1<\/p>\n Byrd was an excellent fighter in his heyday, but that was over 20 years agoCredit: Getty<\/p>\n He had closed out his career on a high with a win in Stuttgart, Germany.<\/p>\n Yet, sadly, in an all-too-familiar story in boxing, Byrd was enticed back into the ring decades past his prime.<\/p>\n The Flint Native had teased a comeback in the early 2020s after shedding over 40lbs.<\/p>\n Floating around the idea at the time, he said: \u201cI want to show people that it\u2019s never too late to accomplish your goals and live out your dreams.<\/p>\n READ MORE ON BOXING <\/p>\n “My reflexes are razor-sharp; my strength is phenomenal. I\u2019m more focused than I\u2019ve been.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel I\u2019m ready to make a return to the ring…<\/p>\n \u201cWhat am I known for? Slickness, speed and reflexes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still there. I\u2019m telling you. At 50 years old, look at my body. It\u2019s on.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is going to hang with the old man? Nobody can hang with the old man. I got energy all day.\u201d<\/p>\n The story of the fight <\/p>\n For a time, it looked as though Byrd had given up on the dangerous idea.<\/p>\n However, on June 27, he returned to the ring for a super-middleweight bout against a man 27 years his junior in unheralded club fighter Anthony Welsh (3-1).<\/p>\n Byrd looked like a shell of his former self, completely devoid of the speed and reflexes that made him a force to be reckoned with in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n The ageing boxing legend was dropped early in the first round and spent the majority of the short-lived fight covered up against the ropes, absorbing unanswered blows. <\/p>\n Eventually, the referee came to his senses and waved off the gross mismatch in the dying embers of the opening stanza.<\/p>\n Another sad day for boxing.<\/p>\n Watch Boxing on DAZN<\/p>\n *If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenue<\/p>\n Sign up to DAZN<\/a> to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.<\/p>\n Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate<\/a> from just \u00a324.99\/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.<\/p>\n Alternatively, DAZN Standard<\/a> is just \u00a315.99\/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.<\/p>\n![\"Byrd](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2002-boardwalk-hall-atlantic-city-875406140.jpg\")
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