Biography

Theodore "Teddy" A. Atlas, Jr. was born and raised in Staten Island, New York. He attended Curtis High School and played football there for the renowned Andy Barberi. Teddy went on to spend six years living in Catskill, New York under the guidance of boxing sage Cus D'Amato. During that time he won the Adirondack Golden Gloves but an injury prematurely ended his boxing career and led to career as a trainer.

Teddy started to train fighters for D'Amato, including the future Heavyweight World Champion Mike Tyson. He has trained many fighters who have reached the pinnacles of success in their respective weight classes including former World Featherweight Champion Barry McGuigan, European Welterweight Champion Gary Jacobs, former World Light Heavyweight Champion Donnie LaLonde, former World Welterweight Simon Brown, former two-time World Champion Tracy Patterson, and former two-time World Champion Joey Gamache. Also, Teddy trained the 1980 Swedish Olympic Team. In 1994, he spurred on Michael Moorer to beat Evander Holyfield for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Outside of the boxing world, Teddy trained dancer-choreographer Twyla Tharp for her comeback at the age of forty-two. He trained American Ballet Dancers for a piece entitled "Everlast" that was performed at the Metropolitan Opera House. He choreographed the fight scenes in the television series "Against The Law" and in the motion picture "Triumph of the Spirit" where he also served as Willem Dafoe's trainer and had a role in the movie itself. In addition, he appeared in the HBO movie "Only in America: The Don King Story". Teddy has also done boxing color commentary for SportsChannel, ABC's World Wide of Sports (with Dan Dierdorf), HBO's radio broadcast fights on Westwood One and ESPN Friday Night Fights.

Teddy is Founder and Chairman of the Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation, Inc. This foundation attempts to ease the burden of those who are less fortunate than most. It provides moral and financial support to individuals and organizations in need, with a primary focus on children. It is Teddy's way of remembering the remarkable life of his father and the same time "giving back" for a professional life filled with enormous success.

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Testimonials

"Even though I'm a football guy, I always hung around boxing gyms. I learned a lot about sports and life from watching Teddy Atlas train fighters and work with kids. He's an inspiration, and reading his book is like having him in your corner." -- Bill Parcells, NFL Coach, Dallas Cowboys

"I must say that no one, in my opinion, has more strategy and tactics in the ring than Teddy Atlas." -- Norman Mailer, American novelist, screenwriter, and film director

"Teddy Atlas taught me a lot about human nature through boxing. That world that he loves so much conspired to corrupt and compromise him at every turn, yet he never took a dive. His plainspoken struggle to keep his integrity is heroic, funny, and inspiring." -- Willem Defoe, Oscar-nominated film and stage actor

"The Atlas spirit of fight to survive and fight to live that is his soul comes through loud." -- Twyla Tharp, dancer and choreographer

"I met Teddy Atlas when we broadcast boxing together at the 2000 Olympics. His remarkable life has been all about integrity-from the early days with Mike Tyson to his current status as one of the sport's premiere commentators. This is a riveting inside look at the world of boxing from a man who in a perfect world would be its national commissioner." -- Marv Albert, television sportscaster

"After a lifetime of violence, after knife fights and stickups, after gang wars and drawn guns, after wild brawls and boxing, Teddy Atlas tells us, better than anyone I know, that the real fight takes place inside. Fascinating and authentic." -- Nicholas Pileggi, author and screenwriter

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