Fighter Denies Role in Fix Alleged by Manager

A heavyweight boxer said in an affidavit that he fought “as hard as I could and did nothing to intentionally lose” a March 2000 bout that a boxing manager has admitted fixing, a lawyer said Monday.

Attorney Michael Marley, in a letter to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Las Vegas, called boxing manager Robert Mittleman “a vicious liar” for claiming that heavyweight Thomas Williams deliberately lost the match, held in Denmark. Marley represents Mogens Palle, the Danish promoter of that fight.

Mittleman, 61, admitted in a plea agreement made public last week that he fixed two Williams fights in 2000.

The first was against Brian Nielsen. Mittleman admitted receiving $1,000, saying Palle requested the fix.

According to Marley, Williams said in the affidavit, dated Aug. 29, 2000, that he fought “as hard as I could and did nothing to intentionally lose that fight.... Nobody approached me or otherwise attempted to bribe me to lose that fight.”

Williams, who lost by knockout in the third round, received up to $40,000 to throw the fight, according to Mittleman. According to Marley, Williams received what the contract called for, $17,000.

Told of Marley’s letter, Mittleman said in a telephone interview Monday: “Mogens Palle is the only promoter in the world who makes his fighter sign an affidavit after a fight to say that it was not fixed. Why would you need to have your fighter sign that?”

Mittleman also admitted arranging a second fix for Williams, against Richie Melito in Las Vegas in August 2000.

That fix, for which Mittleman said he also received $1,000, was arranged at the request of promoter Robert Mitchell, according to Mittleman. Mitchell and Williams are expected to go on trial in August.

Mittleman, awaiting sentencing, is expected to testify against Mitchell and Williams.

“Mr. Mittleman has said many vicious and untrue things about [Palle],” Marley wrote to prosecutors. “The worst is that Mr. Palle ever told Mittleman to ‘fix’ any fight or fights. That never happened except in Mr. Mittleman’s wild imagination.”

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office said prosecutors were not permitted to comment on such correspondence.