After somewhat of a seasonal break in the action, January 6th 2012 would see ESPN II?s Friday Night Fight series along with renowned commentator Teddy Atlas make their return to the airwaves. But instead of report on the boxers themselves as is typically the case, I feel rather compelled to write about one who is more or less a conduit for the sport of boxing itself, expressing his personal views and training expertise to the multitudes, as well as providing blow by blow commentary as to what transpires in the ring on any given fight night. I am speaking of the multi-dimensional Teddy Atlas, who, plain and simple is an attraction all by himself.
ith former ESPN and current Showtime boxing analyst Al Bernstein making his way into the International Boxing Hall of Fame this Summer as one of the top boxing commentators over the years, while the long reigning and at times confrontational Larry Merchant is still abstractly expressing his ever worldly thoughts as the broadcast guru over at HBO, now alternating duties with the younger Max Kellerman who seems to be coming into his own, I firmly believe that there is no other boxing analyst besides Teddy Atlas who will leave even the most knowledgeable viewer feeling that they just finished a telecourse in Boxing 101.
Not only is Atlas a totally informative source as to the intricacies of what goes on before, during, and after a particular boxing event, but his uncanny ability to conjure up relevant analogies and allegorically break it down in blue collar fashion to the ordinary Joe, is an alluring quality that captures the attention of the most casual of sports fans. By laying bare the raw human essentials and attributes that make up each individual prizefighter, to include both the positive and negative traits which ultimately contribute to subsequent ring success or failure, Teddy in simplistic form is able to present those who engage in what many consider a savage sport, as fellow human beings. In essence, by exposing the personification of the subject in question, Atlas let?s you know what makes the boxer tick in ways that allow viewers to see themselves, all the while precisely differentiating and steadily defining in human terms the reasons as to why one contestant is or is not able to gain the upper hand during the course of action.
