Denis Boytsov, a Russian heavyweight who was once scheduled to fight Tyson Fury, has died at the age of 40. His father, Nicolai, confirmed that he passed away unexpectedly at home after a blood clot broke off.
Father Reveals Circumstances of Sudden Death
Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Nicolai Boytsov said: "A blood clot broke off. There was nothing they could do; it was instant death. Three minutes and that was it. This happened at home. His wife fed him and started turning him to the side. He suddenly broke down, started shaking, turned blue. And his whole life was over."
Boytsov had been due to meet Fury in December 2012 before withdrawing from the bout. He was the second-ranked heavyweight prior to the 2015 assault on a Berlin underground train that ended his professional career.
Career-Ending Injury and Long Recovery
The assault caused severe head trauma and a seven-week medically induced coma in hospital. Boytsov lost the ability to speak and required full-time family care. During that period, he lost 70kg as he could not move independently or eat without tube feeding.
His brother, Maxim, had previously provided an update on his condition. "No, we didn't communicate," he said. "He just nodded yes and no. But he understood everything. I courted him for ten years. But it didn't work out."
Tributes From Fellow Boxers
In 2023, former British heavyweight David Price recalled sparring with Boytsov in Germany. "He only hit the top of my head, but he was a powerful puncher," Price said. "I think he got his career cut short, he couldn't fight again. But I remember him being a really powerful puncher."
Boytsov's death marks the end of a life disrupted by tragedy, with his family having cared for him for a decade following the assault.
