#4 Teddy Atlas

Michael Moorer v Evander Holyfield for the Heavyweight title. The bell rings to close the eighth. The champ’s not firing on all cylinders but the younger challenger isn’t taking advantage. The opportunity is slipping away. Something’s got to give.

Sweating and blowing Moorer ambles back to the corner. His trainer Teddy Atlas takes the stool , sits on it and starts screaming blue murder. Moorer, is bemused.

"Do you want me to change places with you? You want me to fight? Listen! This guy is finished,"

Atlas stands and places Michael on the stool. Atlas stares deep into his eyes. Certain he has Michael’s undivided attention; he begins:

"There comes a time in a man's life when he makes a decision to just live, survive - or he wants to win. You're making a decision just to survive. You're doing just enough to keep him off ya, and hope he leaves ya alone. And if you don't change you're going to be cryin' tomorrow! Now go out there and back him up and fight a full round".

It sums up what it’s all about. To win you’ve got to put it all on the line. It’s up to you and you alone. Go for glory or put up with second best. And you’ll keep on doing it! Fighting is not a metaphor for life- it IS life. All of life’s tests and challenges and compressed into one small package. Heightened life. LIFE +.

Moorer got off his arse to become the first Southpaw to take the Heavyweight title.

There’s more to Teddy Atlas than the inspirational pep talks. For the section of the UK population who Skyplus every bit of fight sport on late night TV (including Channel 4’s bizarre; A-Z of Boxing), Teddy Atlas is best known as the colour commentator on Boxing USA (ESPN’s Wednesday and Friday Fights for the rest of the world). The guy knows the sport inside out. More importantly, he makes you feel like you know the sport inside out. Each contest is prefaced by the Fight Plan. This involves Teddy, usually wearing a gaudy T-Shirt and shorts, breaking down the fight. In thirty seconds flat he bobs, weaves, throws shadow punches and sets the scene in his thick Staten Island accent. After half a minute, every viewer is an expert. They know exactly what each fighter needs to do to win the bout. He blows away the smoke and mirrors. Whether he’s pumping up champ’s or briefing armchair chumps- Atlas is an ace communicator.

For those who don’t spend their lives trawling the twilight combat sport netherworld of Five US, Eurosport and TWC (A channel which conversely exists without communicating to it’s viewers at all, employing ground breaking techniques such as the mid round ad-break and film noir lighting of sporting events), Teddy Atlas is best known as Mike Tyson’s first trainer. According to Atlas, his relationship with Tyson ended thus:

“You fucking piece of shit…If you ever put your hands on my family again, you’ll be dead.”
There was still a smugness about him. Jerking the gun up in the air at the last moment, I pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground holding his ear.
“Are we absolutely clear now?”

Like I said, an ace communicator. This account comes from the autobiography: Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man.             Teddy has some tale to tell.
Living in the shadow of his Dad, an almost saint-like doctor, the young Atlas went completely Potters Bar. His appetite for self destruction led him, via a string of wild escapades, to a cell in the notorious Rikers Island prison.

"Any place where kids spit razor blades out of their mouths to cut you is not a great place. Older guys didn’t need to stab you to show they weren’t afraid. A kid in Rikers might stab you just to avoid facing something else he might be feeling".


Released into the custody of Cus D’Amato, a back injury ended Teddy’s boxing career before it got started and he found his true calling as a fight trainer.

Teddy’s book shows he truly understands what makes men tick. Whether it’s a champion, the hopeful young kids he takes to smokers or the amazing number of flakes and gangsters who populate his life story; Atlas has them sussed. The underlying theme of his strategies for success is harnessing the fear we all have within.

On fighters and fear:

"They can be hurt. They can be killed. So if they’re not going to be defeated by their fear, they have to learn to control it, and use it to help them".

"The champions understand that and are truthful with themselves, even when it’s uncomfortable. That enables them to have choices, instead of having knee jerk responses".

Teddy is a wise man, but he still messes up like the rest of us. An all knowing force for good with human frailties: kind of like Jesus, Chris Tarrant or Brian Clough. Rather than alcohol, shagging birds from the game show 3-2-1 or messing with the Roman Empire; Teddy’s fatal flaw can be summed up with the word pride.

A recurring theme in his life is standing up for what he believes in- whatever the cost. 400 stitches in a head wound, taking on an entire Deep South town- better than backing down in Teddy’s eyes. Despite not having a pot to piss in at the time, he walked away from the offer of 5% of Tyson’s career earnings on a matter of honour. His straight forward moral code means he can’t put up with people who don’t play the game, such as 80’s Sugar Ray victim Donny LaLonde. In Teddy’s mind, Donny had been dishonourable over his contract agreement- so he did what any trainer would.

"It’s hard for me to remember the exact moment I decided I was going to kill Donny LaLonde. My anger just kept festering and growing. It didn’t go away. I realized it wouldn’t until I did something. I got a gun".

Definitely the kind of guy to have in your corner rather than against you.

And his book is a rattling good read.

Teddy Atlas- stubborn git – colour commentator of distinction- cornerman extraordinaire- charity fundraiser- the real Mr Motivator.

Teddy Atlas- hurtbusiness hero.



And finally…

On Michael Moorer:

Freddy Roach: I am not a dictator. I let Michael be Michael.

Teddy Atlas: I always understood that is was my job to never let Michael be Michael.