Teddy Atlas No Longer Calling ESPN Boxing Fights
Teddy Atlas’ wild antics on ESPN has led the network to remove him from its boxing broadcasting team.
The ESPN boxing analyst spoke to the LA Times and confirmed that he will no longer work ESPN boxing telecasts as a broadcaster, but didn’t reveal too much about the decision.
“Doesn’t look like it, at least from what I understand is the decision. It wasn’t my decision. I can’t really talk about it [more] because I’m under contract. I always try to be up-front and honest. I’m not able to speak about it. I don’t mean to be vague or be to the point, because that’s what I like to be and always try to be, whether people like it or not,” Atlas said.
According to reports, Atlas’ behavior in the aftermath of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn fight and the recent Top Rank Boxing on ESPN broadcast in Fresno were the final straws in taking Atlas off of broadcasting duties. In the case of the Pacquiao vs. Horn fight, Atlas was outraged at the controversial decision win for Horn, even going as far as to tell Horn to his face that he didn’t deserve the win in the middle of a live interview on ESPN. In the Top Rank Boxing event, Atlas engaged in an argument with ESPN’s latest boxing hire Mark Kriegel and questioned his credentials.
Atlas didn’t work the Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux ESPN telecast and was used in per and post-fight segments as an extra analyst. The broadcast team for that December 9 fight was Kriegel, Joe Tessitore and Timothy Bradley. Atlas has been with the company for more than two decades and still has three years left on his current ESPN contract.
