24.06.08 – by James Slater: Denis Boytsov is an unbeaten 22-year-old heavyweight prospect who has been compared to none other than the great Mike Tyson. A decorated amateur who was world junior champion at super heavyweight in 2004, the Russian who now lives in Germany has a most impressive physique. And his body structure is not his only similarity with “Iron Mike..”
Boytsov’s fighting style, what with his bobbing from side to side and his unloading of powerful looking hooks, is more than a touch reminiscent of the former heavyweight champion’s. Okay, it’s way too early to even suggest that the still untested 22-year-old will go on to create the kind of heavyweight havoc Tyson did, but with his amateur pedigree, his muscular body and his determination, the good-looking prospect may well go places.
There aren’t nearly enough young heavyweights out there that are worth getting at all excited about, but the 6’1″ 220 pounder with the 21-0(18) record just might be worth keeping an eye on. Scheduled to fight next (according to Box-Rec) on the 5th of July, Boytsov will face a reasonable test in the form of Fernely Feliz, the 37-year-old who was born in The Dominican Republic. Feliz, a durable heavyweight who has only been stopped once in his 23-8(16) career, has been in with a number of good names. Oleg Maskaev out-pointed him, as did Terry Smith, Tomasz Bonin and Alexander Dimitrenko, while the sole stoppage loss came at the hands of former WBA heavyweight champ John Ruiz. If Boytsov can get rid of Feliz he will have picked up a respectable win.
Feliz hasn’t exactly been active as of late – only having had one fight, a loss, since November of 2006 – but he is just about the right opponent for a talent who is still learning such as Boytsov. So far, the 22-year-old has boxed all his pro fights in either Germany or Austria (the Feliz bout takes place in Germany, also) and it’s unlikely that this will change for the time being. A work in progress who has beaten mostly fighters with winning records – the tough Robert Hawkins being out-pointed in Boytsov’s last outing – the 22-year-old’s team will want to let him develop in a relatively low-key manner. In other words, don’t expect an appearance by Boytsov in Las Vegas, any time soon.
Eventually, however, so long as he keeps winning and turns out to be as good as a number of noted writers feel he could be, Denis Boytsov will be a heavyweight the fans will be well acquainted with. So far, the Russian has shown nothing but promise.
With 13 one round KO’s to his credit already, Boytsov certainly has Tyson-like numbers!