Teddy Atlas's career ending injury

[TheRealDunnagan]

Okay, I've looked everywhere. Checked out about six different interviews, and a bunch of other stuff. In all of the biographies/interviews, it's referred to as 'the injury'. they aren't specific at all.

Anybody know what happened to good ole Teddy? Why does he hide that injury? If he wasn't trying to hide it, it would be in one of the six interviews I read...but it's only 'the injury' nothing specific.

anybody have any info on this guy

[ispayder]

I would like to be enlightened too. The scar in his face is still visible and his other eye doesn't look natural. Can somebody please tell us something about this accident and the extent of his injuries.

[MlLkMan]

Im curious about it too.

[hollister]

Did Teddy ever fight, or was he just a trainer from the beginning?

[Eyeh8you]

I heard it had something to do w/ Sammy da bull and those ilk he used to associate with!

[TheRealDunnagan]

teddy was supposedly a pretty good amateur fighter but never went pro due to the injury.

[TheRealDunnagan]

aw c'mon, I know some old pro that reads this board knows about Atlas

[deuce_drop]

i don't know if it is what ended his career, but, his scar is from a knife fight...i read in some article,that is all they said though, other than , he fought in and out of the ring......

[TheRealDunnagan]

i don't know if it is what ended his career, but, his scar is from a knife fight...i read in some article,that is all they said though, other than , he fought in and out of the ring......

preciate the contribution,

we probably won't find out the information we really need unless someone who knew Ted personally or something finds this thread..things like what exactly happened in the streetfight, and what exactly ended his career. It was prolly over a woman~

[Slipx]

Here's the info ya need.

" I was a kid driving with a buddy of mine and we were cut off by another car, and then we cut them off. It was like a game of chicken. It got to the point where we all got out of our cars and we were ready to fight. I thought there were just two people in the car, not realizing there were five or six. We were fighting all these guys, or at least I thought we were. I found out later that my friend was on the roof of the car, leaving me to go against these guys. I was able to drop a couple of them, and this one person Ð I can't say "man" because no man would act this way Ð pulls out a knife and cuts me across my face. "


Atlas won the Golden Gloves title in the 139 lb. weight division, knocking out every opponent he faced.

But Atlas had hurt his back pretty badly playing football and during a rematch with one of the opponents he faced in the Gloves, his back seized up. And even though Atlas won by knockout in the third round, he absorbed a lot of punishment. D'Amato knew what was happening and he approached Atlas in the locker room after the fight.

"You ain't fightin' no more," D'Amato said.

Not sure if he was joking, Atlas nervously asked him, "What are you talkin' about Cus?"

D'Amato knew and admired Atlas' heart. He knew Atlas would never quit unless he forced him to. He also knew he was the only man who could.

"You heard me Atlas!said Amato. I said you ain't fightin' no more! You're gonna be a trainer."

"A trainer?" Atlas asked. "C'mon Cus I don't know nothin' about bein' no trainer."

"That's right Atlas, you don't know nothin'!" D'Amato said. "I'm gonna teach ya'. Because youre a born teacher."

Atlas could have gone to another trainer, but in his mind that would have been a violation of the code and an insult to D'Amato.

He was retired. At 19.