19.10.05 – Denver, Colo. — DaVarryl Williamson underwent successful surgery on October 17, 2005 on his right elbow. Surgeons at the world famous Steadman-Hawkins Clinic spent two hours removing a mass of scar tissue, 15 “foreign bodies,” two bone spurs and fluid from the joint.
“I wish this is something that I had done prior to the Byrd fight” said Williamson. “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. If I had been functioning with two hands, I know I would have won that fight and given the fight fans the type of championship fight they deserved. Anyone who saw me that night knows that was not the usual action-packed “Touch of Sleep,” but what can I say, I have to take the good with the bad, get this elbow right, and then go back to work as soon as possible.”
Physical therapy has already commenced and Williamson is looking at approximately 6-8 weeks to recover. Doctors were very optimistic in Williamson’s return as he is already pain free and there was no structural damage to any muscle, tendons or ligaments, and it was simply a matter of removing the foreign bodies and freeing the joint of obstructions.
About Steadman-Hawkins:
The Steadman-Hawkins Sports Clinic has been key to the medical breakthroughs that have returned athletes, like Bruce Smith, Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Kobe Bryant, Jeff Bagwell, John Elway, Picabo Street, Greg Norman, Bode Miller and many more – back to competition in better shape than when they were competing at even their highest level.