How Boxing Saved and Shaped Teddy Atlas' Life

An upbringing marked by consistent crime and trouble culminated in an almost-fatal street fight for a young Teddy Atlas growing up in Staten Island.

A slash across the face with a pocketknife left Atlas requiring 400 stitches to close the wound, 200 on the outside and 200 inside, during that rebellious period of life which was spiralling out of control.

It’s that prominent scar that serves as a permanent reminder for Atlas of the past mistakes and wrong decisions which threatened to derail his life completely, but also represents the transformation it forced him to undergo.

As is often the case, boxing wasn’t necessarily supposed to be in the itinerary, but it found him nevertheless - perhaps it was destined to.

The sport in which the New Yorker has since become a legend was at the centre of his timely turnaround from local tearaway to community mainstay.

A journey of struggle, hardship and sacrifice is not uncommon for boxing. In fact, they’re synonymous with it; almost being a requirement, a rite of passage for those who tirelessly reach its pinnacle.

Boxing doesn’t just change lives; it has the power to save them, too. No other walk of life could possibly provide the pivotal path from hopelessly reckless youth to esteemed icon. Atlas’ story is a testament to that.

Saved By Boxing & Finding a Mentor

Now physically scarred for life, Atlas was sent up to Catskill, New York, by his father in a hopeful bid to readjust his mentality for life.

It would ultimately prove to be the positively life-altering decision Dr Theodore Atlas had counted on, as the troubled teenager linked up and lived with Hall of Fame boxing trainer Cus D'Amato.

D'Amato now served as the mentor for Atlas, standing as a much-needed role model and helping to instil purpose and discipline, which had previously been missing in his street exploits back in Staten Island.

Atlas had finally found his passion in the form of boxing and, by the age of 18, was dreaming of becoming a professional fighter after winning the lightweight Golden Gloves tournament as an amateur.

Life's redemption stories are rarely smooth sailing, though, and Atlas' boxing plotline produced new hurdles that challenged the revigorated teenager's true resilience and dedication to his craft.

A problematic back injury forced Atlas to shelve his in-ring goals. But boxing had already consumed his life by this point. So, the only way forward was to learn his trade on the other side of the ropes as a trainer under the tutelage of D’Amato.

Learning the Trade With D’Amato & Tyson

D’Amato was a strong believer in teaching his fighters through the power of mindset and using fear as a weapon to unlock new levels of success.

A young Mike Tyson was his most prominent student, having taken him in as a boy, unearthed his potential and guided him into a generational talent who would later become the youngest heavyweight World Champion in history (a record which still stands today).

But Atlas can take plenty of plaudits for that seismic rise of ‘Iron Mike’ as well, as he worked closely and assisted with the day-to-day remoulding of a devastating future champion.

A high-profile altercation between Tyson and Atlas led to the latter’s eventual departure from the Catskill Gym after he threatened the 15-year-old prospect at gunpoint due to an alleged inappropriate incident with a family member.

Showing the integrity instilled into him by his father, Atlas left on his own and reportedly turned down a cut of Tyson’s future earnings. Morals over money, that was a lesson learned through family.

Kevin Rooney replaced the departing Atlas, who later reconciled with Tyson following years of tension. He used his valuable D’Amato working experiences and a beneficial stint with the 1980 Swedish Olympic boxing squad to become a hugely successful coach himself.

Training World Champions & All-Time Greats

After making a name for himself, Atlas swiftly ascended as a top trainer throughout his years in the corner, utilising his knowledge, expertise and motivational traits to oversee ring success for massive names and world champions.

This includes Wilfred Benitez, Barry McGuigan, Shannon Briggs, Simon Brown, Donny Lalonde, Joey Gamache, Timothy Bradley and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

But his most notable time came working with Michael Moorer, incredibly guiding the light-heavyweight world champion to a historic heavyweight triumph over Evander Holyfield in 1994.

It was a monumental victory as Moorer was the first light-heavyweight champion to go on and win the heavyweight crown too, as well as becoming the only ever southpaw in history to reign atop of boxing’s glamour division.

But in the lead up to Atlas’ biggest professional task in the corner, he was forced to show the mental fortitude that he was now renowned for instilling in his own fighters.

On the brink of Moorer’s clash with Holyfield, Atlas endured the tragic loss of his father at the age of 88. On top of past family trauma, this was another test of his emotional capacity, which he resolutely passed.

On the day Atlas buried his father, he still went to the gym to train Moorer, while the heavyweight title challenger himself had inadvertently assumed a cancellation of the session, also citing fatigue.

An old-school trainer with regards to work ethic, Atlas took no excuses. After all, he didn’t make any, despite holding a personally valid reason to.

That approach paid off in the end, as Moorer stunned the boxing landscape to overcome Holyfield by majority decision alongside his now accomplished coach.

Pulling No Punches in Commentary Career

That now widely familiar no-nonsense approach on the gym floor and in the corner also translated to Atlas’ time behind the microphone as an analyst and commentator.

From passionately pushing his fighters to pull no punches in the ring, Atlas found himself doing the same behind the commentary desk.

It was his natural inclination to speak out over high-profile broadcasts that landed him in trouble with the likes of ESPN, leading to a suspension from the network.

But his willingness to voice his opinions on the wider topics that still shroud boxing was a refreshing, albeit controversial, approach on commentary duties.

Damning the issues the sport faces, Atlas regularly hit out at the corruption from the top level and slamming several notably poor decisions.

"Corruption is in boxing, it just follows the money,” Atlas declared, with his usual unrestrained passion for the sport.

“And no one else is going to say that in boxing, and some people are going to be very upset. I don't care. I don't care if they're upset.”

Giving Back Through Boxing

Atlas returned to training elite fighters following his long-standing punditry work, while using his own lifetime of boxing knowledge and street wisdom to selflessly help the next generation.

This includes his charitable work and the establishment of the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation, named after the true heroic figure and leading exemplar in his life – his father.

“Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I just hope he was proud of me.”

There can be no doubt he was, as Atlas continues to inspire and remains a powerful voice through boxing - the sport that saved, consumed and shaped his life of tragedy and triumph.