Two-time world heavyweight champion Chris Byrd (47-5, 22 KOs) is back in the ring after a prolonged series of health challenges. Following his Hall of Fame worthy career at heavyweight, which included wins over Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, and David Tua, Byrd suffered from 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, And I paid for it. I went through 11 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 some days I just wanted to cut the whole thing off. I had to make drastic changes and choices in life to get where I am today,” said Byrd.
Looking chiseled and svelte at 163 pounds, the 50-year-old Byrd’s transformation began nearly three years ago when his daughter was engaged to be married. 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 – stopped consuming all those things that 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 that he had battled his entire career began to subside.
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 greatly increasing his mobility.
“Aaron is a fantastic person, unique with a great mind who is an expert in radio and sound frequency work. Doctor’s had told me I would need my shoulders and hip replaced. After my treatments with Aaron, all of that changed. Aaron really wants to see people get healed and he really 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. It’s an honor to be able to help him on this path.”
Considering all that he has accomplished in both his professional career and in his dramatic post-career transformation from struggling heavyweight to vibrant and virile middleweight, there is nothing that can stop Chris Byrd.
“I really 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, and I’m more focused than I’ve been. I feel I’m ready to make a return to the ring, and with the help and guidance of Split-T Boxing, I hope to make it a reality.”
Glad to see the Champion back in good shape as far as ring accomplishment being Two Time heavyweight champion beating Vitali Klitschko and really entertaining win over Jameel Mcline to name two he really doesn’t have to accomplish anything else maybe spread his wisdom to future champions
Chris Byrd did not beat Vitali. VK hurt his shoulder.
I just checked boxrec, and yes he did beat Vitali.
Vitali dislocated his shoulder trying to hit Chris, which is something all his opponents struggled to do.
Byrd was losing that fight by a landslide also. Buy he did get the win nevertheless
After watching Ike Ibeabuchi KO Byrd years ago, I am shocked to some degree Byrd does not have permanent injuries still lingering! Wow! What a KO!!!!
Interestingly, Vitali admitted the injury was caused by a Byrd punch; it’s in the Boxing Monthly fight report. Byrd beat him fair & square
Byrd beat him “fair & square” based on the rules of boxing. VK couldn’t continue so he lost.
VK discountinued and if you can’t continue its a TKO win. Those aren’t just rules someone made up in their head. Those are the rules of the sport of boxing. VK lost to Chris Byrd in the same manner he lost to Lennox Lewis.
Everyone went broke, crazy, or both the last 6 months.
I made money playing on line poker. Lost it playing poker machines. Hope to win it back tonight on the Greyhounds. I’ve got it all worked out.
LOL, love your comment. Excellent point!
He spent all his money stocking up on Toilet Paper and realized not a good idea afterall lmao
I think you make a fair point, but I’d argue while the last 6 months has been exceptionally worse, I think this has been developing quite longer than that.
I wish this was not true. When much younger the foray into Light Heavyweight was a disaster. Just see no good for jim coming from this.
Agreed. He looked so bad at LH. Please don’t do it Chris.
I met Chris on a few occasions in the past 2-3 years. He looks great physically and still has a heart of gold. But please don’t fight again.
Yes, I agree Arturo. Byrd’s risk of injuries actually climb due to his advancing age. Yes, he’s in great shape. However, he needs to be very selective in how he subjects his body to damage in the ring.
Not too many Boxers have Byrd’s style. By now, he only needs to have strong legs. We have to recall that prominent fighters have been tumble down by Byrd. He’s very difficult to catch in the ring. He used much more jabs than punches.
He’s done.
Not too many Boxers have Byrd’s style. He’s getting old now, but he can still make a good comeback for 6 rounds. For fact, prominent fighters have been tumble down by Byrd. He can create havoc and blue funk, when he gets ready. This constituency used much more jabs than punches to demolish opponents. For real, he needs to have strong legs.
..that cannabis expert Chris met was Mike Tyson
He can do it, he was good at heavyweight, thinking lighter & faster but still having power he can win some fights, hopefully he makes some good money for whatever he can get in.
Remind me to NEVER take advice from you.
For all the professional boxers coming out of retirement matched with people of the same age.
Grandpa Chris Byrd
Maybe Chris forgot, but the commenters certainly didn’t. When he fought at LH, he clearly had lost too much muscle mass and could barely stand after being hit. His speed was gone as well. So now over a decade later and even skinnier (with literally no noticeable muscle on his frame), this is going to work?
At what point do we save a guy from himself?
