Assault in the Ring

[Rockin']

Luis Resto was the mastermind behind the cheat and Panama Lewis the victim whose reputation was tarnished? -- Boy Americans can talk themselves into just about anything; say it often enough, say it loud enough and some people will believe you, so why not say it?

Billy Collins was the ONLY victim in all of this crap. Resto and Lewis got exactly what they deserved, straight out busted. Boy, you non-Americans can talk yourselves into anything...….Rockin'

[Mrsantiago]

Panama's rep and career were ruined long before this documentary. Clearly Resto got caught lying during the documentary and the film-maker was able to get the truth out of him. There would be no way he wouldn't know his gloves felt thin and he also admitted to plaster of paris warps being used.

I think Lewis also lied but why do think Resto was coerced into blaming Panama? Do you think Lewis wouldn't have known what was going on even if he wasn't the one who actually removed the padding?

Thats a fact his rep was a little sketchy with the black bottle even though pryor won the rematch even faster and easier without it. But l think because of panama rep being sketchy it was easy to pin it on him and make anyone else seem innocent.

[Dempsey-Louis]

Billy Collins was the ONLY victim in all of this crap. Resto and Lewis got exactly what they deserved, straight out busted. Boy, you non-Americans can talk yourselves into anything...….Rockin'

Think you misunderstood my sarcasm - I was reacting to the earlier post which suggested Panama Lewis was somehow a victim and that all the fault lied with Resto. - I agree they both got what they had coming. Lewis should have done time.

"Non-American" - maybe you're right, I'm from New Jersey. lol

It was all sarcasm, guess I should have made that clear.

[VegasMichael]

Collins' eyesight was damaged so badly his career immediately ended, and nine months later, Collins committed suicide; Resto and his trainer Panama Lewis landed in prison for their illegal actions.

I'm not so sure he committed suicide. I read he was a passenger in a car crash and died at the scene.

[jaded]

I'm not so sure he committed suicide. I read he was a passenger in a car crash and died at the scene.

The Wiki on the documentary where I got the synopsis from reports it as a suicide...but you're right. He WAS the passenger of a crashed car and was left abandoned by the driver according to his personal wiki page. Good catch...I will edit my post.

[BKM-]

The only glimpse of humanity from those responsible I thought would have come from Luis Resto, but you can just tell that there was always something sinister behind his words as well. I wasn't fully convinced of his remorse for example. Sketchy individual for sure.

[jaded]

The only glimpse of humanity from those responsible I thought would have come from Luis Resto, but you can just tell that there was always something sinister behind his words as well. I wasn't fully convinced of his remorse for example. Sketchy individual for sure.

It's hard not to feel that had they gotten away with it they would have not had any remorse at all. Had Billy Collins Senior not reached out to shake hands with Resto at the end and felt the glove devoid of padding in all likelihood the Resto team would have enjoyed a huge celebration.

You have to wonder how many times things like this have happened?

[BKM-]

It's hard not to feel that had they gotten away with it they would have not had any remorse at all. Had Billy Collins Senior not reached out to shake hands with Resto at the end and felt the glove devoid of padding in all likelihood the Resto team would have enjoyed a huge celebration.

You have to wonder how many times things like this have happened?

Yup, reminds me of a lot of those criminals who cry in court. They're not sorry for what they did, they're sorry that they got caught.

[Dempsey-Louis]

The documentary (for what it's worth) argued an ugly side to Billy Collins Sr. claiming that Collins Jr.'s damage was all soft tissue and that the TV network wanted to make good with another televised fight in six months, as a preliminary to a championship fight, but that Collins Sr. became convinced he could score better with a law suit (which necessitated that Billy Jr.'s career 'be over.') He brought several suits all of which failed.

IMO The damage looked terrible but it was all soft tissue damage; none of Resto's endless pitty-pat punches caused any concussion. There was nothing about that beating that was career ending, Collins could have fought again in six months.

[Anthony342]

Yup, reminds me of a lot of those criminals who cry in court. They're not sorry for what they did, they're sorry that they got caught.

Good point, but what about the undercover cop they interviewed in the documentary or was it an FBI agent who talked to Resto and recorded his conversations with him? At one point Resto mentioned out of nowhere, of his own volition, that he saw Panama Lewis go into the men's room with one of the other corner men with his boxing gloves and then emerge from the bathroom with the gloves to put them on him. It was so many years later, it took him a while to remember it, but it was on record. So I'd agree with you guys if this had never come up, but I feel even if he didn't feel any remorse, which I feel Resto did, he did his time in prison and paid his pennance. He should at least be allowed to work as a trainer because you know he wouldn't pull any shady ****e like Lewis would. The guy was living a pathetic life at the start of the doc that only got slightly better by the end. You could tell Resto wasn't in on the plan from the beginning. Just like Pryor didn't know about the bottle. Lewis seemed to do all this stuff on his own, thinking if his fighters got caught, they couldn't say anything because if they didn't know, they didn't have to lie for their trainer.