Anyone can find someone they can beat, Byrd could probably get a few wins against the right opponents, these guys need saving from themselves sometimes.margaret thatcher wrote: ↑02 Jul 2022, 05:07 razor did win a couple fights before that, and carmack can punch (he later ko'd unbeaten canadian olympian simon kean)...but ya, was far from prime razor wasnt it
Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
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Controversial
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 9191
- Joined: 13 Jul 2002, 18:29
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
I'm still waiting for Tommy Morrison to clean up the division, like he promised 
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 102151
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Heavyweight champ, 51, returning at middleweight thankfully fails
Former heavyweight champion Chris Byrd’s attempt to return to the ring as a middleweight has failed.
The former Klitschko conqueror made a monumental transformation in 2020 after boiling fat to 160 pounds at the ripe old age of 50.
PR announced that the two-time World Champion would be back in the ring after a prolonged series of health challenges in early 2021.
That first attempt fell apart. Months later, Byrd again got linked to a return despite a year passing since the confirmation.
Heavyweight champ
Then, in early 2022, MG Ring Productions stated Byrd would face Eric Moon on March 12th in a sanctioned professional bout.
Luckily for Byrd and the fans, ‘Rapid Fire’ would never trade blows with the 30-year-old Edgar Berlanga KO victim.
Following his Hall of Fame-worthy career, which included wins over Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, and David Tua, Byrd (47-5, 22 KOs) suffered severe neuropathy and chronic pain from fighting far above his natural weight.
“Nobody wanted to fight me at middleweight, so I ate my weight up to heavyweight. Due to this, I paid for it. I went through eleven years of suffering.
“A few years ago, I couldn’t even move my feet apart. The pain in my left leg was so bad that I just wanted to cut the whole thing off some days.
“I had to make drastic changes and choices in life to get where I am today,” said Byrd.
The now 51-year-old did look chiseled and svelte at 163 pounds. However, his age and past problems made returning a bad idea.
Byrd’s transformation began nearly four years ago when his daughter was engaged to be married.
Weight loss and illness
The idea of being unable to walk her down the aisle pained Byrd, as he was willing to do or try anything that could help improve his condition and let him be there for the ones he loved.
He changed his eating habits – he stopped consuming everything he was allergic to (wheat, sugar, and dairy) and switched to a plant-based diet.
A chance meeting with a medicinal cannabis expert proved particularly fruitful in Byrd’s road to recovery. Byrd began a therapeutic regimen of juicing fresh cannabis leaves and utilizing CBD oil and topicals.
He consumed ample hemp hearts as a complete source of protein and essential fatty acids.
In short order, the ferocious pain he had felt in his left leg and the fatigue he had battled his entire career began to subside.
Fitness
By early 2020, Chris had reached a plateau in his recovery “at about ⅔ of where [he is] today.” He then discovered Aaron Cameron, Director of Club Q360, in Malibu, California.
Cameron is widely known as the husband of film star and “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills,” Denise Richards. Under Cameron’s guidance, Chris began undergoing radio and sound frequency treatments to treat his neuropathy.
According to Byrd, these treatments took his healing to a level – relieving his pain and significantly increasing mobility.
“Aaron is a fantastic person, unique with a great mind and an expert in radio and sound frequency work. Doctors had told me I would need my shoulders and hip replaced.
“After my treatments with Aaron, all of that changed. Aaron wants to see people get healed and cares for the people he works with.”
“Chris’ recovery has been nothing short of miraculous,” said Split-T Boxing’s David McWater. “To see where Chris was only a few years ago to where he is now is remarkable.
Middleweight
Considering all that he accomplished in his professional career and his dramatic post-career transformation from struggling heavyweight to vibrant and virile middleweight, nothing could stop Chris Byrd’s ambition.
By September 2021, Byrd still harbored ambitions of getting back in the ring. Finally getting that date in February 2022, Byrd maybe realized what he was doing was a mistake.
It could have ended a lot worse. His extraordinary efforts at losing weight didn’t have to end in a fight for the ex-heavyweight champ.
“I want to show people that it’s never too late to accomplish your goals and live out your dreams. My reflexes are razor-sharp; my strength is phenomenal. I’m more focused than I’ve been.
“I feel I’m ready to make a return to the ring. With the help and guidance of Split-T Boxing, I hope to make it a reality.”
Thankfully, it’s still fiction.