They should make an over 45 (Cut off at 60) class for nostalgic purposes for all the long time fans and aging fighters to make that last bit of retirement money. No exhibition crap, 8 popular/former champs per weight class in a tournament (12 round fights) lasting no longer than one year. Have 3 divisions running tournaments at the same time and 4 PPV’s per year with each PPV having all 3 divisions fights of all time greats the same night . I’d buy into that
All these comebacks. Wasn’t Oscar DLH supposed to come back? Whatever happened to that?
He came down off his high
CHRIS CAN DO IT GO FOR IT BRO
He needs to stay retired, y’all remember that pounding he took from Ike ibeabuchi (sp)? Lol! Whatever happens to ILe, now that fella had it going for him before he pulled a mike Tyson.
He’ll get seriously hurt if he returns. He hasn’t aged well at all as a fighter, despite his physique. Just watch videos of him hitting the bag.
I am glad that Byrd has recovered his health and is at a weight more appropriate for him but I hope he stays out of the ring.
Chris Byrd vs Michael Nunn???
I’m From Flint Michigan and Know Chris. He is a Great Boxer and Great Person. I Used to Box at Byrd Boxing and Have Sparred with Chris.
LOL @ anyone who thinks Byrd beat Vitali. He was getting dominated and Vitali retired on his stool due to a shoulder injury.
Bird made him quit! Vitali could have moved around the ring like any other fighter with injury.
There is no quit in someone as mentally tough as Vitali Klitschko. The fact that he didn’t quit against Lewis with that brutal but quit against a Byrd should tell you how bad his shoulder injury was.
No problem at all with Byrd coming back, so long as he is coming back to fight the De La Hoyas and Sergio Martinez types.
Dam you r so dam sexy$$$$$$$$
Good for him. Enjoy life 🙂
But, no need to fight again
Dont be surprised Canelo give Bird a fight.
I wont run the guy down, He dropped the weight for health reasons and looks fantastic, However to stay healthy he should not be boxing again.
Well i wish the best for you in these fight game thing have change a lot good luck
Both hips and shoulders replaced ?
This is what happens when you do too much steroids, Chris.
I like Chris, but didn’t he try this before? I swear I remember him getting put down by a middleweight after leaving the heavys.
Wow! You don’t even look like the Chris Byrd that we remember. That’s crazy. That said I’m glad you’re doing better. The weight that caused so many problems is something we all know. There’s enough regrets to go around. Maybe this time around it’ll be the fights we should have gotten in the 90s. Not Ruiz or Oquendo but Toney and RJJ. Those fights would have been epic.
Chris needs to stay away. Remember when he dropped from heavyweight to light heavy and George snapped him in half? He’ll be shattered at middle. If he insists on coming back, go to cruiser, the shots come much slower.
He looks in decent shape, but what in the world is up with this ugly beard trend that has overtaken this nation? It seems as if mass devolution is happening. Gruesome. Bryd needs to stay out of the ring, get his are back in school, become a lawyer or something. He had his time.
Byrd was one of my favorite fighters to watch with his mastery against much bigger opposition. He was light years ahead of most heavyweights in terms of skill and reflexes. He would lure heavy hitters into the ropes only to bob and weave and show angles and turn them around and dazzle them with 8 punch flurries. You always felt he was in danger of getting his head knocked off, yet magically escaped, Ibeabucci being the exception. Towards the end of his career he went down to light heavyweight and looked really bad in loosing to journeyman fighers. Not sure what makes him think 13 years later things will have improved! I am the exact same age as Chris Byrd so I get it, really I do. The next step is old age, but your youth is not too far in the rear view mirror. One last chance to show you still got it, but especially at that level, you haven’t had it in 15 years!
“You and me, we don’t even have a choice. See, we’re born with this killer instinct that you can’t just turn off and on like some radio” -Apollo Creed
There is no way any of us can understand. Chris was born with that killer instinct which is why a lot of guys hang around past the age we think is appropriate. He’s a first ballot HOF with wins of VK (like it or not fair & square), Tua and Holyfield. I think Chris knows a little more about what he’s doing & what he can withstand than the rest of us. Lets see what he can do.
This guy is nuts. He came down to 174 and got KO’d. Then went back up to 194 and won a fight in his last fight. He had health problems because he was juicing it while fighting at Heavyweight. Coming down to middleweight is not going to make in a better fighter at 50 years of age. If losing weight was the key then he wouldn’t have looked so bad when came down to 174.
He looks like an emaciated Shannon Briggs
If Chris makes a comeback, he only needs “strong legs ” to destroy many young fighters. Because of Byrd’s style,he will have chances to be a great world champ again. We have to recall :the styles make fight.
Many fighters will stay away from Chris Byrd’s style.