Panama Lewis has died

It’s crazy but at some point in our lives we’ve come across a guy like Lewis, someone that would stab you in the back for a dollar and help you at the same time to gain something more out if it.
 
Mr2urbo said:
It’s crazy but at some point in our lives we’ve come across a guy like Lewis, someone that would stab you in the back for a dollar and help you at the same time to gain something more out if it.[
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as many people as i've run across, everyone has that panama lewis side to their persona, just takes time to bring it out. I heard someone say, "everyone has a demonic side" i think that sums it up.
 
I remember the Resto/Collin's controversy, it was well covered on television and in the boxing mags. Poor Billy never recovered.

I recall Lewis being around Tyson at some point late in his career. Mike had a habit of just hanging with the worst of the hangers on he could pick, I thought it was just another FU from Mike to larger society. At that time, Lewis couldn't corner so I think he shouted instructions from ringside.
 
Seano said:
I'd be curious to know what you think of Resto after you watch it.
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I think he got fcked over tbh. Difficult not to empathise with him and his situation, even though he’s the villain. Panama Lewis is a cunt, fuck him! He badly took advantage of resto. Especially if there was a lot of money put on that fight. No trainer should put their fighter in that position

Tough to watch at times but definitely gives a clear perspective of what went on. What I can’t understand is how anyone believed resto didn’t know his gloves had the padding removed? You’d know as soon as you land a punch, but maybe not so much if you have plaster of Paris hand wraps
 
WklySportsMemes said:
Infamous and legendary trainer. Very interesting character. Knew his stuff and was still highly sought after by top pros, even after his ban. He had a lot of dirty old school tricks in his bag. From spiking water bottles with Albutorol pills. To loading fighters gloves with plaster wraps. When he lost has license and could not corner his fighters he would have to get a ticket as a spectator bought for him in his contract. He would then scalp the ticket and go to a bar and watch the fight. Hahahaha. Typical street hustler.
This documentary is a must watch as a boxing fan.
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cheers dude, really enjoyed that
 
WklySportsMemes said:
Infamous and legendary trainer. Very interesting character. Knew his stuff and was still highly sought after by top pros, even after his ban. He had a lot of dirty old school tricks in his bag. From spiking water bottles with Albutorol pills. To loading fighters gloves with plaster wraps. When he lost has license and could not corner his fighters he would have to get a ticket as a spectator bought for him in his contract. He would then scalp the ticket and go to a bar and watch the fight. Hahahaha. Typical street hustler.
This documentary is a must watch as a boxing fan.
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What the hell is that coming out of his mouth at 8:52
 
Jonny Ninja said:
I think he got fcked over tbh. Difficult not to empathise with him and his situation, even though he’s the villain. Panama Lewis is a cunt, fuck him! He badly took advantage of resto. Especially if there was a lot of money put on that fight. No trainer should put their fighter in that position

Tough to watch at times but definitely gives a clear perspective of what went on. What I can’t understand is how anyone believed resto didn’t know his gloves had the padding removed? You’d know as soon as you land a punch, but maybe not so much if you have plaster of Paris hand wraps
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I dont think Resto is as much of the victim as he comes off.
3 things for me.
-1 Like you said you know when something foreign is in your gloves or if your wraps are different.
-2 He knew enough to be able to tell on them years later
-3 The way he looked for Lewis and became terrified when Collins Sr grabbed his gloves. That was super incriminating. The way he tried to snatch them back as well. He legit looked like a busted criminal.
 
From what I understand, a good trainer who just couldn't rise above his low-down street thug personality.

I seriously question why he threw away his entire career, just to help a nobody journeyman like Resto win a fight against a prospect. Perhaps he was just a patsy trying to fix the fight for gangsters.

He had a lot more to lose from that whole deal than Resto, considering that he was affiliated with the likes of Pryor, Duran, etc. and had a solid reputation at the time (outside of the whole black bottle incident).
 
rip, the sport has lost a legened lol
 
TheGreatA said:
From what I understand, a good trainer who just couldn't rise above his low-down street thug personality.

I seriously question why he threw away his entire career, just to help a nobody journeyman like Resto win a fight against a prospect. Perhaps he was just a patsy trying to fix the fight for gangsters.

He had a lot more to lose from that whole deal than Resto, considering that he was affiliated with the likes of Pryor, Duran, etc. and had a solid reputation at the time (outside of the whole black bottle incident).
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some people just would rather do shit all fucked up than right, don't you see them everyday? I see it and just think, "all the energy they use doing things all fucked up, they could just as easily do things right" . hard to say, maybe some people are just stupid, mentally ill, have some issue like FAS, you watch them and just try to figure them out and you'll go nuts. Especially if you've ever tried to help some of these knuckleheads, they sabotage shit by hurting the person trying to help them.
 
WklySportsMemes said:
I dont think Resto is as much of the victim as he comes off.
3 things for me.
-1 Like you said you know when something foreign is in your gloves or if your wraps are different.
-2 He knew enough to be able to tell on them years later
-3 The way he looked for Lewis and became terrified when Collins Sr grabbed his gloves. That was super incriminating. The way he tried to snatch them back as well. He legit looked like a busted criminal.
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ya, he knew what was going on, he didn't seem too bright though, a lot of young men do whatever they are told. Just the fact that he was angry about it, well, i think i've seen his type before, in hindsight he's pissed but he wasn't strong enough to say anything at the time. Ali claims he was given a substance before the holmes fight and told that he could blind holmes for a few minutes, ali never did anything that underhanded unless you count Terrel's claim that he was thumbed intentionally by him.
 