Former heavyweight champion Chris Byrd’s attempt to return to the ring as a middleweight has failed.
The former Klitschko conqueror made a monumental transformation in 2020 after boiling fat to 160 pounds at the ripe old age of 50.
PR announced that the two-time World Champion would be back in the ring after a prolonged series of health challenges in early 2021.
That first attempt fell apart. Months later, Byrd again got linked to a return despite a year passing since the confirmation.
Heavyweight champ
Then, in early 2022, MG Ring Productions stated Byrd would face Eric Moon on March 12th in a sanctioned professional bout.
Luckily for Byrd and the fans, ‘Rapid Fire’ would never trade blows with the 30-year-old Edgar Berlanga KO victim.
Following his Hall of Fame-worthy career, which included wins over Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, and David Tua, Byrd (47-5, 22 KOs) suffered severe neuropathy and chronic pain from fighting far above his natural weight.
“Nobody wanted to fight me at middleweight, so I ate my weight up to heavyweight. Due to this, I paid for it. I went through eleven years of suffering.
“A few years ago, I couldn’t even move my feet apart. The pain in my left leg was so bad that I just wanted to cut the whole thing off some days.
“I had to make drastic changes and choices in life to get where I am today,” said Byrd.
The now 51-year-old did look chiseled and svelte at 163 pounds. However, his age and past problems made returning a bad idea.
Byrd’s transformation began nearly four years ago when his daughter was engaged to be married.
Weight loss and illness
The idea of being unable to walk her down the aisle pained Byrd, as he was willing to do or try anything that could help improve his condition and let him be there for the ones he loved.
He changed his eating habits – he stopped consuming everything he was allergic to (wheat, sugar, and dairy) and switched to a plant-based diet.
A chance meeting with a medicinal cannabis expert proved particularly fruitful in Byrd’s road to recovery. Byrd began a therapeutic regimen of juicing fresh cannabis leaves and utilizing CBD oil and topicals.
He consumed ample hemp hearts as a complete source of protein and essential fatty acids.
In short order, the ferocious pain he had felt in his left leg and the fatigue he had battled his entire career began to subside.
Fitness
By early 2020, Chris had reached a plateau in his recovery “at about ⅔ of where [he is] today.” He then discovered Aaron Cameron, Director of Club Q360, in Malibu, California.
Cameron is widely known as the husband of film star and “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills,” Denise Richards. Under Cameron’s guidance, Chris began undergoing radio and sound frequency treatments to treat his neuropathy.
According to Byrd, these treatments took his healing to a level – relieving his pain and significantly increasing mobility.
“Aaron is a fantastic person, unique with a great mind and an expert in radio and sound frequency work. Doctors had told me I would need my shoulders and hip replaced.
“After my treatments with Aaron, all of that changed. Aaron wants to see people get healed and cares for the people he works with.”
“Chris’ recovery has been nothing short of miraculous,” said Split-T Boxing’s David McWater. “To see where Chris was only a few years ago to where he is now is remarkable.
Middleweight
Considering all that he accomplished in his professional career and his dramatic post-career transformation from struggling heavyweight to vibrant and virile middleweight, nothing could stop Chris Byrd’s ambition.
By September 2021, Byrd still harbored ambitions of getting back in the ring. Finally getting that date in February 2022, Byrd maybe realized what he was doing was a mistake.
It could have ended a lot worse. His extraordinary efforts at losing weight didn’t have to end in a fight for the ex-heavyweight champ.
“I want to show people that it’s never too late to accomplish your goals and live out your dreams. My reflexes are razor-sharp; my strength is phenomenal. I’m more focused than I’ve been.
“I feel I’m ready to make a return to the ring. With the help and guidance of Split-T Boxing, I hope to make it a reality.”
Thankfully, it’s still fiction.
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Gamblingman
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 46
- Joined: 14 Aug 2007, 19:35
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Good luck to Chris! I hope his comeback will be successful. To me he was elite fighter, fought giants like Wlad and Vitali. And I still remember watching Byrd vs Holyfield.
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
I think you need to read the whole thread. Or at least the last few posts.Gamblingman wrote: ↑20 Aug 2022, 21:39 Good luck to Chris! I hope his comeback will be successful. To me he was elite fighter, fought giants like Wlad and Vitali. And I still remember watching Byrd vs Holyfield.
