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Atlas: From the streets to the ring: a son¹s struggle to become a man
TEDDY ATLAS is one of the straightest talkers in boxing so it comes as no surprise that his autobiography – Atlas: From the streets to the ring: a son’s struggle to become a man – pulls few punches. He leaves little to the imagination when discussing his complex relationship with his doctor father, his childhood and his life in boxing as well as relationships with former charges Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer and Shannon Briggs. Clearly shaped by his father, Theodore Atlas Snr, Teddy’s wasn’t a happy childhood. His brother Todd died young of a heart condition he was born with, he found out his grandfather hanged himself, and by the time the future trainer of champions hit his late teens he was starting to get into trouble. His family was becoming increasingly fragmented and Teddy yearned for attention from his father, which he rarely got. Cue some funny but also serious tales of armed robberies and street fights. Atlas arrives in the tough Rikers youth facility before he is taken in by Cus D’Amato on the word of his childhood friend Kevin Rooney. Not before, however, he has told of how he got that scar across his cheek, which is still visible today, and took more than 400 stitches to close. The insights into life with Cus and in Catskill are fascinating, inevitably culminating with the time he put a gun to the head of a young amateur Tyson. Atlas is a complicated man, but explains himself and his thought process well. Also his professional relationships with ballet star Twyla Tharp, actor Willem Dafoe and Mob rat Sammy “The Bull” Gravano break the boxing action neatly without detracting from the book for ardent fight fans. The account of when he goes to former pupil Donny Lalonde’s apartment to kill him is riveting and, in particular, his tough-love relationship with Moorer absolutely gripping. “ ‘I don’t care what you say, I’m not runnin’,” Moorer said. “ ‘You’re getting up in the morning and you’re freakin’ running’,” replied Atlas. “ ‘No, I’m not. Now get out!’” “ ‘What are you gonna do? You gonna hit me? You can’t fight Holyfield but you’ll stand up to me? Go ahead. Do something.’ “I shoved him.” Fascinating stuff. They shared the highs and lows in boxing and this book tells the story of their unlikely championship relationship extremely well. Psychology fans should be queuing up to buy this and so should fight fans. The now-ESPN analyst and co-writer Peter Alson have combined to deliver an engrossing, emotional and educational read from bell-to-bell, The book is available in paperback, priced £8.99, and is published by Harper Collins. |
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