Al Bernstein On Boxing: Sorry To Disagree, But...

[Fenster]

Well after reading about it I can see were Teddy is coming from. How would you like it if you have trained champions and someone from god knows where on the internet and half your age tells you how to train fighter's. Teddy is old school he really doesn't know much about the internet he is used to that close group circle of sportswriter's that came to him before and after his fight's and asked him and his fighter's questions. Just imagine talking with say Howard Cossell, Gil Clancy, Don Dunphy, Larry Merchant and then BAM you have fucking Max Kellerman critiquqing your training abilities and fighter's accomplishments. Someone who really just gets into the game by naming names like Slapsie Maxie Roosenbloom etc without ever really studying the fight films and studying fighter's.

Another reason I can understand Teddy's frustration is simply the reason of the lifestyle he has had to live and then having some yuppie punk driving around a Beamer from their mommy and daddy's money telling him what is wrong with the sport of boxing and never been in an actual boxing match or street fight in their life. These people have no idea what it's like to come up from poverty through the ranking's and just for these asshole web writer's to call them a bum when they lose a big fight when they themselves would never dare to lace em' up and get in the ring.

Maybe I am getting off track a bit here but I notice alot of boxing bloggers , web writer's and so on to just put fighter's down without ever really getting a feel of going to one of these fight's and sitting there in press row asking the fighter's questions about the upcoming bout or post fight interviews. They can all simply write what they want, whenever they want and put down whoever without ever meeting face to face with any of the fighter's or trainer's on their websites.

Next time you're calling David Haye a "pussy" or "coward" I hope you think of what you wrote here.

[The Fightfan]

Well after reading about it I can see were Teddy is coming from. How would you like it if you have trained champions and someone from god knows where on the internet and half your age tells you how to train fighter's. Teddy is old school he really doesn't know much about the internet he is used to that close group circle of sportswriter's that came to him before and after his fight's and asked him and his fighter's questions. Just imagine talking with say Howard Cossell, Gil Clancy, Don Dunphy, Larry Merchant and then BAM you have fucking Max Kellerman critiquqing your training abilities and fighter's accomplishments. Someone who really just gets into the game by naming names like Slapsie Maxie Roosenbloom etc without ever really studying the fight films and studying fighter's.

Another reason I can understand Teddy's frustration is simply the reason of the lifestyle he has had to live and then having some yuppie punk driving around a Beamer from their mommy and daddy's money telling him what is wrong with the sport of boxing and never been in an actual boxing match or street fight in their life. These people have no idea what it's like to come up from poverty through the ranking's and just for these asshole web writer's to call them a bum when they lose a big fight when they themselves would never dare to lace em' up and get in the ring.

Maybe I am getting off track a bit here but I notice alot of boxing bloggers , web writer's and so on to just put fighter's down without ever really getting a feel of going to one of these fight's and sitting there in press row asking the fighter's questions about the upcoming bout or post fight interviews. They can all simply write what they want, whenever they want and put down whoever without ever meeting face to face with any of the fighter's or trainer's on their websites.

Next time you're calling David Haye a "pussy" or "coward" I hope you think of what you wrote here.

There is a difference in when I call Haye a pussy. He has to actually fight before I stop calling him a pussy or a coward.

I will also add I have never driven a Beamer I work 40 hrs week have my own house (not from mommy and daddy) I've actually sparred with Tim Witherpoon an ex heavyweight champion and last week with Chazz Witherspoon for his fight last Saturday in which he won by TKO in 2. I have also fought in the ring a couple of fight's. I am not saying I am entitled to talk shit about Haye but when a man can do nothing but sling shit and call the heavyweight division a joke and fight absolutely nobody. You have to be able to look at him and say What have you done besides bow out of a heavyweight championship fight twice and lie to your fans by bitching about a back injury.

[Fenster]

Well after reading about it I can see were Teddy is coming from. How would you like it if you have trained champions and someone from god knows where on the internet and half your age tells you how to train fighter's. Teddy is old school he really doesn't know much about the internet he is used to that close group circle of sportswriter's that came to him before and after his fight's and asked him and his fighter's questions. Just imagine talking with say Howard Cossell, Gil Clancy, Don Dunphy, Larry Merchant and then BAM you have fucking Max Kellerman critiquqing your training abilities and fighter's accomplishments. Someone who really just gets into the game by naming names like Slapsie Maxie Roosenbloom etc without ever really studying the fight films and studying fighter's.