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Byrd's style was not conducive to getting older. It's why Foreman was a success - his style could adjust to being older and slower. But so much of Chris' success was based on reflexes, footwork, and agility. Fighting in middle-age was never going to end well for him.
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 102151
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Nothing wrong with Byrd getting in better shape, and slimming down to a more natural weight for him. At this point he shouldn't ever be talking about coming back again, and people close to him need to tell him the same.
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Syntax Error
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 9015
- Joined: 22 Apr 2005, 08:00
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
His legs look painfully thin, almost like he has muscle wastage.
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adislav123
- Super Middleweight
- Posts: 1745
- Joined: 10 Nov 2012, 19:05
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
shouldn't get cleared to fight anywhere. sadly we know there's always a comission somewhere that will let him pass.
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
matthewcb wrote: ↑04 Sep 2022, 06:15 Byrd's style was not conducive to getting older. It's why Foreman was a success - his style could adjust to being older and slower. But so much of Chris' success was based on reflexes, footwork, and agility. Fighting in middle-age was never going to end well for him.
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Ruthless-RKO
- Welterweight
- Posts: 102151
- Joined: 24 Apr 2016, 11:59
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Chris Byrd, 55, the latest to succumb in an ill-advised comeback
Former IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, 55, could not resist the lure of the ring, succumbing to its drug-like pulling power a little over a week ago.
After a layoff of 17 years, Byrd became the latest ex-boxer to return and lose badly after fooling himself into believing he could still compete.
Byrd should not be judged too harshly.
Simply, enough time had passed from the end of Byrd’s illustrious career to make him forget the truth of why he decided to retire in the first place. The pain of consecutive stoppage defeats to Alexander Povetkin and Shaun George long since healed, Byrd returned to the gym, cut weight, and felt great.
He first teased the concept of a comeback in 2020.
“I want to show people that it’s never too late to accomplish your goals and live out your dreams,” he said back then.
“My reflexes are razor-sharp; my strength is phenomenal… What am I known for? Slickness, speed, and reflexes. It’s still there, I’m telling you.”
It wasn’t there in 2007 when Povetkin dished out a one-sided beatdown. Nor was it there in 2008 when he looked weak and vulnerable before losing in nine rounds to George. On June 27 this year, it was glaringly absent again as he was stopped in one round by the unheralded novice Anthony Welsh in a super middleweight bout in Zambia.
The rigours of time were briefly disguised by Byrd’s impressively svelte physique, but that illusion was exposed inside a minute, the erosion of his slickness, speed, and reflexes all too apparent. It wasn’t long before he was sliding down the ropes, unable to stop himself, his balance shot to bits. He would beat the count but his battle with Father Time had long since been lost.
The bout cannot be found on BoxRec. The sanctioning of the contest, therefore, should be regarded as questionable at best.
And therein lies the problem: Byrd expressing a wish to fight again is perfectly natural for someone whose life is defined by the exchange of punches but that doesn’t mean those wishes should be granted. In fact, it’s exactly why they shouldn’t.
In 1999, Byrd lost for the first time in his career when Ike Ibeabuchi halted him in five thrilling rounds. Ibeabuchi last year came back after a 25-year absence, aged 53 and a shadow of the beast he once was.
Byrd’s best win likely came against Evander Holyfield, who in 2021 was socked around like a 58-year-old rag doll in an ugly match with Vitor Belfort.
Twelve months ago, when 60 years old, Oliver McCall huffed and puffed his way to a six-round draw with 7-17-2 Carlos Reyes in Nashville.
Mike Tyson, of course, was allowed back at the age of 58 to take a steady licking at the hands of Jake Paul in arguably the most unbecoming piece of television that Netflix has ever produced.
Boxers will always want to come back. Particularly after many years out of the limelight with hopes to recapture a youth that continues to tease them but will always remain out of reach.
Former British junior middleweight champion Jimmy Batten, now 70, said 15 years ago he would do anything to fight one last time. His brain was already damaged by then, wars with the likes of Roberto Duran had left their mark.
Last month he was consigned to a home, the fits of rage and confusion had become too much for his family to bear.
That last fight is now upon him, after all.
Former IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Chris Byrd, 55, could not resist the lure of the ring, succumbing to its drug-like pulling power a little over a week ago.
After a layoff of 17 years, Byrd became the latest ex-boxer to return and lose badly after fooling himself into believing he could still compete.
Byrd should not be judged too harshly.
