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12/28/2003 Archived Entry: "Teddy Atlas Sounds Off"
Teddy Atlas Sounds Off on HBO, Heavyweights, Cruisers, and Bruisers
By Juan C. Ayllon
Photos by Edward Zajak
An excited buzz filled the room as the packed crowd eagerly anticipated action featuring local, hometown prospects and culminating in a scintillating fight for the NABF Cruiserweight Championship. Seated behind a large array of monitors and other electronic gear, longtime ring commentator Teddy Atlas prepared stoically for the evenings duties. He was to announce ESPN2’s last Friday Night Fights broadcast for the season. Minutes before the first fight was to begin, Teddy granted me this interview, where he candidly shared off the cuff comments on a rumor of his possible move to HBO, the heavyweight division, the cruiserweight division, Felix “Tito” Trinidad’s return to the ring, Roy Jones, Jr. and James Toney.
Juan Ayllon: We hear rumors that you are moving onto HBO. Is that true?
Teddy Atlas: I have a contract with ESPN. So, as far as I know, as far as I’m concerned, my obligation is to ESPN. You know, I wouldn’t even be able to know anything about that. I mean, it’s nice to hear that people are saying that I’m thought of in that way. HBO is a terrific place. I’m sure that Ross Greenberg is 1000 percent committed to Roy Jones and other than hearing from people like you, I wouldn’t know anything much more about it, because, as I said, I have an obligation to ESPN. I’m contracted with them. And my only concentration right now is being able to work at the fights that I’m supposed to and hopefully being able to do a decent job for people that watch our show.
JA: What do you think about boxing’s heavyweight division? Where do you think that it is going?
The CBZ's Ayllon and Atlas
TA: It’s been through these slumps like in the 80’s when it was musical chairs. I think we’re about to play musical chairs again. Once more it’s very close. It’s not evident; I think there’s no dominant guy there. And, with the sanctioning bodies, being the way they are—which is not always honest—they can open up three divisions again, which will allow for a lot of different guys to mix and match and to fit in. And, as I said, there’s no monster out there. So, I think it’s going to be musical chairs; a lot of, you know, Klitschko will fit in somewhere, and there [will] be other guys that will fit in to the different titles that will become available. Like I said, Lewis being gone and the sanctioning bodies playing their business the way they play their business, and open it up to a lot of different guys, and making it possible for a lot of different promoters to move their fighters into a slot.
JA: What do you think about the cruiserweight division, the way they moved up the limit now?
TA: No, I don’t think it’s ever going to be an exciting division, really. I think a lot of these things are done for sanctioning fees or an extra division for the sanctioning bodies more so than helping out the fighters have another place to fit in.
I know heavyweights nowadays are so much bigger that there’s some thought that there should be a division and has been a division for guys 190, 195 pounds, you know, under 200, because the heavyweights, not like years ago, are much more athletic and you know, just much, much bigger.
Where before they were 210, they were 205, they were 200, now they’re 240, 250 and they’re fast, just like the NFL. It’s just alignment. It’s made the same kind of progression, the same kind of development.
I know that there’s probably a place, maybe they’re going to—to try to make it more exciting and to rejuvenate it a little bit—I wouldn’t be surprised if down the line they came up with a different name; they came up with super heavyweight and heavyweight. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did that from a marketing standpoint to make it a little more appealing.
JA: What do you think of Felix “Tito" Trinidad coming back? Do you think he has a good shot, or do you think he should just stay retired?
TA: Well, I think that anytime a guy retires, they’ve thought about that. And, being in his position, a national hero of Puerto Rico, he’s made a lot of money and he obviously has his situation where he can have a very comfortable, adjusted life. And, he seemed to be very content when he made that decision.
You know, to come back would not be unusual for fighters or for any athletes. George [Foreman] has come back a couple times. The key is to get it out of your system to make sure you’re content when you retire. He obviously is young enough to have thought about it a little bit and so think about whether or not he still can be content in retirement. And he’s young enough where he can come back if that’s what he decides to do and, obviously, still be effective in places because, there’s no dominant guy, really, in boxing. There’s always spots. With sanctioning committees allowing there to be several titles always available, there’s always a spot to fit. And a guy with his talent who retired, not used up, is still young enough to come back. Obviously, his heart is in it and his commitment is in it, ‘cause it’s always been he’s never stepped in the ring without being in top shape. And, then, obviously, there can be a spot for him. There’s no doubt.
JA: One more question: any thoughts on where James Toney and Roy Jones, Jr. are going? Do you think there’s a future for them in the heavyweight division?
TA: I think, I think Jones if some mega-fight comes up to satisfy his ego and his place in history and so the…[money is] large enough that it is right now, like a Tyson fight, I think that he would entertain it, if the fight was big enough, if the money was big enough. I think he’s always been a guy that’s smart in the ring and outside the ring and he looks for spots that make the most sense to him. And I think of a couple of different elements like I just said [factor into Roy Jones’ choice of fights]. I’ll think a fighter can be, how historical fighter can be and whether or not he thinks that he can navigate himself to a win.
As far as Toney goes, Toney with his style—Jones is a little different: Jones, with his style of movement, depending on speed, timing, reflexes, that starts to deteriorate as you get older. He’s getting older.
Toney, other than his problem of controlling his weight, you know his style is really built on technique. And, technique doesn’t go away as you get older. Reflexes go away. But, technique don’t go away. That’s why Toney’s had some longevity and tremendous success at different weight classes. And also, it speaks loudly that there’s no great fighters out there. There’s always a spot for a guy who’s as solid as Toney to fit in and to be effective. You know? And so Toney is a guy that the battle is with his weight as much as anything and, as long as he stays interested, he’ll be able to stay fairly effective for a while.
