Cus D'Amato

Constantine "Cus" D'Amato (January 17, 1908 – November 4, 1985) was an American boxing manager and trainer who handled the careers of Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres, and Mike Tyson. Several successful boxing trainers, including Teddy Atlas, Kevin Rooney, and Joe Fariello, were tutored by D'Amato.

D'Amato was born in Bronx, New York on January 17, 1908. When he was 22, he opened the Empire Sporting Club with Jack Barrow at the Gramercy Gym. D'Amato lived in the gym for years, waiting for a champion to walk in. He came close several times, but would always lose his fighters to the "connected" managers. One fighter "discovered" by D'Amato, but who went on to become middleweight champion of the world under the helm of other trainers and managers was Rocky Graziano.

Floyd Patterson

After years of waiting, a shy, reclusive boy walked into his gym one day and announced he wanted to be a fighter. The boy was Floyd Patterson. Under D'Amato's training and guidance, Patterson captured the Olympic middleweight gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki games. D'Amato then guided Patterson through the professional ranks. Patterson gained weight and ultimately became a heavyweight.

D'Amato skillfully maneuvered Patterson into fighting for the title vacated by the legendary Rocky Marciano. In an elimination bout against Archie Moore, D'Amato's fighter won the heavyweight championship of the world.

D'Amato continued to skillfully handle Patterson's career and carefully selected his opponents to earn the most money with the least risk. This resulted in title defenses against the likes of Roy "Cut N' Shoot" Harris, Brian London, Tom McNeely and Olympic champion Pete Rademacher, in his very first pro bout. Meanwhile legitimate challengers, like Eddie Machen, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams were by-passed. D'Amato also avoided matching Patterson with Sonny Liston, citing Liston's underworld connections, until Patterson finally overruled him and accepted the match.

D'Amato also confronted the seamy side of boxing politics, and decided, along with his friend Howard Cosell, to thwart the International Boxing Club of New York (IBC). Suspicious to the point of paranoia, D'Amato refused to match his fighter in any bout promoted by the powerful but corrupt IBC. The IBC was eventually found to be in violation of anti-trust laws and was dissolved.

Patterson and D'Amato split after Patterson's second consecutive one round KO loss to Sonny Liston, although his influence over the champion had begun to greatly diminish before then.

Floyd Patterson

José Torres

D'Amato also handled the career of José Torres. Torres won the light heavyweight championship of the world.

Jose "Chegui" Torres

Mike Tyson

After Patterson's and Torres's careers had ended, D'Amato worked in relative obscurity. He eventually moved to Catskill, New York, where he opened a gym.

It was there that he met and began to work with the future heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, who was in a nearby reform school. He took Tyson under his wing and adopted him, and trained him over the next few years, teaching him all the techniques and movements a stocky heavyweight could use. Despite Tyson's small size he soon became a superb heavyweight contender. D'Amato was assisted by Teddy Atlas, who later became a respected trainer himself. D'Amato died shortly before Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight titleholder in history.

Footage of D'Amato can be seen in Tyson (film), a documentary about Tyson, who in extended interviews credits D'Amato with turning his life around. D'Amato also encouraged Tyson to use the peek-a-boo approach style of boxing, where the hands are placed in front of the boxers face for more protection.

Iron-Mike Tyson