Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

poe426 Luis Resto mans up and admits to having loaded gloves when he fought (and nearly killed) Billy Collins, Jr. It was Collins, Sr., who caught Resto and his accomplice, the dirty "Panama" Lewis, in the act. Although Lewis appears to have gotten away with attempted murder, his underhanded tactics in this fight raise some interesting questions: for years, he trained (or at least assisted in the training of) none other than "Manos de Piedra" ("Hands of Stone") himself, Roberto Duran. More than once, opponents complained that Duran's gloves were loaded. Nothing ever came of any of the charges (at least, not that I know of), but Lewis also worked the corner of Aaron Pryor against Alexis Arguello. Pryor twice gave Arguello a fearsome beating. (I've watched these two fights several times and wondered what Lewis meant when- in a clip that's shown in this documentary- he asks specifically for a water bottle that he had "mixed." Now I know.) Resto comes clean (finally), but Lewis ducks and dodges to this day. The fact that so unsavory a character is still training fighters is all the more reason why a boxing commission of the type espoused by Teddy Atlas is needed. Boxing has YET to step out of The Dark Ages and into the light. Consider the all too recent case of Antonio Margarito: the murderous Margarito seemed to be a fighter on the rise (he "stopped" Kermit Citron and Miguel Cotto) before Shane Mosley's trainer caught Margarito with loaded gloves before their fight. Margarito's hands were re-wrapped... and Mosley knocked him out. Without the plaster cast, Margarito stood exposed (like Resto) for the fraud he was/is. (And Margarito is once again being licensed to fight in this country!) Everyone involved in these fights, from the promoters and matchmakers to the broadcasting companies and the ringside announcers, is responsible to one degree or another for the safety of these fighters. In the words of Roberto Duran himself: "No mas." ("No more.") Boxing's dangerous enough as it is.

Theo Robertson In June 1983 up and and coming welterweight boxer boxer Billy Collins Jnr fought Luis Resto Collins record was 14wins 11 by KO while Resto had 20 wins , 8 by ko , 8 losses and two draws . It was expected to be a tough fight for Collins but one he was expected to win . Things didn't as expected though and Resto beat the up and coming fighter on points . Considering the damage Collins received in the match it was something of a surprise it went the distance . When Collins dad and trainer shook hands with Resto he instantly knew something was wrong . The referee and boxing commissioner were called over and Resto's gloves were examined . Most of the padding from them had been removed prior to the fight so effectively Resto had been hitting Collins with his bare hands . This documentary by Eric Drath tells of the fall out from the fight This is a documentary of two halves . Or rather a documentary of one third followed by two thirds . The first half hour is compelling stuff centering around one of the biggest scandals to have rocked the fight game . The pictures of the damage inflicted upon Collins are genuinely shocking . Boxing isn't a sport that attracts the faint of heart but to see Collins battered and swollen face is sickening . Due to this fight he suffered eye injuries that effectively ended his career . Seeing boxing was the only thing Collins knew and that he was being touted as a future star of the sport the lifestyle changes of Collins led to him going of the rails figuratively and going off the road in his car literally in something close to a suicide . Collins had effectively died that June night in 1983 If that first half hour doesn't get you very angry then the following hour will . What Drath has done is make a documentary that comes close to assassinating the memory of Collins . Apparently Collins didn't fight again had very little to do with the eye injuries he received but had more to do with his father and manager Billy Collins Snr trying to bring a multi million dollar court case against Resto's manager Panama Lewis and the boxing authorities . So someone receives a maiming in the ring brought by the most disgraceful cheating imaginable . They receive serious injuries that destroyed their career and they're supposed to just carry on with their life like nothing has happened ? They're just being greedy are they ? This is a disgusting line of thought and the fact the case was thrown out literally adds insult to injury Resto and Lewis didn't get off with their obscene attempt to cheat . Both of them had criminal charges brought against them and they both spent two and a half years in jail . Resto never fought again but Lewis was still employed as a trainer even though he remains banned from corners during fights . You can see Darth wanting to make Lewis the main villain of the documentary and that Resto too is a victim . Resto suffered terribly after his jail sentence , being unemployable and who lived in the cellar of a boxing gym . But this doesn't wash . It'd be impossible for a boxer to have had the padding of their gloves removed and not notice this . It's similar to people living next door to Dachau and Belsen and not to notice what was happening during the war . Resto eventually comes clean to knowing about the sabotaged gloves but that's telling us something we already knew . There was only one victim in that fight - the late Billy Collins Jnr

udar55 Just finished this excellent feature length documentary that details an infamous (in the boxing world at least) 1983 bout between undefeated prospect Billy Collins, Jr. and the guy he was supposed to beat, Luis Resto. The end result is kind of a THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988) for the boxing world as the film examines the illegal activity that occurred during the bout and the tragic consequences it had on a multitude of lives. It certainly exposes the sleaziest side of boxing and you can't help but feel sorry for the guilt-ridden Resto who bares his soul for the filmmakers. Lewis, on the other hand, is a piece of work. I've never seen a more reprehensible human being in my entire life. First time director Eric Drath used to be a boxing agent and he handles a majority of the material well. There is one hugely manipulative misstep though with Drath having Resto travel to Tennessee to apologize to Collins' family, despite their earlier request of not wanting anything to do with the documentary. Regardless, this can be seen as being much more than about dirty boxing - it showcases the workings of the human conscience.

greg843451 Is this what constitutes documentary film-making? A non-story revisited. I'm sure the "director" figured the story of an uneducated immigrant athlete beaten down by the powers above would make for an interesting story, too bad the facts got in the way. Nice try Drath Vader. The film's focus Louie Resto, seems to be in over his head in every situation he has ever encountered. In Resto's case, allowing this reality show producer/pariah to follow him around, reshaping his past and the facts, was monetarily beneficial, but morally bankrupt. The "confrontation" between Resto and his former manager, may have been the saddest misuse of the documentary format. Not everyone who wants to tell your story to the world should be trusted.