New York commission’s chief inspector, took the gloves from Resto’s dressing room and placed them in a cardboard box. He then handed them over to Jack Prenderville, the chairman of the commission. According to a 1985 article in Inside Sports, Prenderville in turn gave the gloves to Jack Graham, another member of the commission, who inexplicably left them in the trunk of his car. The next day, Graham brought the gloves to Everlast for inspection. From there, the gloves made their way to the police lab.)

“The gloves felt the same as always,” Resto said. “There were no holes. Before the fight [referee] Tony Perez felt the gloves and didn’t feel anything wrong. If the padding was out, when you hit somebody, you’d feel pain. You’d break your hands. My hands were fine. And if I knew the gloves had been tampered with, why would I have gone to Collins’s corner after the fight to congratulate him? That’s when the father said what he said. He’s lucky I didn’t hit him.”

Let’s say the padding was indeed removed before the fight without Resto’s involvement or initial knowledge. Is it possible that he could have fought 10 rounds without sensing that something was different?

“In the heat of a fight, your adrenaline is going, you’re focused,” reasoned Drath. “He was pumped up. I don’t think Luis is savvy enough to do something like that.”

At the weigh-in for Grant-Golota, I spoke with Grant Elvis Phillips, who manages fighters and manufactures Grant boxing gloves. Coincidentally, Phillips worked the corner in some of Resto’s fights. On the night of the Collins bout, he was among those in the Garden crowd.

“It’s very possible Resto wouldn’t know [that padding had been removed],” Phillips said. “Everlast gloves at the time, there was a thin layer of foam, and the majority was horse hair. Only an ounce - he might not have known.”

Jim Borzell, who runs the Morris Park gym, described Resto as “a good, hard worker and a humble, honest guy”. He believes Resto should be relicensed by the New York commission as a trainer. In fact, he’s lobbied on the former fighter’s behalf. “The punishment has been meted out,” Borzell said. “Nobody should be punished for life.” Nonetheless, he has his own take on Resto’s involvement. “I can’t possibly believe anybody wouldn’t know if padding was removed,” Borzell said. “Particularly someone with that experience. In my estimation, he had to have known.

“Luis knows my ------------- on this. Hey, prison is full of guys who didn’t do it. It’s a shameful thing, of course, and I think he refuses to admit it. At the Puerto Rican Day Parade last year, people were screaming: ‘Hey, Luis, keep the padding in the gloves.’ That sent him into a depression. His downs are very low, and there’s no doubt in my mind that’s what it’s about.

“Will he ever admit it? No. And that’s the part of him I don’t particularly care for.”

In the tight and tiny world of professional boxing, there is an unofficial code of conduct. Fighters have murdered and ****d and stolen, but boxing isn’t to blame for what happens on the outside. Luis Santana played dead after being fouled by Terry Norris and secured himself a six-figure payday. Mike Tyson bit off and spit out a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear, then bit him again, and has made about $30 million in two fights since. Those are pardonable offences. What Luis Resto and Panama Lewis did will forever be viewed as an unforgivable sin.

When Jim Borzell considers Resto’s surroundings and says: “I’m not certain it’s a bad thing that a simple guy like Luis lives a simple life,” he’s simplifying Resto’s plight. If Resto was wrongly convicted, shame on all of us. If he was guilty, he’s never really been released from prison, has he? And those sad eyes tell you he knows he never will be.

[Bambicolors]

[AntonTheMeh]

your a clown.