A tale of two trainers
Timothy Bradley’s trainer Teddy Atlas talks to journalists two days before the scheduled fight between Bradley and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, April 7, 2016. Atlas said Bradley is ready to take his shot at cementing his legacy come Saturday, April 9 (US time.) PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA
LAS VEGAS — Their contrasting styles were largely a result of being understudies to two legendary trainers of another era.
Roach, already enshrined in boxing’s Hall of Fame at 56, learned his trade from Eddie Futch.
Atlas, 59, was a disciple of the equally accomplished Cus D’ Amato.
Being a television personality as boxing analyst, the eloquent Atlas, who has a flair for the dramatic, is known for spurring his boxers to action. He could be tough one time, gentle the next.
For example, asked what he’d feel in case Bradley bows to Pacquiao in their third encounter Saturday, Atlas told ESPN. com.
“I feel like I’d rather die.”
Roach doesn’t need to say a word to deliver a message to Pacquiao.
They’ve been partners for 15 years and one look is enough for one to understand what the other wants.
Having been together for only two fights in less than a year, Atlas and Bradley are still feeling each other out.
Atlas has been scientific in breaking down Pacquiao’s past fights. He boasted that he’d identified four telltale signs on when Pacquiao is about to unload a fussilade of punches.
