"It wasn't like Mike was coming there with FOX cameras and some of the other affiliations that he has going on. He came in as himself to say what he said, and at the end of the day, I recognized that, and like I just said, I think we have accountability to be responsible for our actions and we also have the responsibility as human beings to look at somebody that made a mistake and consider where they are coming from and consider that they are human, and if they really mean what they say. And if they do, you know what? Mistakes are a part of being a human being, just like chasing dreams and standing up for your family. It's all part of being a responsible human being; well, forgiving somebody at the right time. And I think that now was probably the right time," stated ESPN commentator and world-class trainer Teddy Atlas, who shared his thoughts on the recent reunion he had with former pupil and former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Check it out!
PC: One of the most talked about things from a busy weekend of boxing is the fact that Mike Tyson approached you during his promotional debut at the season finale of Friday Night Fights and asked you to forgive him. You seem like a guy that's all about accountability and behaving like a man. You felt Mike reached both of those standards. Was that the only thing you had been looking for all of these years to forgive Mike?
TA: Yeah! Anytime somebody does something wrong, and in this case seriously wrong, and then time goes by and they admit that they are wrong and they take responsibility for that mistake, I think it's a reason to at least consider forgiving them. And you don't have to. You don't have to forgive anyone; you don't have to do anything, but I think when a person makes a step to say that they were wrong and they come to you, it gives you a reason to look at what they are doing and to think that they have looked at what they have done and that they have taken accountability for what they have done and responsibility for what they have done and they wished that they didn't. I think as a human being, you thenÂ…just like they have to be accountable for what they do when they do it, we all have to make smart choices and I think at that point, it turns on you a little bit. Then as a human being, you have to give thought on what I just said. You have to give thought of, okay, do they deserve a second chance and do they deserve for me to be accepting of what they are saying, because everyone can make mistakes. I think usually the answer is yes. I feltÂ…obviously I was not expecting it, but at the end of the day, that's how I felt. I thought he was sincere. And in those kind of cases, that's the first thing. Why is the person doing it? Is it for himself and that he wants to make amends and because it is important? There were no TV cameras; ESPN obviously, and there was nothing we could do about that because we were on ESPN, but I think it was important for it to be sincere and as positive as possible. I didn't expect it, but it wasn't like Mike was coming there with FOX cameras and some of the other affiliations that he has going on. He came in as himself to say what he said, and at the end of the day, I recognized that, and like I just said, I think we have accountability to be responsible for our actions and we also have the responsibility as human beings to look at somebody that made a mistake and consider where they are coming from and consider that they are human, and if they really mean what they say. And if they do, you know what? Mistakes are a part of being a human being, just like chasing dreams and standing up for your family. It's all part of being a responsible human being; well, forgiving somebody at the right time. And I think that now was probably the right time.
PC: You guys embraced and you said something to him. Was it just you wishing him good luck in life or did you say more than that to Mike?
TA: No, it was just a case ofÂ…I didn't have much to say because, at that point, I was caught by surprise to be honest and I wasn't prepared for the moment. Not that you could be prepared for it, but I wasn't. I just listened to him, and for me, I was concentrating on observing in my mind where he was coming from and how sincere it was. And I thought it was sincere and I just listened to the words, and the words were basically I was wrong and I'm sorry. That's it and that's all you can ask for. I think those two different sentences, "I was wrong" and "I'm sorry", were sincere. At that point, he asked if he could hug me and I said, "Yeah!" We hugged and I think at that point, I believe I said, "Take care of yourself."
BE SURE TO CHECK BACK SOON FOR MUCH MORE WITH TEDDY ATLAS!
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]