On June 16, 1983, one of the most disgraceful events in boxing history took place. On that date, Puerto Rican fighter Luis Resto resorted to a despicable scheme to gain the upper hand against Irish-American boxer Billy Collins Jr, defeating him by unanimous decision with gloves that had been deliberately tampered with. That tragic fight and its consequences played a significant role in the premature death of the defeated boxer.
Billy Jr was the son of Billy Collins, a former professional boxer who competed during the late 1950s and early 1960s, facing, among others, Italy’s Duilio Loi. After becoming a boxing trainer, Collins taught his son everything he knew, guiding him step by step through his technical development.
The young fighter proved to be a quick learner. He turned professional at just 20 years old and, a year and a half later, had already compiled a record of 11 wins, including 8 by knockout, with no defeats. On that fateful June 16, he was matched against an opponent who appeared manageable on paper. Resto had already suffered 8 losses and was expected to help the prospect gain experience while also providing him with greater exposure. The fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York on the undercard of the highly anticipated clash between Roberto Duran and Davey Moore, and it was broadcast live on television.
During the early rounds, Collins Jr clearly looked like the superior boxer, landing cleaner shots more frequently and displaying better technique, although his crowd-pleasing, aggressive style left some openings. Resto’s punches, however, seemed unusually effective from the very beginning. Every blow appeared to leave a mark.
After an evenly contested and extremely intense first half of the fight, the undefeated 21-year-old’s face began to show bruises caused by the punches he had absorbed, and the momentum shifted entirely in favor of his opponent. It was evident to everyone that Luis Resto’s punches were causing significantly more damage than Billy Jr’s, although no one yet knew the true reason behind this disparity.
As the final bell approached, Collins’ face became a mask of swelling and bruises, his eyes badly battered. The Irish fighter continued to battle courageously until the very end despite the punishment and managed to finish the fight on his feet.
Shortly before a very young Michael Buffer announced Luis Resto’s victory on points, however, a peculiar incident was caught on camera. When Resto approached Billy’s father for the customary post-fight greetings, Collins Sr grasped his glove as if shaking hands and suddenly became alarmed, calling the attention of the commissioner: the padding had been removed.
The Puerto Rican’s gloves were seized shortly afterward, and the shocking truth emerged. His trainer, Carlos Lewis—known as Panama Lewis after his country of origin—had removed much of the padding from the gloves, effectively turning them into lethal weapons. Resto’s hand wraps had also been “enhanced” with plaster powder, which hardened as it mixed with the fighter’s sweat during the bout.
The result was therefore changed to a no-contest and, following the investigation, Resto’s boxing license was revoked while Lewis was permanently banned from holding any official role in boxing. Both men also received criminal convictions for their actions, although they served only two and a half years in prison before being released.
Unfortunately, the consequences of this shameful deception were infinitely more tragic for Billy Collins Jr than for those responsible. Collins suffered irreversible eye damage, losing much of his vision and being forced to abandon boxing.
Devastated, he fell into a severe depression made even worse by excessive alcohol abuse. The whirlwind of events that was dragging his life into the abyss reached its tragic conclusion on March 6, 1984, when Collins, only 22 years old, crashed his car at high speed and died instantly. His family and closest friends had no doubt that it was suicide.
More than twenty years after the horrific events described above, Luis Resto finally found the courage to confront his guilt. In 2007, he admitted that he had known about Lewis’ tampering and confessed that the same “strategy” had also been used in the two fights preceding the one against Collins.
A life spent in absolute poverty, surrounded by hardship and degradation, had slowly forced the Puerto Rican to confront his demons. After finding a measure of peace by carving out a role as a trainer for young boxers, he felt the need to apologize to the world for what he had done. Following his confession, he met with Collins’ widow at her request and later visited his former opponent’s grave for the first time.
Panama Lewis, on the other hand, continued to proclaim his innocence until the day of his death in 2020. Over the years, the former Central American trainer offered several contradictory explanations as to how the gloves could have been emptied without his knowledge, but such pathetic stubbornness did nothing to spare him from the contempt of decent people everywhere.