“He Came Down With the Knife, and He Cut Me”: Mike Tyson’s Former Trainer Explains Violent Knife Confrontation That Gave 400 Stitches on His Face

“He stepped back and spun, like a matador, slashing the side of my face,” Teddy Atlas wrote in his biography about the altercation that left him with 400 stitches. The legendary trainer, most known for training Mike Tyson during his early years in the sport, has had his own share of rebellious youth. One notable incident from that time left him with a scar on the left side of his face.

It took 200 stitches on the inside and 200 on the outside to fix the damage inflicted by a so-called “007” knife. While appearing in an interview shared on YouTube on 8 January, the New Yorker described the retelling of the incident in vivid detail. 

Former trainer of Mike Tyson, Teddy Atlas, claims it all began with road rage

During the interview with Vlad TV, the reporter brought up Atlas’ move to the neighborhood of Stapleton, Staten Island, where the incident unfolded. So, Mike Tyson’s former trainer suggested, “I didn’t go down to Stapleton, and then a knife showed up and stabbed me in the face.” Instead, Atlas claimed he was a regular in the area for years before the attack.

Detailing how it all began, Atlas claimed he was with an older friend, Billy, with whom he had become extremely close. “He was driving the car, and we got cut off; we cut them off back. Then they cut us off back and all that stupid stuff,” said Atlas. Later, Atlas claims both parties got out of their cars and immediately started fighting.

“I was doing what you’re supposed to do. I was hitting people that were coming at me in those kinds of circumstances,” Atlas said. The Staten Island native claimed one of the guys he and his friend were fighting pulled out a ‘007’ knife that he recognized very well. “I remember friends of mine would show me how to flick it. They were all into flicking it open; that was the thing about the 007,” Atlas said.

Also Read: Regret Is a Solitary Sentence: While Revealing the Thing He Is Most Afraid Of, Teddy Atlas Makes a Hard-Hitting Statement

Atlas recollects upon seeing the knife, he had two thoughts in his mind: “You’re gonna try to get out of there, or you’re going to do something else.” The boxing trainer opted for the latter, claiming it wasn’t for the sake of being brave. Rather, it was his instinct. He then contemplated his next move, whether to stay still or try to get him before he did anything. 

Again, Atlas chose the latter, choosing to attack the guy with the knife first and disarm him. However, things did not go as planned, resulting in him getting that nasty scar. “He came down with the knife, and he cut me. Obviously, we know that. That was [the] situation up to that point,” Atlas told the host.

Decades after the incident left Atlas with a distinctive scar on his face, the legendary boxing trainer revisits the incident that happened in his youth. It shows how everyone struggles through diversities, molding themselves into the person – people know today! What did you think of Atlas’ story?

Watch This Story: All You Need To Know About the Time Mike Tyson Fought a Gangster