Another reason I can understand Teddy's frustration is simply the reason of the lifestyle he has had to live and then having some yuppie punk driving around a Beamer from their mommy and daddy's money telling him what is wrong with the sport of boxing and never been in an actual boxing match or street fight in their life. These people have no idea what it's like to come up from poverty through the ranking's and just for these asshole web writer's to call them a bum when they lose a big fight when they themselves would never dare to lace em' up and get in the ring.

Maybe I am getting off track a bit here but I notice alot of boxing bloggers , web writer's and so on to just put fighter's down without ever really getting a feel of going to one of these fight's and sitting there in press row asking the fighter's questions about the upcoming bout or post fight interviews. They can all simply write what they want, whenever they want and put down whoever without ever meeting face to face with any of the fighter's or trainer's on their websites.

Next time you're calling David Haye a "pussy" or "coward" I hope you think of what you wrote here.

There is a difference in when I call Haye a pussy. He has to actually fight before I stop calling him a pussy or a coward.

I will also add I have never driven a Beamer I work 40 hrs week have my own house (not from mommy and daddy) I've actually sparred with Tim Witherpoon an ex heavyweight champion and last week with Chazz Witherspoon for his fight last Saturday in which he won by TKO in 2. I have also fought in the ring a couple of fight's. I am not saying I am entitled to talk shit about Haye but when a man can do nothing but sling shit and call the heavyweight division a joke and fight absolutely nobody. You have to be able to look at him and say What have you done besides bow out of a heavyweight championship fight twice and lie to your fans by bitching about a back injury.

Hmm.. what you're saying is a bit inconsistent/hypocritical.

Haye comes from a council estate in south-east London (light-years from any sliver spoon treatment), has been boxing since he was nine, won a world amateur silver medal and became the undisputed world cruiserweight champion.

Surely a man with the lower level ring experience you've had respects that?

He has a big mouth. It's part of selling a fight. You must understand that too, right?

[The Fightfan]

Next time you're calling David Haye a "pussy" or "coward" I hope you think of what you wrote here.

There is a difference in when I call Haye a pussy. He has to actually fight before I stop calling him a pussy or a coward.

I will also add I have never driven a Beamer I work 40 hrs week have my own house (not from mommy and daddy) I've actually sparred with Tim Witherpoon an ex heavyweight champion and last week with Chazz Witherspoon for his fight last Saturday in which he won by TKO in 2. I have also fought in the ring a couple of fight's. I am not saying I am entitled to talk shit about Haye but when a man can do nothing but sling shit and call the heavyweight division a joke and fight absolutely nobody. You have to be able to look at him and say What have you done besides bow out of a heavyweight championship fight twice and lie to your fans by bitching about a back injury.

Hmm.. what you're saying is a bit inconsistent/hypocritical.

Haye comes from a council estate in south-east London (light-years from any sliver spoon treatment), has been boxing since he was nine, won a world amateur silver medal and became the undisputed world cruiserweight champion.

Surely a man with the lower level ring experience you've had respects that?

He has a big mouth. It's part of selling a fight. You must understand that too, right?

Hey my man this started simply as a Bernstein disagreement but like many Haye phanatics do. You have flipped this discussion upside down inside out and made it about Haye. I simply don't like Haye for what he did. I haven't knocked him for his talent I simply do not like him as a person or of him calling out the Klitschko's and then tuck tail run and hide. Then say it was a back injury oh wait it was about him not getting paid enough. That's kids stuff. I hated Tyson but at least when he called his man out he had the balls to fight them.

[Fenster]

There is a difference in when I call Haye a pussy. He has to actually fight before I stop calling him a pussy or a coward.

I will also add I have never driven a Beamer I work 40 hrs week have my own house (not from mommy and daddy) I've actually sparred with Tim Witherpoon an ex heavyweight champion and last week with Chazz Witherspoon for his fight last Saturday in which he won by TKO in 2. I have also fought in the ring a couple of fight's. I am not saying I am entitled to talk shit about Haye but when a man can do nothing but sling shit and call the heavyweight division a joke and fight absolutely nobody. You have to be able to look at him and say What have you done besides bow out of a heavyweight championship fight twice and lie to your fans by bitching about a back injury.

Hmm.. what you're saying is a bit inconsistent/hypocritical.

Haye comes from a council estate in south-east London (light-years from any sliver spoon treatment), has been boxing since he was nine, won a world amateur silver medal and became the undisputed world cruiserweight champion.

Surely a man with the lower level ring experience you've had respects that?

He has a big mouth. It's part of selling a fight. You must understand that too, right?

