Boxer Denis Boytsov suffered life-changing injuries from an attack in 2015

Boxer Denis Boytsov, who once looked set to fight Tyson Fury, has died at the age of 40. The Russian was left with life-changing injuries after being attacked on a subway in Berlin 11 years ago.

His death has been confirmed by his father, Nicolai. He said that he died suddenly at home, with doctors unable to help.

Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, he 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.”

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Boytsov was set to fight Fury in December 2012, before pulling out of the contest. He was ranked as the second-best heavyweight before the attack in 2015 brought an end to his career.

He was left unable to talk and was placed in the care of his family after suffering serious head injuries and being placed into a medically induced coma in hospital for seven weeks. During that time, he lost 70Kg as he was unable to move or eat without the aid of a tube.

His brother Maxim previously gave an update on his health. “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.”

Speaking back in 2023 former British heavyweight David Price picked out Boytsov. “I sparred a Russian called Denis Boytsov in Germany once,” he said. “He only hit the top of my head, but he was a powerful puncher.

“I think he got his career cut short, he got absolutely battered by a gang of Russian fellas and left for dead, he couldn’t fight again. But I remember him being a really powerful puncher.”