Simply, enough time had passed from the end of Byrd’s illustrious career to make him forget the truth of why he decided to retire in the first place. The pain of consecutive stoppage defeats to Alexander Povetkin and Shaun George long since healed, Byrd returned to the gym, cut weight, and felt great.
He first teased the concept of a comeback in 2020.
“I want to show people that it’s never too late to accomplish your goals and live out your dreams,” he said back then.
“My reflexes are razor-sharp; my strength is phenomenal… What am I known for? Slickness, speed, and reflexes. It’s still there, I’m telling you.”
It wasn’t there in 2007 when Povetkin dished out a one-sided beatdown. Nor was it there in 2008 when he looked weak and vulnerable before losing in nine rounds to George. On June 27 this year, it was glaringly absent again as he was stopped in one round by the unheralded novice Anthony Welsh in a super middleweight bout in Zambia.
The rigours of time were briefly disguised by Byrd’s impressively svelte physique, but that illusion was exposed inside a minute, the erosion of his slickness, speed, and reflexes all too apparent. It wasn’t long before he was sliding down the ropes, unable to stop himself, his balance shot to bits. He would beat the count but his battle with Father Time had long since been lost.
The bout cannot be found on BoxRec. The sanctioning of the contest, therefore, should be regarded as questionable at best.
And therein lies the problem: Byrd expressing a wish to fight again is perfectly natural for someone whose life is defined by the exchange of punches but that doesn’t mean those wishes should be granted. In fact, it’s exactly why they shouldn’t.
In 1999, Byrd lost for the first time in his career when Ike Ibeabuchi halted him in five thrilling rounds. Ibeabuchi last year came back after a 25-year absence, aged 53 and a shadow of the beast he once was.
Byrd’s best win likely came against Evander Holyfield, who in 2021 was socked around like a 58-year-old rag doll in an ugly match with Vitor Belfort.
Twelve months ago, when 60 years old, Oliver McCall huffed and puffed his way to a six-round draw with 7-17-2 Carlos Reyes in Nashville.
Mike Tyson, of course, was allowed back at the age of 58 to take a steady licking at the hands of Jake Paul in arguably the most unbecoming piece of television that Netflix has ever produced.
Boxers will always want to come back. Particularly after many years out of the limelight with hopes to recapture a youth that continues to tease them but will always remain out of reach.
Former British junior middleweight champion Jimmy Batten, now 70, said 15 years ago he would do anything to fight one last time. His brain was already damaged by then, wars with the likes of Roberto Duran had left their mark.
Last month he was consigned to a home, the fits of rage and confusion had become too much for his family to bear.
That last fight is now upon him, after all.
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Syntax Error
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 9015
- Joined: 22 Apr 2005, 08:00
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
This fight was beyond tragic.
It's things like this that make me want to fall out of love with boxing.
In what universe is it OK to sanction a professional boxing match between a long retired 55 year old and much younger man?
The bloke he was fighting didn't even take it easy on Byrd either, plus the referee stopped the fight later than he should have.
Heartbreaking to see.
It's things like this that make me want to fall out of love with boxing.
In what universe is it OK to sanction a professional boxing match between a long retired 55 year old and much younger man?
The bloke he was fighting didn't even take it easy on Byrd either, plus the referee stopped the fight later than he should have.
Heartbreaking to see.
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JamesPhilips
- Super Bantamweight
- Posts: 6487
- Joined: 19 Mar 2021, 06:43
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
That was terrible to watch. The other guy was a novice too. Byrd got stopped in 4 rounds in his last official fight in 2009 by a journeyman…..this was sickeningSyntax Error wrote: ↑11 Jul 2026, 08:46 This fight was beyond tragic.
It's things like this that make me want to fall out of love with boxing.
In what universe is it OK to sanction a professional boxing match between a long retired 55 year old and much younger man?
The bloke he was fighting didn't even take it easy on Byrd either, plus the referee stopped the fight later than he should have.
Heartbreaking to see.
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
What a bunch of whiny moralizing women. He wanted to fight, he got a fight. Open a box of tissues or something.
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zorndeslammes
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 538
- Joined: 01 Jul 2007, 00:21
Re: Chris Byrd Fought Chronic Pain And Depression; Now He Wants To Fight At 50
Extremely cool thread and news story linked here that offer literally zero details about when, where, whom, etc. about the contest. Is all boxing journalism just AI slop now that the sport is effectively dead?