Luis Resto was banned from boxing after his 1983 fight with Billy Collins Jr., where he used illegal gloves and hand wraps that had been doctored with plaster of Paris.
On June 16, 1983, Resto stepped into the ring against Collins, a 21-year-old undefeated fighter with big dreams.
Collins was expected to win, but something felt off during the fight. Resto, who wasn’t known for powerful punches, was hitting harder than ever.
By the end of the 10-round bout, Collins’ face was swollen beyond recognition, his eyes nearly shut, and his vision permanently damaged. Above all, Collins suffered a torn iris and could never box again.
After the fight, Collins’ father, who was also his trainer, shook Resto’s hand and noticed something strange. The gloves felt too hard, almost like there was no padding.
He alerted the officials, and an investigation revealed a terrible truth.
Resto’s trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed about an ounce of padding from each glove. Even worse, Resto later admitted that Lewis had soaked his hand wraps in plaster of Paris, which hardened during the fight, turning his fists into weapons.
The fight was ruled a no-contest, and Resto’s win was taken away. Both he and Lewis were banned from boxing.
In 1986, they were convicted of assault, conspiracy, and criminal possession of a weapon. Resto served two and a half years in prison, and Lewis was banned for life from working in boxing in the U.S.
Luis Resto Trains Young Boxers Without a License!
Billy Collins Jr.’s life took a turn for the worse. Unable to box, he fell into depression, started drinking heavily, and died less than a year later in a car crash.
Some believe it was an accident; others, including his father, suspect it was suicide. Collins was only 22, and his promising career was stolen by Resto’s actions.
For years, Resto denied knowing about the tampering, claiming Lewis acted alone. But in 2007, during a documentary called Assault in the Ring, Resto came clean.
He admitted he knew the gloves were altered and that Lewis had done it before in other fights. He also revealed that Lewis put asthma medication in his water to boost his stamina.
Resto apologized to Collins’ widow, Andrea Collins-Nile, but for many, the damage was done.
After prison, Resto’s life hit rock bottom, for he was homeless for a time, living in the basement of a Bronx gym.
Eventually, he found a place to stay with help from former champion Aaron Davis. Now in his 70s, Resto works in New York gyms, training young fighters.
He’s said to be a quiet, remorseful figure, teaching kids the basics of boxing at places like the Morris Park Boxing Gym.
However, Resto isn’t licensed to work as a trainer or cornerman in New York.
For years, he tried to get his license back from the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). He applied multiple times, including in 1995 and 2011, but was denied each time.
The NYSAC said Resto’s past made him unfit to hold a license, citing the risk he could pose to fighters.
Despite the denials, Resto continues to train fighters informally. Some see this as a way for him to give back to the sport he disgraced, while others think it’s wrong for him to be involved at all without a license.
