FNF’s Tessitore, Atlas reflect on New York state roots, Mike Tyson & more

January through August, ESPN’s Friday Night Fights airs from different locations nationwide, highlighting established fighters and rising stars from around the globe.

Recently, ESPN’s boxing showcase visited the Capital District in upstate New York for a telecast at the Times Union Center in Albany.

The boxing scene in upstate New York has a rich history and a passionate fan base.

Friday Night Fights’ boxing analyst Teddy Atlas and blow-by-blow commentator Joe Tessitore are both part of that history.

Atlas was both a fighter and a trainer in Catskill, N.Y. He won the Adirondack Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Tournament in 1976 as a fighter, and he trained fighters like former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson with Cus D’Amato.

Tessitore grew up in upstate N.Y. and worked at WRGB, the CBS affiliate in Albany (read more about Tessitore’s ties to upstate NY from Albany Times Union sports reporter Pete Dougherty here).

Front Row caught up with Tessitore and Atlas in their old stomping grounds. In the video above, you’ll see Atlas recall his memories as a trainer at Cus D’Amato’s Catskill Boxing Club. Tessitore recalls the 1980s’-era Tyson — check out the vintage footage.

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