Atlas and Povetkin Split?

**GrantZilla** Wed Jan 18, 2012 10:49 pm

According to his manager, Vladimir Khrunov, WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin is “expecting his mentor and coach Teddy Atlas to arrive in Moscow in the coming days’’ to begin preparations for a Feb. 25 title defense, according to a report in a Moscow newspaper. He’s going to have a long wait.

Khrunov knows that is not going to happen and Povetkin should know as well because when the marriage of the former Olympic gold medalist and Atlas began 2 ½ years ago the deal always was that Povetkin would train in the United States during those months when Atlas was working Friday Night Fights for ESPN.

Khrunov and Povetkin know it because they agreed to it, fully understanding Atlas could not put his full-time job as an analyst on the long-running ESPN2 boxing series at risk by going off to Russia for two months at a time in the midst of ESPN’s 40-fight broadcasting schedule.

Povetkin has, in the past, traveled to New Jersey to train but has never liked being in the United States for extended periods. Apparently now that he’s won the WBA title he and Khrunov have decided he no longer has to be a man of his word, something that is so often a part of the treacherous world of boxing that Atlas was reluctant to return to training fighters when this all began in July, 2009.

There’s nothing I can do,’’ Atlas said. “They know that. It’s very disappointing. I like the fighter but a man has to stand by his word. The agreement was that I would go to Russia to train him when Friday Night Fights was dark and he would come to New York to train when I was working. That was what we both agreed to and both sides know it.

“ESPN is my main job. I have an obligation to ESPN that I have to fulfill and I intend to fulfill it. Povetkin has an obligation too but I’m being told he doesn’t want to come to the U.S. Who knows what they’re actually telling him? That I don’t know.

“All I know is I can’t go to Russia. ESPN is how I feed my family. Vlad knows that. The fighter knows that. This kind of stuff is why I stopped training fighters. I’m so tired of this kind of thing. I don’t understand why people in this sport can’t keep their word.’’

Now it is up to Alexander Povetkin (23-0, 17 KO) to decide if he still wants the man who turned him into a champion in his corner…and, more importantly, if he’s a man who stands by his word.

http://tinyurl.com/7n7umgb

Shaun Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:09 am

You seem like an Atlas hater Grant. Are you? I'm not a fan of Atlas. I appreciate his passion to the sport, but he seems to irritate me more than entertain me.

**gomez1012** Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:16 am

**GrantZilla** Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:27 pm

Shaun wrote:You seem like an Atlas hater Grant. Are you? I'm not a fan of Atlas. I appreciate his passion to the sport, but he seems to irritate me more than entertain me.

I didn't mind Atlas. Then he started with whole BS inside information about email that Pac sent out admitting he was on roids. Then he trails Povetkin and does everything he bitches about on FNF

Guest Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:49 pm

best thing that could happen to povetkin's career.

**Tobe** Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:46 am

Canvas wrote:best thing that could happen to povetkin's career.

I have a soft spot for Teddy in a cartoon-character sort of way, but I have to agree. Povetkin totally regressed during his time with Atlas; how much of that is Teddy's fault it's hard to say, but this guy was on a fast track early in his career and has looked very average in his last couple of fights. And "average" for today's heavies = pretty damn bad.

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