Denis Boytsov, a former Russian boxer known as the "Russian Tyson," has died at the age of 40, according to the Center for Physical Education and Sports Events of Oryol Region, as reported by infohub.kz.
"The severity of his injuries left Denis with serious consequences: he could not walk or speak. The road to recovery was long and difficult, and he never gave up until the end, but fate decided otherwise. Denis was only 40 years old," the center said in a statement.
Denis Boytsov was born on February 14, 1986, in Oryol. His amateur career was highly impressive, with 115 wins in 130 bouts. In 2004, Boytsov turned professional at just 18 years old.
By 2015, Denis had racked up 36 victories with only one defeat, 27 of them by knockout. The only man to stop him was Australian Alex Leapai. The Russian was preparing for a fight against Wladimir Klitschko.
In 2015, however, tragedy struck: Denis was found unconscious in the Berlin metro. Boytsov suffered serious injuries to his hands and head and was discovered on the tracks between two stations. According to Hamburger Abendblatt, the Russian was intoxicated at the time. Berliner Kurier later reported that Denis had been hiding from someone and was forced to run into the metro tunnel. He ultimately suffered brain swelling.
Boytsov had to be placed in a medically induced coma. He underwent a long rehabilitation, first in Germany and then in Russia. The boxer could not walk or speak and communicated only through gestures. Only occasionally did his wife report that his condition was becoming more stable or that positive progress was visible.