I hope he didn’t go away peacefully in his sleep
 
WklySportsMemes said:
I dont think Resto is as much of the victim as he comes off.
3 things for me.
-1 Like you said you know when something foreign is in your gloves or if your wraps are different.
-2 He knew enough to be able to tell on them years later
-3 The way he looked for Lewis and became terrified when Collins Sr grabbed his gloves. That was super incriminating. The way he tried to snatch them back as well. He legit looked like a busted criminal.
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Oh Im not denying his guilt, I feel he was possibly put in a situation that that he couldn’t get out of. Lewis was a father figure to him, and you trust your coach to do right by you as a boxer. Resto doesn’t seem to be the brightest either. Easy to be manipulated by someone he loves and trusts. And the added pressure of money being put on the fight. That seems likely to me, that a top coach would take these blatant risks in a nothing fight. Resto deserves his jail time. Deserves his ban but I can still really empathise with him

I think the accusations that Collins old man was exaggerating the damage for the law suit is pretty shocking as well. He clearly wasn’t blinded if his promoter was was offering him fights. His ex wife seemed convinced of this as well. Not saying he wouldn’t have taken his life still. That sort of beating will likely leave a lasting effect but there seems to be some grey areas about the permanent damage.
 
Jonny Ninja said:
I think he got fcked over tbh. Difficult not to empathise with him and his situation, even though he’s the villain. Panama Lewis is a cunt, fuck him! He badly took advantage of resto. Especially if there was a lot of money put on that fight. No trainer should put their fighter in that position

Tough to watch at times but definitely gives a clear perspective of what went on. What I can’t understand is how anyone believed resto didn’t know his gloves had the padding removed? You’d know as soon as you land a punch, but maybe not so much if you have plaster of Paris hand wraps
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I don't know if that's always true. My last amateur bout I boxed, after the bout my opponent made an official complaint because he said there was little to no padding left in the gloves we used. I didn't notice at all.
 
mozfonky said:
ya, he knew what was going on, he didn't seem too bright though, a lot of young men do whatever they are told. Just the fact that he was angry about it, well, i think i've seen his type before, in hindsight he's pissed but he wasn't strong enough to say anything at the time. Ali claims he was given a substance before the holmes fight and told that he could blind holmes for a few minutes, ali never did anything that underhanded unless you count Terrel's claim that he was thumbed intentionally by him.
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Yeah he was disappointed in himself too. Its hard to feel too bad for him. Didn't seem like he was there for his family. Kids grew up without him. Very physically fit active guy even in his elderly age. Could of got a normal job and took care of his responsibilities as well. That tells you a lot about "a man" right there.
With that being said. Billy didn't seem like that great of a guy either. Beat the shit out of his wife and friends on the regular. Pretty much kidnapped his "friend" and killed him in the car crash. You didn't see Cotto do any of that after he was beat with plaster wraps....
That's all on Billy....
 
Jonny Ninja said:
Oh Im not denying his guilt, I feel he was possibly put in a situation that that he couldn’t get out of. Lewis was a father figure to him, and you trust your coach to do right by you as a boxer. Resto doesn’t seem to be the brightest either. Easy to be manipulated by someone he loves and trusts. And the added pressure of money being put on the fight. That seems likely to me, that a top coach would take these blatant risks in a nothing fight. Resto deserves his jail time. Deserves his ban but I can still really empathise with him

I think the accusations that Collins old man was exaggerating the damage for the law suit is pretty shocking as well. He clearly wasn’t blinded if his promoter was was offering him fights. His ex wife seemed convinced of this as well. Not saying he wouldn’t have taken his life still. That sort of beating will likely leave a lasting effect but there seems to be some grey areas about the permanent damage.
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Yeah you are right. I forgot he was a young poor dumb kid and Lewis is a master manipulator.
Very valid points. I guess it bums me out he never bounced back and let it ruin and define his life.

Yeah, i kind of don't blame Collins Sr even if any of that stuff wasn't true.
His son probably was damaged goods and would of got hurt fair and square if he stepped up in competition any further. I don't know if I believe the kid was the next big thing or a cant miss prospect as Arum made him out to be.
It really seemed like an open and shut case. It might have been in any other jurisdiction. They really got screwed on that lawsuit.
He loved his son and probably didn't want him to take more damage.
The ex wife seemed to allud to the fact that Billy jr had probably been beating her ass before the fight. I know his friend did too. Like it was just normal for him to lose his temper and abuse his entourage....

If Billy was a world beater and a legit threat to a title his father did the wrong thing....
If Billy was just a hot prospect long shot I think the dad made the right call at the time...
Hindsight wise it was wrong, but impossible to know Billy would be an abusive drunk that would take the life of him and his friend in a freak accident. Also, that civil justice would not prevail when it was backed up by criminal convictions.
 
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Collins was really just another up and comer, the kind you just have to wait and see what happens, but in that era, a white champion was automatic box office. That's how I remember it, Collins was a good espn fighter but there were many of those at that time, I don't recall seeing anything special about him. Still, obviously, he should have had his full chance to prove himself.
 
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