Assault in the Ring (Special Edition): A DVD Review
Reviewed by Geno McGahee
On June 16, 1983, a fight took place between the undefeated prospect Billy Collins, JR., and journeyman Luis Resto. Resto would win via unanimous decision in a fight where he battered the young prospect en route to the biggest victory of his career. In the ring, Resto and trainer Panama Lewis celebrated but the celebration was short lived. Billy Collins, SR., noticed a problem with the gloves and the story began.
Filmmaker Eric Drath tackles the controversy in ASSAULT IN THE RING, a look at life after the biggest crime in the history of boxing took place. Resto and Lewis were both accused and eventually convicted of tampering with the boxing gloves that night, removing the padding and creating lethal weapons that would end the career of the once promising Collins, JR.
Both fighter and trainer would go to prison and the life of Billy Collins, JR., would end tragically. Drath follows Resto, exploring his modern life and how this one fight affected him, haunting him until this day. This film attempts to help Resto exorcize some demons and it succeeds.
From the beginning of the movie, you get the sense that Resto wants to bare his soul and tell his secret that he has kept hidden for many years. All parties found guilty of the crime had always pled innocent to the media and their closest friends and family. Resto knew only boxing and when that was taken away from him, he fell into a world of drugs and self destruction. That night in 1983 destroyed many involved, with the exception of Panama Lewis.
Lewis was allowed to train but could not work a corner. He stands there with diamonds covering his fingers and wrists, working with big time fighters like Mike Tyson and Zab Judah. He was able to rise and continue to work while Resto fell and became a sad case, struggling with himself and the fight and the eventual death of the fighter that he cheated. Drath captures not only the inner struggle of Resto but also the absolute lack of conscious of Panama Lewis. In a world of villains, Lewis may be the worst, putting his own financial gain over the lives of several fighters.
For years, many have hated Resto and Panama, but it soon becomes apparent just who the puppet master is. You learn about Resto’s lack of a true father figure in life and you see how he placed Panama in that spot, and you also see how the trainer took advantage of it then and now, preventing his one time fighter from answering questions by continuing to cut him off when asked about the gloves. Panama never admits guilt, but you see it. Drath needs to be given credit for the style and approach to this topic. He knew the exact ingredients to get the result he and the viewer wanted. He wanted answers and so did we.
ASSAULT IN THE RING is now released in a special edition with many bonuses. The most notable is the entire fight from 1983 between Collins, JR., and Resto. It is a part of boxing history. There are also interviews with trainers like Freddie Roach and Teddy Atlas, and one very interesting commentary about a certain popular fighter using plaster in his hand wraps. I was surprised by that.
Another great bonus was the confrontation between Resto and another fighter that claimed he had wronged him as well in the ring. The bonuses on this two disc set make it a must buy for any boxing fan. I was glued to the screen from the opening and this scattered puzzle from that night slowly comes together over the course of the film, eventually revealing the ugly picture. There are twists and turns and commentary from many in boxing that lived that situation. I highly recommend this. It is an amazing documentary.