Hey my man this started simply as a Bernstein disagreement but like many Haye phanatics do. You have flipped this discussion upside down inside out and made it about Haye. I simply don't like Haye for what he did. I haven't knocked him for his talent I simply do not like him as a person or of him calling out the Klitschko's and then tuck tail run and hide. Then say it was a back injury oh wait it was about him not getting paid enough. That's kids stuff. I hated Tyson but at least when he called his man out he had the balls to fight them.

Phanatics? .. hold up you mean fanatic? That had me stumped for a second

I don't care whether you like Haye or not. Your original post is a little hypocritical considering what you have written about him. You can't accuse people of unjustly slagging fighters off when you are guilty of the same, thats all.

No big deal.

[ruckspin]

Teddy Atlas is a comlpete bloody half wit, I mean he really is a cretinous moron. I'm absolutely fed up of his ridiculous analogies about rooms in his house. FFS, "he goes downstairs", "he's up in the utility room", "he doesn't want to spend too much time in the garage with the engine running", "If he doesn't put on the extractor fan whilst cooking curry in the kitchen, the observatory might be a little smelly bit later on".

He does it with other things too. He seems to come up with the most inapplicable, ludicrous metaphor for what he's seeing, then sticks to it resolutely and over-extends it, despite it being dubious to begin with.

There was an example in the Cloud-Woods fight on the weekend about cars, but they usually follow this sort of pattern, "Woods is like an old Mk V Jaguar, that's been down lots of roads and had years of racing. It didn't win every race, but it's reliable, durable and hard working. However, whenever it's raced in the USA, where it has to drive on the other side of the road, it's came up second best. Will Woods be able to fine tune his performance like the engine of this jaguar, and put the final application of turtle wax on it tonight, or will it be shipped back to the UK in deafeat? Or some stuff like that.

He also has a habit of making one or two rudimentary and bleeding obvious points like, "the guy that's got a 6 inch reach advantage wants to fight from the outside". He will then proceed to repeat this over and over and over again, ad nauseam, for the rest of the fight. He'll mention it every time the tall guy fights from the outside. He'll refer to it every time the tall guy gets dragged into a toe to toe brawl. He'll fill the breaks between rounds talking about whether or not the tall guy is or isn't doing what he reckons he should, accompanied by replays showing so much more, He'll sum up by either saying 1. The tall guy did what I said and won, or 2.The tall guy didn't do what I said and lost. The guy bloody repeats himself so much that I usually end up shouting at the TV screen or just turning down the volume.

[Kel]

Teddy Atlas is a comlpete bloody half wit, I mean he really is a cretinous moron. I'm absolutely fed up of his ridiculous analogies about rooms in his house. FFS, "he goes downstairs", "he's up in the utility room", "he doesn't want to spend too much time in the garage with the engine running", "If he doesn't put on the extractor fan whilst cooking curry in the kitchen, the observatory might be a little smelly bit later on".

He does it with other things too. He seems to come up with the most inapplicable, ludicrous metaphor for what he's seeing, then sticks to it resolutely and over-extends it, despite it being dubious to begin with.

There was an example in the Cloud-Woods fight on the weekend about cars, but they usually follow this sort of pattern, "Woods is like an old Mk V Jaguar, that's been down lots of roads and had years of racing. It didn't win every race, but it's reliable, durable and hard working. However, whenever it's raced in the USA, where it has to drive on the other side of the road, it's came up second best. Will Woods be able to fine tune his performance like the engine of this jaguar, and put the final application of turtle wax on it tonight, or will it be shipped back to the UK in deafeat? Or some stuff like that.

He also has a habit of making one or two rudimentary and bleeding obvious points like, "the guy that's got a 6 inch reach advantage wants to fight from the outside". He will then proceed to repeat this over and over and over again, ad nauseam, for the rest of the fight. He'll mention it every time the tall guy fights from the outside. He'll refer to it every time the tall guy gets dragged into a toe to toe brawl. He'll fill the breaks between rounds talking about whether or not the tall guy is or isn't doing what he reckons he should, accompanied by replays showing so much more, He'll sum up by either saying 1. The tall guy did what I said and won, or 2.The tall guy didn't do what I said and lost. The guy bloody repeats himself so much that I usually end up shouting at the TV screen or just turning down the volume.

Great first post Welcome!

[CFH]

Teddy Atlas is a comlpete bloody half wit, I mean he really is a cretinous moron. I'm absolutely fed up of his ridiculous analogies about rooms in his house. FFS, "he goes downstairs", "he's up in the utility room", "he doesn't want to spend too much time in the garage with the engine running", "If he doesn't put on the extractor fan whilst cooking curry in the kitchen, the observatory might be a little smelly bit later on".

