BoxRec

(AP) -- A heavyweight boxer was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison for being paid to throw fights, including one on the undercard of an Evander Holyfield title bout.

Thomas Williams told a federal judge he was broke before that August 2000 fight and took it to make money. Williams, though, stopped short of admitting he threw the fight, and his lawyers said they will appeal.

"If I could go back to when I took this fight, I never would have accepted it,'' Williams said. ``I would have stayed broke.''

Williams, 35, of Upper Marlboro, Md., was convicted in November of conspiracy and sports bribery along with boxing promoter Robert Mitchell for fixing 11 fights starting in March 1995.

One of the fights took place on the undercard of the WBA heavyweight title fight between Holyfield and John Ruiz at the Paris Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.

Boxing manager Robert Mittleman testified against the pair after agreeing to plead guilty in the case. Mittleman was given three years probation, including six months of home detention.

Mittleman said he arranged for Williams to lose the Aug. 12, 2000, bout to enhance the career of New York heavyweight Richie Melito, Jr. Williams lost by knockout in the first round of the fight. Mittleman said he received $1,000 and Williams was paid $15,000 to throw the fight.

Both Melito and his father-manager, Richie Melito Sr., denied any knowledge the fight had been fixed. Melito fought only once after that 2000 fight.

During the trial, Mittleman said he arranged for Williams, also known as "Top Dawg,'' to lose a bout with Brian Nielsen in Denmark on March 31, 2000. Mittleman said he received $1,000 and Williams, who lost the fight in the third round, was paid up to $40,000 to throw the fight.

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=006458

So who payed the bribe? I think it is a shame that the boxer should be the one to go down not the corrupt promoter as the boxer was essentualy a pawn in the whole opperation.

Anyone remember Richie Melito vs. Bert Cooper.

Manos de Oro wrote:Anyone remember Richie Melito vs. Bert Cooper.

I remember it but I have never seen it. I assume Cooper caught him with that big left hook of his?

KOJOE90 wrote:

Manos de Oro wrote:Anyone remember Richie Melito vs. Bert Cooper.

I remember it but I have never seen it. I assume Cooper caught him with that big left hook of his?

Yeah, it was the left hook that put him flat on his back for the 10 count. The bout only lasted about 2 minutes, with the musclebound Melito unable to land a single meaningful punch. Cooper landed two solid-ish right hands that both staggered Melito, the second one actually made him fall to his knees and give a good impression of 'kissing the canvas'. The sight of Melito's yuppie fanbase crying in the audience afterwards was amusing to say the least.

Manos de Oro wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

Manos de Oro wrote:Anyone remember Richie Melito vs. Bert Cooper.

I remember it but I have never seen it. I assume Cooper caught him with that big left hook of his?

Yeah, it was the left hook that put him flat on his back for the 10 count. The bout only lasted about 2 minutes, with the musclebound Melito unable to land a single meaningful punch. Cooper landed two solid-ish right hands that both staggered Melito, the second one actually made him fall to his knees and give a good impression of 'kissing the canvas'. The sight of Melito's yuppie fanbase crying in the audience afterwards was amusing to say the least.

Thanks.

The memory of Bert Cooper I will never forget was taking on a near peak Evander Holyfield at short notice and almost KOing him and becoming Heavyweight Champion of the World.