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Atlas From the Streets to the ring: A son's Stuggle to Become a man
By Teddy Atlas and Peter Alson
April 2006
Non-Fiction
A book about combat sports. Also about Atlas's struggle to understand his father. Atlas is ESPN's Friday NIght Fights commentor and a respected trainer. Atlas talks about his life in and out of training and tells alot of stories that boxing fans can really appreciate. Wasn't suprised to hear that teddy got into alot of trouble growing up and that ussualy means he was ignored at home, which he was. Talkes about his sort stay at Rikers and how he knew he had to get out.
Atlas talks about his early training days with Cus D'amato and what that did for his life. There is was Tyson's first trainer and coach. This will be intersting to alot of people since Atlas tells what he thinks was Tyson's dimise. How Cus let tyson get away with anything since it was clear Tyson was a once in a lifetime thing.
Of course it talks about him pulling a gun on a teenage tyson. Then Atlas talks about training Twyla Tharp, a famous dancer. He talkabout how he was very mad at Lalonda a fighter that was about to break through for some paydays that turned on Teddy right before that. was very suprised to hear that in the Late 80s Teddy was thinking about Killing LoLonda and was actually waiting outside the door for him one night. He has an intersting story about sammy the bull gravano and things he learned while training him.
My favorite part of the book is the Micheal Moorer sections where he shows insight into the training camps of Moorer and just how difficult Moorer could be. Yet they got through it and won titles. Talked about a fight he and Shannon Briggs faught togather over some race comments hicks gave before a fight.
Then talks about his fundation and commantating along with some other bits and pieces.
The book was pretty intersting. As a fan of boxing and combat sports, along with being a fan of Teddy's, this book is pretty amazing. He tells some great stories an in entertaining fashion. He has obviously been through alot in the boxing world so it is intersting to get some of the inside stories about big events like the Moorer Title run and how those training camps went. intersting to see how atlas got his start and he does have alot of good inspirational statments and attitudes in the book. Was very intersted and shocked to hear he stood outside LaLonda's door waiting to kill him.
Not everyone will enjoy it as Teddy comes off as very sanctimonious at times, his stories sometimes having the "Look at me I am so wise," feel to it but overall, any fan of the sport(All combat sports) hardcore or casual would find many parts of the book entertaining. The main way to judge it is if you have heard Atlas's commantry on FNF and thought he does a good job. If you do, you will like this book.
It was a shorter read, but only took me two days since I really did like it and didn't put it down. one might want to go to a libary to get it or get a used copy on ebay or something since $25 was alot for 270 pages of spacey print, but take a look at it.
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