Product review: Teddy Atlas '14 signature punches from the greats'

He is considered one of the best trainers in boxing, he has been lauded by, and inducted into, the International Boxing Hall of Fame for his work as an analyst, he has been boxing’s voice of accountability; he is a legend in the game.

However, Staten Island, New York’s Teddy Atlas has long claimed that his first love in training fighters is getting to be in the role as that of a teacher. So, when approached by Dynamicstriking.com to start a video series, teaching every aspect of the fight game, it seemed like a perfect fit; and it has been.

This is Atlas’ third release for Dynamicstriking.com after “The Fundamentals of Boxing” and “The Peekaboo Style of Boxing” in a series that is getting a lot of attention and rave reviews. The company promotes their video series as, “Instructional Videos from the Biggest Names and Best Teachers in the Sport” and they couldn’t have made a better choice than Atlas to cover all aspects of the fight game.

In his latest release, “14 Signature Punches from all the Greats”, Atlas dissects some of boxing’s most famous punches and the stamp they left on fighters, trainers and certainly fight fans. Who can think of Massachusetts legend Micky Ward without thinking about his devastating left hook to the liver, Pennsylvania heavyweight legend Larry Holmes’ piston-like jab or New York’s “Iron” Mike Tyson and his vicious uppercut?

These punches were effective offensive tools for the fighters that left a mark on both fighters and fans. In this latest video, Atlas with his wealth of world championship experience, along with his candor and humor, covers them all. In watching these punches, dissected by Atlas, it is amazing how many memories they bring back as the signature punches of these fighters and in many ways as an important part of the timeline of the sport.

The video is broken into 4 parts and after the introduction by Atlas, and a review of the history of these punches, Atlas delves into the individual punches themselves. Not only is it fun to take a trip through the history of the sport, and their association with these great punches, it is also clear why they were indeed so effective.

While, yes, there was, at times, some showmanship with certain punches, they were without question very effective offensive weapons in a bout. Atlas, knowing the physical dynamics of the body movement, and the actual structure and setup of the punches, expertly breaks them down from the planning, execution, and follow-up for the fighter, fan or trainer. This allows them to see exactly when, and how, the punch can be used to maximize its effectiveness. It is also interesting to note that so many of these punches were from an era in boxing when training techniques weren’t nearly as scientific as they are now.

However, like many sports, eras may change but the fundamentals of the sport do not. So, modern-day fight fans can see that many of the effective offensive tools that fighters possess today were indeed built off of the foundation of great punches and punchers from 50, 60 and 70 years ago, if not longer.

The video, punctuated by Atlas’ charming and viewer-friendly presentation, deftly and expertly examines the punches, and their application, in a boxing match. It is an informative and well-presented highlight reel of some of boxing’s best offensive weapons.

From Mike Tyson to Rocky Lockridge, from Ingemar Johannson to Manny Pacquiao, they are all here. Boxing, never a sport to shy away from a good nickname, drops some great ones with Rocky Marciano’s “Suzie Q”, Ingemar Johannson’s “Snake Charmer” and Jersey Joe Walcott’s, “The Walk-off”, among others. Informative, entertaining and the latest in what is turning out to be must-see videos for fighters, trainers and fans.

*****/5