Teddy Atlas puts his money on Steve Forbes

ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas will call the Contender finale this evening with Friday Night Fights sidekick Joe Tessitore.

Atlas, who trained Michael Moorer to a heavyweight title in 1994 and is toiling as a cornerman for comebacking 42-year-old Henry Maske, checked in with TSS to offer his take on the finale.

“I go with Forbes. He’s smaller but more skilled, more well-rounded. He’s a former world champion, so he has the confidence. The other guy, Brewer, is bigger and comes close in hand speed. But Stevie has the edge in all around solidness and he can fight in or out. He likes the outside but if he has to he can go inside and he might find a home inside those long arms of Brewer.�

FYI Atlas originally turned down Maske, who left the ring following a 1996 loss to Virgil Hill, when asked to be his chief cornerman. But the German light heavyweight, who is supposed to meet Hill in March 2007 in Germany, hopped on a plane and came to the States. He convinced Atlas to take him on, and the two have been at camp in New Jersey for three weeks.

“He’s coming along very well,” Atlas said.