By Jack Welsh

Fight fixer Richard Mittlemen proved aptly named when it comes to money, plus having his boxing seconds license suspended indefinitely by the American Association of Boxing Commissioners.

Now that was a penalty Mittleman didn’t need considering his financial return for the infraction----1000 bucks as the fixer. while the knockout victim collected $15,000.

Mittleman,61, Oak Park,IIl., had been sentenced just before Christmas in Las Vegas, having pleaded guilty to fixing a 10-round bout Aug.12, 2000 at the Paris Las Vegas.

Mittleman received a grand for his participation whlie Thomas Williams, a first round knockout loser to Richie Melito, had his senses intact to collect $15,000. Melito told authorities “no persons approached him about the fight being fixed.”

Mittleman told the authorities he felt remorseful because his illegal tactics “were dishonorable and despicable in embarrassing my family.”

“I made a horrible mistake, it was a terrible nightmare. I am not a serial fight fixer.It was a crazy abberation...a stupid mistake I’ll never make again,” Mittleman declared.

During the investigation, Mittleman also pleaded guilty on a charge of attempting to bribe an assistant U.S. attorney and a federal judge, drawing a sentence of six months of house arrest, a $2,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.

Mittleman was a leading government witness in an earlier trial and openly testified that, along with promoter Robert Mitchell, he arranged for Williams to “take a dive in the Melito fight “. Mitchell and Williams were convicted of conspiracy and sports bribery but both have appealed their convictions on grounds the prosecution introduced evidence the jury should not been allowed to hear.

U.S. District Court Judge James Mahan has reportedly scheduled a new trial for February.

When U.S. District Court Judge Robert C.Jones sentenced Mittleman, he also noted that the admitted fight fixer gave the prosecution his full cooperation in its’ investigaion. Mittleman had faced up to five years in prison on each the sports bribery charges and up to 15 years on the bribery of a public official, plus up to $250,000 in fines on the latter charges.

Not only the Melito fix but Mittleman also admitted he made arrangements for Williams to go to Esberog, Denmark Mar.31,2000 to face the popular Brian Nielson, who scored an easy three-round knockout.

Once again the unorthodox Illinois corner man was the “middleman” when it came to money, picking up only $1,000 while Williams’ purse was $40,000.

Perhaps he didn’t realize it at the time. but Mittleman’s Waterloo came Oct 30, 2003 when he offered an undercover agent $15,000 to get an assistant U.S.

attorney and a U.S. district judge to drop all charges against Wiiliams. Mittleman later admitted to the charges, plus offering the undercover officer $3,000 on Dec.12, 2003.

Before going into plea bargaining with Jones for leniency, Mittleman asked the court consider the imposition his sentencing would impose on his wife, Deborah,and son, Max.

Kathleen Bush, assistant U.S. attorney, spoke on the defendant’s behalf, emphasizing “Mr.Mittleman provided substantial assistance to the government in its’ prosecution of Williams and Mitchell.”

According to Mittleman. it was Mogens Palle, veteran Danish promoter matchmaker, who suggested the overseas Nielson-Williams bout.

Palle, internationally prominent in American rings, issued a statement back on May 6, denying any charges of fixing fights in Denmark.

Mittleman said he had been contacted back on Mar.31, 2000 by Palle regarding fixing two fights for Williams.

Palle told the Associated Press “whatever Mittleman has been entertaining with in the United States, I can only firmly say I have never during my 47 years in the business bribed any boxer to come to Denmark and lose on purpose.”

Attorney Michael Marley of New York, representing Williams, stressed that “Robert Mittleman is a vicious liar when he claims my client deliberately lost a fight in Denmark. Mr. Mittleman has said many vicious and untrue things about Mr. Palle with the worst being that Mr. Palle told Mr. Mittleman to fix a fight or fights. It never happened accept in Mr. Mittleman’s wild imagination.”

Mittleman told the court “other than a little time in the music business, I’ve

been in boxing for 35 years.

“I have never done anything like this and I’ve had a clean record in the sport. I was once disciplined for hollering at a referee in Las Vegas. That is the worst thing that has ever happened to me,” said the suspended corner man.

“I know how to pick fighters and build their careers without fixing fights. Me and Steve Nelson briefly had Oscar De La Hoya when he turned pro with the Olympic gold in1992 but we didn’t have the kind of money to compete.”

One veteran ring spokesman found the strangest thing the media thought about the Williams-Melito bout was it being the first action on the undercard where

Evander Holyfield defended his WBA title against John Ruiz.

“The doors were not opened to the public and nobody could bet anyway since Nevada books rarely take any action on the prelims. And nobody saw it on HBO,” the spokesman continued.

Marc Ratner, the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s executive director, was at his ringside post for the controversial opener that didn’t go one round.

“As far as the fight is concerned, I didn’t see anything untoward Williams took a solid punch on the chin and almost landed in the lap of ringside judge Carol Castellano.”

Perhaps the best wag’s comment of the night: “Now there was a fight that didn’t have to be fixed.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports. Com and other American sports magazines.)