Like the rest of the nation watching ESPN2's 'Friday Night Fights' this past Friday, Teddy Atlas couldn't believe what he had just seen. Just seconds after Richard Grant won a dreary 10-round decision over James Butler, Butler would slug Grant with his un-gloved right hand as Grant would come over to shake his hand after the scorecards were read. Grant, dazed and disorientated would fall to the canvas, blood pouring out of his mouth profusely. It was as shocking as it was brutal.

"I was stunned," said Atlas, who was calling the action ringside along with his long-time partner Bob Papa. "You could hear it in my voice calling it. I just saw him moving all of a sudden, I had to think for a second because I wanted to be sure that what I was about to say was accurate. Because it was so extraordinary and shocking. There was a sense of hesitation to make sure you're being responsible before you make a statement that this person is really doing this. Your mind wants to make sure that you're accurate in what you're about to state on television."

"It's got to be one of the most disgraceful and despicable acts that I've seen," stated Atlas, who screamed along with Papa, that Butler should be arrested and banned from ever fighting on their network again. "If you're just sticking with boxing, I'd say it's in the top three. You've had situations with Tyson and the ear biting, but for all the other elements that were present with this, it puts it at one of the worst.

"Because you had the fight stopped already, there was nothing going on in terms of getting Butler to that emotional state or anything. There were a few minutes to contemplate what he was going to do, the gloves were off and the other guy was hanging out his arm to embrace him.

"So with all those elements added to it, it makes it very despicable and cowardly. And I don't want to hear that 'It's another black eye on boxing' because there are a lot of good people in boxing, it's just a bad statement on that individual."

So what happens to Butler? Butler will be facing felony assault charges and will quite possibly be facing some time behind bars. But what about his future in the ring? Does he have one? Is a lifetime ban in order?

"That's an interesting question," pondered Lou DiBella, who put on the show this past Friday night at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. "On its own merits in a vacuum, no I don't think that a lifetime ban would be too tough. But in the world of boxing, where people have committed acts that have to be classified similarly and gotten away with them, I don't think Butler should be treated in a totally disparate manner. That's the reason I'm not really sure."

The two most used examples used to compare the actions of Butler are Tyson's ear-biting against Evander Holyfield and Zab Judah's recent meltdown against referee Jay Nady after his knockout loss to Kostya Tszyu.

But what seems to put Butler's action in a class by itself is the premeditation of his act compared to the other two. Yes, what Tyson and Judah did were terrible in their own right, but they seemed to come in the heat of the moment and they didn't put a life in peril.

DiBella admits that Butler's sucker-punch was the lowest of the low.

"Tyson bites a guys ear off, Judah went crazy in the ring, but when you hit a guy flush with your hand wrapped after a fight and the guy is defenseless and trying to shake your hand -- you can kill him. And I think that might be the difference."

What's interesting is how this will effect Judah's disciplinary hearing for his actions against Nady on November 3rd. Judah, is scheduled to be in Reno, Nevada on Friday for his hearing in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Will Judah's penalties be made harsher in light of the recent events? Will he be made an example of to curb further shenanigans?

Marc Ratner, Executive Director of the NSAC, doesn't seem to feel that way. Ratner, was in Albuquerque, New Mexico this past Friday night, as he was on the officiating crew for the gridiron matchup between New Mexico and New Mexico St. Ratner, feels that the degree of the infractions differs greatly.

"I think that they're are two completely separate incidents," said Ratner, from his office in Las Vegas. "First of all, as a division-one football official, the first thing you learn is that from Pop Warner on, that you don't touch the official. But to premeditate hitting a fellow fighter is absolutely as wrong and in this case he really hit him and knocked him out. It's a much different circumstance, they're two separate incidents and I don't think that will come into play in the hearing for Zab what so ever."

What this latest incident is really like is the press conference in which Riddick Bowe hit an unsuspecting Larry Donald shortly before their fight in 1994. Amazingly enough, the NSAC was powerless to discipline Bowe at that time.

"Here's the reason why the commission couldn't," explained Ratner. "The press conference, very strangely enough was at the Forum in Inglewood, California, not in Nevada, neither guy was licensed here until they got here. That incident I believe happened on a Monday, they didn't get here until Wednesday. We certainly separated the weigh-in and stuff like that, but there was nothing legally I could do because they weren't licensed at the time that happened."

