Teddy Atlas has worked with several elite operators, often preparing them for the harshest of battles, but only one of them is considered the best he ever trained.
The trajectory of his rise through the ranks is comprehensively documented, with the iconic coach beginning his apprenticeship under the legendary tutelage of Cus D’Amato.
From there, Atlas soon became acquainted with a young Mike Tyson, who later continued his destructive surge under the guidance of Kevin Rooney, another D’Amato disciple, following the passing of his long-term mentor.
Prior to that, though, Atlas had been heavily involved in the early development of ‘Iron Mike’, before establishing himself as an esteemed coach in his own right.
His greatest achievement arguably came when Michael Moorer, who had previously campaigned at 175lbs, claimed the world heavyweight title with a victory over Evander Holyfield in 1994.
Along with Moorer, Atlas also trained the likes of Barry McGuigan and Timothy Bradley, who called upon the American coach’s services for the last two fights of his decorated career.
In those two outings, Bradley was well past his best but nonetheless stopped Brandon Rios in the ninth round, before losing his lucrative trilogy showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
But while Bradley and Moorer were certainly among the best he trained, Atlas has previously revealed in an interview with Ring Magazine that Wilfred Benitez was almost in a class of his own.
“Sometimes you go to the Academy Awards and one movie wins all the awards. What are you gonna do? That would be Benitez.
“Anyone who could beat Roberto Duran, amongst many other great fighters, that’s a pretty good resume. I would say Benitez overall was the package. He was a special fighter.”
Atlas worked with Benitez for a relatively short spell of his career, which saw the former two-weight world champion face both Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns.
Benitez became the youngest world champion in history at 17 and went on to won titles in three weight divisions, renowned for his exceptional defensive skill and ring intelligence.
