Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

JOHN L. SMITH: Fight fixing scandal could tarnish Silver State's ring reputation

These should be the best of times for Nevada Athletic Commission Executive Director Marc Ratner.

He's the chief boxing regulator in a state known for its big fights. For 20 years, Ratner has built his credibility while overseeing a racket that's made fools of many.

He was recently named to the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, an honor usually bestowed on former star athletes.

Just when Ratner ought to be smiling, the sleazy image of fight fixing threatens to embarrass him and Nevada boxing.

There's no doubt heavyweight Thomas "Top Dawg" Williams agreed to take a dive against Richie Melito on Aug. 12, 2000, at the Paris Las Vegas. Williams and manager Bobby Mitchell were convicted of sports bribery in federal court and sentenced for their crimes.

What's less clear is how much Ratner and the commission knew -- or should have known -- about the impending fix prior to fight night.

On paper, Melito had a knockout-studded career. But Williams' trial testimony cast a shadow over at least 14 of his fights: Some were suspicious, and others were fixed outright.

Melito's ring credibility was so shaky that members of the New York State Athletic Commission warned his opponent, Bert Cooper, there were rumors Melito agreed to tank a bout. Cooper responded by knocking out Melito in the first round of their July 29, 1997, fight.

Ratner recalls being somewhat aware of the Melito-Cooper story, but he also believes no conclusive information was available when Melito met Williams.

Ratner says he initially didn't remember being contacted by veteran boxing writer Wally Matthews about the fix rumors three days before the Melito-Williams bout. Ratner didn't mention it during his testimony at Williams' trial and instead recalled first learning of fix rumors at 11 p.m. on fight night.

In our conversation Tuesday, Ratner said, "I get a lot of phone calls during the week. There was a newspaper guy out of New York who said he'd heard some rumblings about it. Maybe I was very na•ve, but I didn't pay any attention to it."

Ratner is one of just four full-time commission staffers.

His memory lapse might not have irritated prosecutors at trial had referee Richard Steele and boxing judge Carol Castellano not testified as defense witnesses. Steele told the court he'd only heard of fixed fights in Hollywood.

"I see it in the movies, you know Kirk Douglas and all those guys, they do this kind of stuff," Steele said.

Castellano, in response to Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Johnson's cross-examination, said learning of a fixed bout "wouldn't be my concern" because she kept her eyes on the match, not the machinations.

Huh?

Veteran boxing official William Clancey, who had judged or officiated four Melito fights, also testified for the defense. Sure enough, he saw nothing, too.

Meanwhile, referee Joe Cortez was a prosecution jury consultant, and commission Chairman John Bailey aided Special Agent Bob Bennett's investigation. Both are graduates of the FBI's Citizen's Academy.

At trial, witnesses testified that at least four Melito fights were fixed: Eddie Curry on April 22, 1997; Jay Snyder on July 14, 1998; Samson Cohen on Oct. 13, 1998; and Don Steele on April 30, 1999. Add another six suspected fixes involving Brian Nielsen and promoter Mogens Palle, and that's 22 probable tank jobs including the one that occurred under the Nevada commission's nose.

Now ESPN's "Outside the Lines" is devoting a program to the investigation. Questions about Nevada's diligence are sure to be raised.

"To this day, I've seen the fight maybe 50 times," Ratner said. "It looks like a legitimate punch to me. I saw Thomas Williams get knocked out of the ring into the lap of Carol Castellano."

She must not have seen Williams because, as she testified, she keeps her eyes focused inside the ring.

In the future, Ratner says he'll report "even the slightest little rumbling" to the FBI and commission.

"It's a hard sport to get your arms around on good days when everything is right," he says. "All you can do is try to be ever vigilant and pay attention to everything."

He also must know that in boxing, credibility is harder to keep than a heavyweight title.

John L. Smith's column appears Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. E-mail him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 383-0295.