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DENVER -- Coming off an unimpressive loss in his first title fight, DaVarryl Williamson underwent successful surgery on his right elbow.
The procedure was performed Monday, when surgeons at Steadman-Hawkins Clinic removed a mass of scar tissue, 15 "foreign bodies," two bone spurs and fluid from the fighter's joint.
Hampered by the elbow, the 37-year-old Williamson (22-4) was unable to take advantage of the apparent rust on Chris Byrd as the challenger in the IBF heavyweight championship at the Reno Events Center on Oct. 1, losing a unanimous decision.
Judge Glen Trowbridge scored the fight 115-113, while judges Pat Russell and Doug Tucker had it 116-112. Byrd was fighting for the first time in 11 months due to problems with promoter Don King.
"I wish this is something that I had done prior to the Byrd fight," Williamson said in a statement released Wednesday. "I kept the pain in my right arm to myself because I didn't want to lose my opportunity at the IBF title, and my own warrior mentality told me that I could bite down and get through it. But the week of the Byrd fight, the pain continued, culminating in a night where I couldn't even throw the money punch, my right hand.
"In retrospect, I should have told my wife, my team and my promoter, and they could have done something to postpone the fight while I got the right arm fixed, but I thought I could get through it on my own, and obviously I couldn't. I ended up fighting Byrd with one hand and still managed to keep the scorecards close."
Having already begun physical therapy, Williamson is expected to recover in six to eight weeks.
The procedure was performed Monday, when surgeons at Steadman-Hawkins Clinic removed a mass of scar tissue, 15 "foreign bodies," two bone spurs and fluid from the fighter's joint.
Hampered by the elbow, the 37-year-old Williamson (22-4) was unable to take advantage of the apparent rust on Chris Byrd as the challenger in the IBF heavyweight championship at the Reno Events Center on Oct. 1, losing a unanimous decision.
Judge Glen Trowbridge scored the fight 115-113, while judges Pat Russell and Doug Tucker had it 116-112. Byrd was fighting for the first time in 11 months due to problems with promoter Don King.
"I wish this is something that I had done prior to the Byrd fight," Williamson said in a statement released Wednesday. "I kept the pain in my right arm to myself because I didn't want to lose my opportunity at the IBF title, and my own warrior mentality told me that I could bite down and get through it. But the week of the Byrd fight, the pain continued, culminating in a night where I couldn't even throw the money punch, my right hand.
"In retrospect, I should have told my wife, my team and my promoter, and they could have done something to postpone the fight while I got the right arm fixed, but I thought I could get through it on my own, and obviously I couldn't. I ended up fighting Byrd with one hand and still managed to keep the scorecards close."
Having already begun physical therapy, Williamson is expected to recover in six to eight weeks.
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