By Mark Vester

Trainer Teddy Atlas is back in the training game after hooking up with undefeated Alexander Povetkin, the 2004 Olympic gold medal winner and IBF mandatory challenger to Wladimir Klitschko. Atlas trained heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Michael Moorer. One day he received a call from Sauerland Event to see if he was interested in training Povetkin, so Atlas flew out to Russia to meet with him.

Would he at least fly to Russia for a few days to meet everyone and conduct a working interview with the heavyweight, is the next question?

"Nice kid. Real toughness. Innate ability. I took him into the gym, and worked him hard, got him to lose nine pounds in less than a week. I told him that the good news is, he throws a lot of punches. The bad news is, he doesn't know why," said Atlas to the Staten Island Advance.

"I told him I thought he was getting too comfortable and living too good thinking he's somewhere he hasn't gotten to yet. I told him that he had to come to the states to train, and that he'd be up at six in the morning for his roadwork. I think his asset is his character. I think he's willing to listen to new ideas, and that he has the ability to outwork people."

Povetkin is expected to come down to train with Atlas in New Jersey this week. Atlas wants him to take a tuneup fight before the end of the year and then target a meeting with Klitschko.

Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com