In a similar situation last year, Ross Thompson would hit Fernando Vargas at their weigh-in. Ratner would fine Thompson $10,000.

This is the first big test for the 'new' NYSAC led by chairman Ray Kelly, who is also the police commissioner for the state.

"I'm thankful that Ray Kelly is the commissioner of New York," stated Atlas. "If this had to happen, I'm glad to say it was in this state. I dread to think what might or what might have not been done if it was in one of those places where the people would have hesitated about doing anything and the proper action wouldn't have been made."

Ratner, says that strict action must be taken and that his state along with all the others will stand behind whatever Kelly decides.

"You have to do something legally because there will always be some state or some place that will let him fight before he should," said Ratner. "And I think that would be wrong. I know the New York commission will take a strong stand here and the other states will honor whatever they do."

With the advent of the Muhammad Ali Bill and the Professional Boxers Safety Act, states must honor other states' suspensions and disciplinary rulings. Many have called for a lifetime ban, but with the short nature of a fighter's career, a lengthy ban can effectively end a career.

"For a fighter, three years can be a like a lifetime," said DiBella. "The point I'm making is that they can give him a harsh sentence without making it in effect a life sentence."

Larry Merchant of HBO, isn't necessarily in favor of a lifetime suspension, he feels that Butler may have in effect killed his own career. "I think that's very rare in boxing and you take a kid like that and you suspend him for 18 months or whatever, the act is so bad that he may never overcome it. I don't know if you want to destroy the kid's livelihood and hope. But he needs to be punished and an example has to be set."

Even if Butler is allowed to box again soon, he still may have problems finding work. DiBella stated that he would never again use Butler on any of his shows and that thought is echoed by others in the promotional business.

"Hell no!" said the V.P. of America Presents, Fred Sternburg. "That was just heinous what he did and he deserved everything he's received already and some. I'm just glad there was a police commissioner that was the head of the New York commission at that time. It was the ultimate cheap shot and to say that we'd never use him is an understatement. Boxing should have no association with that kind of trash." SATURDAY SEMINAR

OK, now we get to talk about some of the positive things in the sport and one of them happens this Saturday in the heart of New York City.

A boxing seminar based on the 'Ringside and Training Principles' book published by the Nevada State Athletic Commission will take place at the ESPN Zone from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Dr. Margaret Goodman, who is a ringside physician in Nevada and one of the spearheads for 'Ringside and Training Principles', described the event (which was originally scheduled for Sept. 15th) in an email she sent to MaxBoxing.

"We are conducting the first ever boxing seminar for boxers! The idea stems from the book. We continually try to educate ourselves and miss the actual one that needs to know the facts... the fighters!

"Too often fighters are kept in the dark about proper training measures, how to protect their safety and their finances. How to decide if boxing is the right career for them, how to market themselves with the press and public, and how to channel boxing into something else.

"I believe and Flip Homansky believes that there are many good things that boxing can do for an individual and all we hear are the bad things. Boxing can promote self-discipline, good health, strong-minded individuals, with an education like no other... BUT, what is missing is the exchange of proper information that needs to pass from experts in the sport to the fighter.

"The seminar will be separated into two parts: the first part will be short discussions on various topics conducted by Teddy Atlas, Sean O'Grady, Flip Homansky and myself. We will also have Ray Kelly speak. The second part is a question for fighters. The panel includes: the same as above plus Papa Trinidad, Jack Newfield and Ron Borges.

"I really want the fighters to come... I believe that after they are exposed to this kind of setting they will at least figure out the right questions to ask of others and themselves... if we don't begin to ask the right questions we will never find the right answers.

"It is kindly being sponsored by Everlast. No one is being compensated and are donating their time. The fighters will receive free gifts, a healthy breakfast and a book." FINAL FLURRIES

Goodman mentioned that Trinidad Sr. wanted to do a segment on hand wraps using Fres Oquendo (who will be in town for his fight against David Izon) as his example... Hmmm, wonder why?... Will they do a segment on post-fight etiquette?