Denis Boytsov, a fringe heavyweight contender, has passed away at the age of 40 according to the WBC. Boytsov ran his record up to 36-1 with wins over American several gatekeepers, Dominic Guinn, Vinnie Maddalone, Fernely Feliz Sr., Israel Garcia and Jason Gavern. His career was still on the ascent when, In May 2015, at the age of 29, he suffered a tragic incident in the Berlin subway that left him with severe head injuries. Although German prosecutors concluded it was an accident, the neurological damage proved devastating and permanent, taking away his ability to walk and speak, and permanently ending his boxing career.  Boytsov spent years in rehabilitation in Germany and later in Russia under the care of his family, fighting an admirable personal battle for his health. At age 40, the former heavyweight passed away at his family home in Orel, Russia, following a medical emergency attributed to a blood clot. With this, a decade-long struggle to reclaim his life came to a tragic end.

 

Boxingtalk joins the WBC in sending its deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Dennis Boytsov.