He does it with other things too. He seems to come up with the most inapplicable, ludicrous metaphor for what he's seeing, then sticks to it resolutely and over-extends it, despite it being dubious to begin with.

There was an example in the Cloud-Woods fight on the weekend about cars, but they usually follow this sort of pattern, "Woods is like an old Mk V Jaguar, that's been down lots of roads and had years of racing. It didn't win every race, but it's reliable, durable and hard working. However, whenever it's raced in the USA, where it has to drive on the other side of the road, it's came up second best. Will Woods be able to fine tune his performance like the engine of this jaguar, and put the final application of turtle wax on it tonight, or will it be shipped back to the UK in deafeat? Or some stuff like that.

He also has a habit of making one or two rudimentary and bleeding obvious points like, "the guy that's got a 6 inch reach advantage wants to fight from the outside". He will then proceed to repeat this over and over and over again, ad nauseam, for the rest of the fight. He'll mention it every time the tall guy fights from the outside. He'll refer to it every time the tall guy gets dragged into a toe to toe brawl. He'll fill the breaks between rounds talking about whether or not the tall guy is or isn't doing what he reckons he should, accompanied by replays showing so much more, He'll sum up by either saying 1. The tall guy did what I said and won, or 2.The tall guy didn't do what I said and lost. The guy bloody repeats himself so much that I usually end up shouting at the TV screen or just turning down the volume.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

"Woods is like an old Mk V Jaguar, that's been down lots of roads and had years of racing. It didn't win every race, but it's reliable, durable and hard working. However, whenever it's raced in the USA, where it has to drive on the other side of the road, it's came up second best. Will Woods be able to fine tune his performance like the engine of this jaguar, and put the final application of turtle wax on it tonight, or will it be shipped back to the UK in deafeat? Or some stuff like that''.

Haha! See I actually think that's brilliant... Highly amusing.

[JazMerkin]

I think the criticism Teddy makes of writers on the net is valid, however, I feel its a problem that is far more widespread than simply internet writers. Many more mainstream writers seem to follow similar trends when writing often letting their personal interactions with a fighter influence how they write about them & their performances (looking at you, Dougie Fischer & Steve Kim).

It seems a trend that many of these guys choose to write in a style whereby they try & project some kind of literary tough guy image & all too often seem to believe that the odd decent article makes them the heir to the likes of Mailer & Schullberg. Maybe because boxing writers have been so good throughout history, possibly the best across the board compared to any other sport, that now that the standard has dropped it is more noticeable, particularly to someone who has been around as long as Teddy Atlas, hence his criticism.

[Saddo]

The truth is everyone is bias in some way... i have pissed off and lost many a good writer for not publishing somthing i seen as libelus for the site or even a boxers career.

i wish alot of other sites would follow suit, i also have a pet hate on sensationalist who do an interview with a boxer and twist a joke of the cuff comment and turn it into a serious fact or will make up any old shit just to get traffic. the boxing sites that do this i avoid like the plague.

for me its about promoting the sport i love... i aint here to call this or that promoter or fighter. i will however express my opinion on the forum on things but never on the main page of the site.

boxing need the internet BIGTIME... not everyone will get it and not everyone likes but regardless of if your for or against it, its here and its here for good... you need to use it or get left behind watching fights on your betamax.

btw that was a fantastic read Al

[The Fightfan]

Hmm.. what you're saying is a bit inconsistent/hypocritical.

Haye comes from a council estate in south-east London (light-years from any sliver spoon treatment), has been boxing since he was nine, won a world amateur silver medal and became the undisputed world cruiserweight champion.

Surely a man with the lower level ring experience you've had respects that?

He has a big mouth. It's part of selling a fight. You must understand that too, right?

Hey my man this started simply as a Bernstein disagreement but like many Haye phanatics do. You have flipped this discussion upside down inside out and made it about Haye. I simply don't like Haye for what he did. I haven't knocked him for his talent I simply do not like him as a person or of him calling out the Klitschko's and then tuck tail run and hide. Then say it was a back injury oh wait it was about him not getting paid enough. That's kids stuff. I hated Tyson but at least when he called his man out he had the balls to fight them.

Phanatics? .. hold up you mean fanatic? That had me stumped for a second

I don't care whether you like Haye or not. Your original post is a little hypocritical considering what you have written about him. You can't accuse people of unjustly slagging fighters off when you are guilty of the same, thats all.

No big deal.

Sorry man I was in a Phillies Phanatic state of mind. My original post also had nothing to do with me. I am trying possibly to think along the lines of Teddy Atlas and I could easily see him saying some of thing's I had mentioned.