On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Teddy Atlas guided WBO Welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) to an impressive 9th-round knockout of Brandon Rios. Atlas is an accomplished and highly sought-after trainer, but prior to the Bradley fight, it was 2011 when Atlas last trained a professional boxer, instead being recognized for his working calling fights for television.
Away from the bright lights and non-stop activity of the fight week in Las Vegas and back home on Staten Island, New York, where Atlas grew up and raised his family, he lamented about his decision to re-enter the training realm as well as the impressive win on Saturday night. When asked about returning to training, Teddy explained, “I was hesitant to come back to the pressure and responsibility of training a fighter. And if I was going to do it, It had to be with someone who had character not just talent. Seven weeks of training camp with Tim Bradley showed me my decision was right and that I could actually enjoy teaching again.”
While most fight fans and sports media want to know what the future holds for this newly formed union between Bradley and Atlas; Teddy is more focused on a more immediate future. Specifically, Thursday, November 19, 2015. On that night at the Staten Island Hilton, the charity Atlas founded to honor his father will host their 19th Annual Dinner. “Now that we defended Tim’s title we need to put our attention towards once again defending all those people who are fighting each day to survive”, said Teddy Atlas.
The Foundation was founded in 1997 to honor Atlas’ physician father and to continue his noble works after he passed away. His father made it his life’s commitment and passion to provide medical services to needy and indigent families for over fifty years. His steadfast efforts resulted in the founding of two hospitals. Teddy created The Dr. Atlas Foundation to continue the important work that his father began. The foundation provides financing for medical procedures for sick children and elderly, who would otherwise not be able to receive proper help. It also fulfills the dreams and wishes of many children diagnosed with terminal conditions, operates three youth non-profit boxing gyms with educational centers within the gyms, gives ten thousand toys annually to ill and deprived children around New York City at Christmas time, provides 800 full dinners each Thanksgiving to needy families and provides the funding for various athletic and scholarship after-school programs. These are just a few of the countless endeavors of the Foundation that make a difference for those in need.
Atlas said, “The work of the Foundation is important on so many levels but mainly because most of the people we help have very serious, often bleak, situations. It is our job through the Foundation to never allow them to slip through the cracks. So let it be me and not them who asks, who pushes or even pleads with someone who is in a special position to help us with their name and reputation to help us do the work of the Foundation.”
Anyone interested in donation to the foundation or attending the celebrity-attended annual dinner can contact the foundation or purchase tickets directly at
www.dratlasfoundation.com/events/teddy-dinner/
