Denis Boytsov, boxer said to hit harder than Anthony Joshua, dies aged 40
The Russian heavyweight's father said a detached blood clot caused his death. Boytsov had been unable to speak for 11 years after suffering serious head injuries in Berlin in what his camp suggested was an attack.
Denis Boytsov, the Russian heavyweight who withdrew from a fight with Tyson Fury in December 2012, has died at the age of 40 after more than a decade in care.
His father, Nikolai Boytsov, told Russian news agency TASS that a blood clot had broken away and that death was instant, taking about three minutes. He said it happened at home as Boytsov's wife was feeding him and turning him on to his side, when he began shaking and turned blue.
At his peak, Boytsov was regarded as the second-best heavyweight in the world behind Wladimir Klitschko. He had a record of 36-1 when his career ended in 2015. British former heavyweight David Price, who beat Fury in 2005 and sparred Boytsov in Germany, said the Russian hit much harder than Anthony Joshua, having trained with both. Price said Boytsov only caught him on the top of the head but was a powerful puncher, and that he had been badly beaten and left for dead.
Boytsov suffered serious head injuries in a Berlin subway tunnel and was placed in a medically induced coma because of swelling on the brain. A statement on his website suggested the attack may have been linked to his boxing career, saying he had been receiving constant threats around two years earlier. His wife, Olga Litvinova, suggested he may have been the target of an attempted assassination. Those responsible were never found.
His brother, Maxim Boytsov, said Denis had been unable to speak in the 11 years since the Berlin incident, communicating only by nodding yes or no, though he understood everything. Boytsov was treated extensively in Germany and later in Russia.
His funeral was set to take place in the Russian region of Oryol.
Every UK fight result and what's next, every Friday. Get the free UK fight briefing
More Boxing from Combat Sports UK
- Daniel Dubois targets Oleksandr Usyk trilogy after Fabio Wardley rematch win
- On this day in 2003: Moore stops Logan to keep British and Commonwealth belts
- Daniel Dubois stops Fabio Wardley again as Frank Warren eyes unification fights
- Sebastian Fundora stops Ermal Hadribeaj in the final second to keep WBC title
The UK fight briefing
The stories, results and upcoming fights worth knowing. Every Friday.