World Boxing News reviews what happened to the tragic Denis Boytsov, a heavyweight contender compared to the great Mike Tyson.
It’s been more than eight years since Boytsov suffered traumatic head injuries, ending his boxing career at just 29.
The Russian had begun picking up his ring stint after suffering his first loss to Alex Leapai in November 2013.
Boytsov had reeled off a trio of solid victories before – in the blink of an eye – it was all over. An incident in May 2015 halted Boytsov’s record eternally at 36-1.
What happened to Denis Boytsov?
The man with a 70% KO ratio and a certain world title challenge in him spent seven weeks in an induced coma. Boytsov was unconscious in an underground tunnel between two Berlin subway stations.
Serious head injuries meant it was touch and go-for Boytsov. He was reported to be very close to death at that time.
An investigation was launched, although German police are still none-the-wiser to this day as to what actually happened to the fighter.
A German court ruled that Boytsov fell on train tracks while intoxicated, leading to his life-changing injuries.
In late June 2015, Boytsov was revealed by the German press to be awake. According to Berliner Kurier, Boytsov had no movement and was still being fed through a tube.
All the signs pointed to Boytsov having to learn to walk and talk again as part of his recovery. Boytsov was also confirmed to have been breathing on his own. But he’d lost a staggering 70 kilos in weight.
Boytsov was down from 103 kilos to 33 and was starting a third sizeable head surgery.
Frantic wife Olga, pregnant with his child then, hoped her husband could recollect what happened once he regained his speech. She had been vocal in airing her beliefs that Denis had been a victim of a revenge attack after partying into the early hours.
Where is Denis Boytsov now?
None of this has ever been proven. Both Denis and Olga have been highly private since then. There have been no social media posts from the model since 2015.
A Facebook account is run in the name of Denis, although no photos have been posted since a fight night in Rostock. The night he defeated Irineu Beato Costa Junior – his final win.
Having held fringe belts with the WBO, WBA, and WBC, Boytsov was tipped as a potential contender for the future. He would undoubtedly have been in the mix with the top fifteen operators of his day with those Tyson-esque traits.
Utterly tragic circumstances have cut things short for him and his family.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer.