Teddy Atlas, who once trained Tyson, brings energy to Bradley camp

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Teddy Atlas would sit ringside describing boxing matches for his television analyst job at ESPN and seem perfectly content with his second calling in the sport.

He was once considered the sport’s top trainer, molding the likes of Mike Tyson and taking pride in developing younger fighters in his native New York. It was more than a job; it was a passion.

But boxing became too political for Atlas. He grew tired of having to deal with promoters and managers. He hated how some were trying to make a quick buck off up-and-coming fighters.

“I was disappointed in the other dimension of the sport,” he said. “Some of the people involved were not always honorable and that bothered me.”

Atlas, some would say, became the best commentator in the business. He was sincere and likable, and simplified the sport for viewers. Younger fans recognized him more for his work on television than in the ring.

Then, Atlas got a phone call from Timothy Bradley over the summer.

Bradley, the welterweight champ, had just parted ways with longtime trainer Joel Diaz after winning the title in ugly fashion last June and needed someone to take over his camp in preparation for Saturday’s fight against Brandon Rios at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Bradley (32-1-1, 12 KOs) wanted Atlas in his corner. But first he had to convince him.

“I wasn’t going to come back in the business to be around someone I didn’t want to be around,” Atlas said. “The first step was getting that phone call from Timothy to see what kind of person he was. I only needed to talk with the kid for a few minutes to realize he’s a great person.”

After some minor courting, it appears to be a solid match. Bradley needed someone to remake his game and help take his career to another level. Atlas was direct in his evaluation of Bradley in pointing out his weaknesses.

Bradley has shown a willingness to listen and make changes — adjustments he desperately needs to make. While he won the WBO title in June against Jessie Vargas, he took some significant punches and appeared to be flawed.

“I know this is a tough fight for me,” Bradley said of Rios. “I need to stay focused and to choose when to battle. I know Rios is a tough guy. I am tough, too, and smarter. I am confident with Teddy Atlas with me. He has great boxing knowledge. I want that knowledge. We can do some damage together.”

Atlas, 59, hadn’t worked with a fighter since 2011 when he helped Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin win a title. They ultimately split over a disagreement of where Povetkin would train for future fights, Atlas said.

That was the final straw. He’d focus his attention to working television for ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights,” where he’d be able to remain in the sport but stay far enough away to get let his disappointment subside.

“Anything you do, you have to have a passion for it, a care for it,” he said. “I care what’s going on in the ring. I respect what they are doing and appreciate the depth of what they do and how they do it.”

Getting back into the routine of preparing for a fight came easier than Atlas expected. And this time, it’s much different. He’s again enjoying himself.

“I didn’t know how much fun this would be to be honest with you,” he said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21