William Ray Collins, Jr. (September 21, 1961 – March 6, 1984) was an American professional boxer whose career was ended after he sustained serious injuries against an opponent with under-padded gloves.
Collins won his first 14 fights as a professional welterweight, among them a decision win over future world title challenger Harold Brazier. Collins was matched against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto at Madison Square Garden in New York on June...
more
William Ray Collins, Jr. (September 21, 1961 – March 6, 1984) was an American professional boxer whose career was ended after he sustained serious injuries against an opponent with under-padded gloves.
Collins won his first 14 fights as a professional welterweight, among them a decision win over future world title challenger Harold Brazier. Collins was matched against Puerto Rican journeyman Luis Resto at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 16, 1983, on the undercard of the Roberto Durán vs Davey Moore light-middleweight title fight. Collins entered the fight as a heavy favorite but took a severe beating and lost by a unanimous decision.
At the end of the fight Collins' father and trainer, Billy, Sr., noticed that Resto's gloves felt thinner than normal and demanded that they be impounded.
A subsequent investigation by the New York State Boxing Commission concluded that Resto's trainer, Panama Lewis, had removed an ounce of padding from each glove. It made Resto's punches harder...
less
