Luis Resto (boxer)

Luis Resto (born September 21, 1960 in Juncos, Puerto Rico) is a former welterweight professional boxer from Bronx, New York.

Personal life

Resto moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx when he was nine years old. Late in his eighth grade year, he elbowed his math teacher in the face, and spent six months in a rehabilitation center for the mentally disturbed. Not long after getting out, an uncle signed him up for boxing lessons in a Bronx gym.Pearlman, Jeff. [http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1014414/index.htm Bare Knuckles] . "Sports Illustrated", 1998-10-26.]

A two-time New York Golden Gloves amateur state champion in the welterweight division, Resto trained at the Police Athletic Leagues Lynch Center. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Human:22083 Luis Resto - Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia ] ] He won both the 1975 and 1976 147lb Golden Gloves Open Championships. Resto defeated Miguel Hernandez in the finals of the 1976 147lb Open Championship. Resto was defeated in the 1973 147lb Sub-Novice Championship by Victor Checo of the New York City Recreation Gym.

Professional career

Early career

The light-punching Resto made his professional boxing debut on February 4, 1977 with a points defeat of Julio Chevalier. He scored his first professional knockout in his third professional fight, against Mike Lytell in May of the same year. Resto remained unbeaten until his eighth bout, a knockout loss to Bruce Curry in March of 1978. Through 29 fights Resto had compiled a record of 20-8-1 with 8 wins by knockout, which made him a high-level journeyman. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=22083&cat=boxer Luis Resto ] ]

The Billy Collins Jr Incident

On June 16, 1983 Resto unexpectedly beat undefeated prospect Billy Collins Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a 10-round unanimous decision. The fight was the undercard for a bout between Roberto Duran and [Davey Moore (1980s)|Davey Moore] .

However, Collins' father and trainer, Billy, Sr., discovered that Resto's gloves were thinner than normal. When Billy, Sr. reached out to shake Resto's hand, he felt only leather over fist. Screaming that he thought the gloves had no padding, Collins, Sr. demanded that the New York State Boxing Commission impound the gloves. An investigation revealed that someone had removed an ounce of padding from each of his gloves. However, it was obvious even before then that the gloves had been altered. Collins' eyes were swollen shut by the end of the 10th round, and the rest of his face was so badly swollen that it was impossible to believe a light puncher could have inflicted such damage.

Collins suffered a torn iris and permanently blurred vision, ending his career. He died only months later when he drove his car into a culvert while intoxicated. Some commentators have speculated that the loss of his livelihood drove him into a downward spiral. [Citation
last = Silver
first = Mike
title = The Ten Dirtiest Fights of All time
journal = The Ring
volume = 76, no. 12
page = 48
date = December 1997]

After a month's investigation, the New York State Boxing Commission determined that Resto's trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed the padding from Resto's gloves. It also determined that Resto should have known the gloves were illegal. The commission suspended Resto's boxing license for at least a year. Since most state boxing commissions honor sanctions from other states, this effectively banned Resto from boxing in the United States. Resto's win was subsequently changed to a no contest. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=22083&cat=boxer Luis Resto ] ]

In 1986, Lewis and Resto were both put on trial and found guilty of assault, criminal possession of a weapon (Resto's hands) and conspiracy. Prosecutors charged that the bout amounted to an illegal assault on Collins and that Resto should have known that the padding had been removed from his gloves. Resto served 2.5 years in prison.

At last report, Resto was living rent-free in the basement of the Morris Park Boxing Gym in the Bronx. [Farhood, Steve. [http://www.boxing-monthly.co.uk/content/0003/two.htm Unforgiven] . Boxing Monthly, 2000.] After 15 years of trying to regain his license, he was finally allowed to work as a cornerman by New York State.

In 2007, Resto apologized to Collins' widow, Andrea Collins-Nile, who is suing the state of New York for not protecting her late husband. Resto also told Collins-Nile that Lewis placed plaster underneath his hand wraps, greatly--and illegally--increasing his punching power. Combined with the removed padding, this meant that Resto had been hitting Collins with rocks for 10 rounds. The hand wraps had never been confiscated. Resto also visited Collins' gravesite and said, "I'm sorry for what I did to you." In 2008, he told the "The Tennessean" that he'd been burdened by guilt over his involvement in the scheme for almost a quarter century. [ [http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/SPORTS11/804040397/1002/SPORTS After 25 years, boxer admits to tampering] ]

At a 2008 press conference, Resto said that he knew Lewis had taken the padding out of his gloves and had done so at least twice before. However, Resto said, he didn't protest at the time even though he knew it was wrong. "At the time, I was young," he said. "I went along." [Mladnich, Robert. [http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/5801/resto-comes-clean-knew-gloves-were-loaded/ Resto Comes Clean: He Knew Gloves Were Loaded] . "The Sweet Science", 2008-04-06.] In 2008, Resto began to coach boxing at Capital Jiu-Jitsu in Sterling, Virginia.

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