The night of June 16, 1983, was a highly controversial and tragic event in boxing history. Spectators packed NYC’s famed Madison Square Garden for the fight between Roberto Duran and Davey Moore, but that night is more remembered for the infamous undercard bout between “Irish” Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto.
Billy Collins Jr. was born into a working-class Irish family in Antioch, Tennessee, where he was introduced to boxing by his father and trainer, Billy Collins Sr. A welterweight professional boxer in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Collins Sr. won 38 of his 56 professional fights. Following in his father's footsteps, Collins Jr. began training at a young age and went on to win his first 14 professional fights as a welterweight.
Luis Resto, born in Juncos, Puerto Rico, moved to the Bronx with his family at the age of nine. Resto's boxing career began to take shape as he trained at the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center, where he became a two-time New York Golden Gloves amateur state champion in the welterweight division. His notable achievements include winning the 1975 and 1976 147 lb Golden Gloves Open Championships, with a victory over Miguel Hernandez in the 1976 finals. Resto's professional boxing career was defined by his role as a journeyman.
Billy Collins Jr. was the betting favorite going into the fight, but he suffered a unanimous decision loss after taking a heavy beating for most of the bout against Luis Resto.
After the fight, Billy Collins Sr. noticed that Luis Resto's gloves felt unusually thin when he went to shake hands. He accused Resto's corner of tampering with the gloves, claiming they had removed padding and filled them with chalk. An investigation by the New York State Boxing Commission investigated the glove tampering incident and found that Resto's trainer, Panama Lewis, was responsible for removing the padding. The commission held Resto partially accountable, suspending his license for at least a year, effectively banning him from boxing in the US during that time. However, he never fought again. As a result, Resto's win was changed to a no contest. The commission also implemented new rules to prevent similar incidents in the future.
AFTERMATH
Billy Collins Jr.'s boxing career was cut short due to the devastating injuries he sustained in the fight against Luis Resto including a torn iris and permanently blurred vision. He struggled with depression and addiction afterward. Tragically, Collins died on March 6, 1984, in a car accident at the age of 22 near his home in Antioch, Tennessee. According to reports, including an account in Sports Illustrated, the crash was intentional.
The Collins family filed a lawsuit in July 1983 against Luis Resto, Panama Lewis, Top Rank Boxing, and others, citing gross negligence and loss of income. The suit against Everlast was dismissed, as the court found the company not liable for the tampered gloves. The Collins family also sued the New York State Boxing Commission, alleging failure to protect Billy Collins Jr., but the court ruled in favor of the commission.
In a separate case, Panama Lewis and Luis Resto were tried and found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and conspiracy in 1986. Resto served 2.5 years in prison. The state's rules were later changed to prevent similar incidents.
ASSAULT IN THE RING DOCUMENTARY
For years Luis Resto denied knowing about the tampered gloves used in his fight against Billy Collins Jr. However, during the making of the 2008 documentary "Assault in the Ring," Resto was confronted with a transcript of a police interview in which he had previously admitted that his trainer, Panama Lewis, took his gloves into the bathroom. Resto then acknowledged that Lewis had tampered with the gloves and that he, Resto, had knowledge of the tampering during the fight. Resto further disclosed that Lewis had used plaster of Paris on his hand wraps, which increased his punching power. Resto apologized to Collins' widow and visited Collins' gravesite, expressing remorse. In a 2008 press conference, Resto stated that he knew about the glove tampering beforehand and had done nothing to stop it, stating that he was young and went along with it, despite being 28 years old at the time.
There were allegations of a large bet on Resto's win. Resto initially pointed to Lewis but later mentioned his cornerman Artie Curley was involved in wrapping his hands. The exact details and motivations behind the incident remain unclear.
Panama Lewis maintained his innocence until his death in 2020, with some speculating that the gloves might have been tampered with after the official inspection. However, the severe damage inflicted on Billy Collins Jr. during the fight has been cited as evidence that the gloves were indeed altered before the bout. Lewis denied any wrongdoing when confronted by Luis Resto and the documentary team, instead pointing to Artie Curley, saying that if Curley were alive, "none of this would have happened to him," suggesting Lewis believed Curley played a role in the events surrounding the fight.
Luis Resto was allowed to work as a cornerman in New York State after years of trying to regain his license.
LEGACY
The Collins-Resto fight serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of fair play and safety in sports. It led to increased scrutiny of boxing regulations and safety protocols, with many states and organizations implementing stricter guidelines to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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