Cus d amato

By Richard Giaquinto. No one else achieved such success. A pugilistic genius, Cus used the values from his Italian heritage to change the lives of many troubled kids. Cus had three brothers, Rocco, cus d amato, Gerald, and Anthony; and during his youth, he considered entering the priesthood.

He was a proponent of the peek-a-boo style of boxing, in which the fighter holds his gloves close to his cheeks and pulls his arms tight against his torso, which was criticized by some because it was believed that an efficient attack could not be launched from it. His father delivered ice and coal in the Bronx using a horse and cart. At a young age, D'Amato became very involved and interested in Catholicism , and even considered becoming a priest during his youth. He had a brief career as an amateur boxer, fighting as a featherweight and lightweight, but was unable to get a professional license because of an eye injury he had suffered in a street fight. Despite having an abusive father, Cus stated in an interview that he did not hold any grudges because the beatings made him a better and more disciplined man. According to D'Amato, he spent his time at the gym waiting for a "champion", but his best fighters were routinely poached by "connected" managers.

Cus d amato

D'Amato has received critical acclaim for his work in the sport and is regarded as one of the greatest trainers of all time. The trainer was born into an Italian-American family in New York and grew up as one of five brothers in his family. D'Amato initially learned how to fight on the streets, much like Freddie Roach before having a short and brief boxing career at featherweight and lightweight and then opening his own boxing club called Gramercy Gym in D'Amato began learning his trade by working with Patterson after spotting his Olympic success at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Working together, the 'Gentleman of Boxing' went on to become world heavyweight champion in Patterson reigned as world champion until his defeat to Sonny Liston in D'Amato is best known for training Tyson - one of the most iconic heavyweight fighters in the history of the division. The fighter won his first world championship the following year after beating Trevor Berbick, dedicating his belt to his 'father figure' D'Amato. Tyson's hugely successful, and controversial career, ended in following back-to-back defeats. He had a record of 44 KOs in a career that spanned three decades. The New Yorker was heavily influential in the creation of the peek-a-boo fighting style. His influence was obvious on all of his fighters with all of them performing the technique to their advantage in fights. The style involves defensive positioning where the hands are kept close to the face and the arms are folded to the torso. It aims to provide extra protection from an opponent's punch whilst also landing a jab to the opponent's face easier. Although the style was largely successful for D'Amato's fighters, it was criticised by others in the sport who believed that an effective attack could not be launched from it.

Teddy Atlas worked with the fighters in the ring.

He saw an article on Cus training some promising kids, and he wanted Michael to check it out. She owned a large Victorian house on the western side of the Hudson River, where Cus lived with her and several of the professional boxers he was training. Camille was cooking ziti and a large pot of sauce. Cus led us to the living room that spanned the length of the house. Two fighters sat in the darkly paneled room watching Judge Judy on the television. As soon as Cus entered the room they stood up and came over and introduced themselves to us.

By Richard Giaquinto. No one else achieved such success. A pugilistic genius, Cus used the values from his Italian heritage to change the lives of many troubled kids. Cus had three brothers, Rocco, Gerald, and Anthony; and during his youth, he considered entering the priesthood. As they grew older, their Uncle Willy visited the family and set up round-robin boxing matches among Cus and his brothers. The boys would fight one another on a dirt floor and Cus reveled in the competitions. Gerry, who excelled in these matches, later became a professional featherweight boxer, and won several fights. Cus idolized his brother, even going so far as to quit school to follow in his footsteps. However, in , his dream of developing into a pro boxer took a severe blow when his right eye was damaged in a street fight with a drunkard from the neighborhood. Cus would later struggle on the amateur circuit, before turning his full attention to training and mentorship.

Cus d amato

Indeed, at a young age Cus became quite heavily involved and interested in Catholicism to the extent he even considered becoming a priest. Ultimately, he did not follow this path, choosing instead to become an amateur boxer where he fought at featherweight and lightweight. Cus was unable to obtain a professional license however due to an eye injury. An injury which allegedly occurred as a result of his involvement in a street fight. In , at the age of just 22, Cus and his partner Jack Barrow opened the Empire Sporting Club; the Gramercy boxing gym located at East 14th Street was intended to develop the potential of young fighters. The gym launched the careers of some of the greatest boxing legends of our time. Renowned for his uncompromising integrity and honesty, Cus refused to allow any of his fighters to enter any match promoted by the IBC. A decision vindicated when the group was later found guilty of conspiracy, extortion and violation of the anti-trust laws and subsequently dissolved in Thereafter, Cus guided Patterson through the notoriously difficult professional ranks and into a position for him to fight for a title vacated by one Rocky Marciano! Notably, he would also become the first Olympic gold medalist to win a professional Heavyweight title.

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D'Amato's most notable fighter is Tyson, who fought in the heavyweight division from to Finally, Cus, a loyal Capricorn, believed in astrology when working in his gyms. After dinner Cus heated some water and prepared instant coffee for himself and Michael and me. Botha Tyson vs. Although it meant bypassing many top challengers, D'Amato refused to match his fighter in any bout promoted by the powerful but corrupt IBC. D'Amato then guided Patterson through the professional ranks, maneuvering Patterson into fighting for the title vacated by Rocky Marciano. Main article: Floyd Patterson. I was with a Master and I was going to absorb everything he could teach me. He identified his mistakes and began training for a rematch. You would have thought he had won the Olympics, the way he strutted around the ring beating his chest. Cus loved to talk, or more accurately, loved to tell stories.

Tragically, only five of the eight children survived infancy; likewise, D'Amato's mother died when he was very young. He learned to box as a child from his father and an older brother.

At a young age, D'Amato became very involved and interested in Catholicism , and even considered becoming a priest during his youth. February 25, If he was able to land all of the punches in the correct order and not get confused, he moved on to a faster version. Despite having an abusive father, Cus stated in an interview that he did not hold any grudges because the beatings made him a better and more disciplined man. Cus trusted no one. Michael and I always worked as a two-person crew. The lightening speed with which Tyson could deliver a combination punch is attributable to this. Da Capo Press, New York, I lived for the good days, where we were in the zone and we shot what we needed and it was better and more surprising than anything we could hope for. Fighting is just like painting. He carried a knife with him folded into a newspaper. Although it meant bypassing many top challengers, D'Amato refused to match his fighter in any bout promoted by the powerful but corrupt IBC. Tyson vs. As a result, Cus had him try out for the Olympic Boxing team.