Boxing News 2016: Bradley's Trainer Teddy Atlas Says He Has No Personal Grudge Against Freddie Roach
Veteran boxing coach and Mike Tyson's former trainer Teddy Atlas says there is no personal grudge between him and fellow legendary mentor Freddie Roach.
Atlas and Roach will be coaching against each other on April 9, as their fighters, WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, meet in the center of the ring.
The said rubber match, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be Pacquiao's 66th and final fight before putting his entire focus on public service in the Philippines. Bradley's 147-pound title will be on the line.
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The two coaches are not exactly on friendly terms, given that they both hold headstrong personalities. But in a recent report by Keith Idec for Boxingscene, Atlas says he has no personal grudge against the seven-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year awardee.
Atlas says that part of his job and responsibility, as one of the analysts for ESPN's Friday Night Fights, was not to be friends with any other fighter or coach. He also adds that all he needed to do was to tell what he thought was the "truth about what was happening in the ring".
"That was my job," Atlas added, according to the Boxing Scene report. "I was getting paid good money for that. And I took that responsibility very seriously."
"I have nothing against Freddie," he assures people.
The 59-year-old trainer also stated that what he says are mainly based on his opinions, which are all rooted to 40 years of experience in the realm of boxing. Atlas began working as a commentator for NBC during the 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic games for boxing, which were held in Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London, respectively.
For ESPN, he took on the commentator duties for Friday Night Fights and Wednesday Night Fights, and most recently for Premier Boxing Champions fights. Atlas took over the coaching duties for Bradley when "Desert Storm" decided to cut ties with former trainer Joel Diaz.
The two first worked together in November, when Bradley picked up a ninth round TKO victory over Brandon Rios.
