‘A true warrior’: Boxer Prichard Colon dies 11 years after devastating collapse in ring
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Prichard Colon succumbed on Aug 13 to his head injuries sustained in a bout in 2015, which left him unable to live on his own without his family’s care for more than a decade.
PHOTO: WBCBOXING/INSTAGRAM
- Prichard Colon, a promising boxer with a 16-0 record, died at 33 from brain injuries sustained in a 2015 fight that left him unable to speak or care for himself.
- During the 2015 bout, Colon suffered illegal blows to the head, collapsed multiple times, and was disqualified; he underwent emergency brain surgery but remained severely disabled.
- The boxing community honoured Colon as a "true warrior," while his family continues legal action against fight officials and promoters over his injuries.
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Prichard Colon was “a warrior until the very end” – simple but poignant words that the World Boxing Organization (WBO) used to describe him in a post on its X account.
The Puerto Rican was once a promising boxer with a 16-0 win-loss record and 13 knockouts.
But on Aug 13, he succumbed to his head injuries sustained in a bout in 2015, which left him unable to talk, walk or live on his own without his family’s care for more than a decade. He was 33.
Colon’s father confirmed his death, as reported by American daily USA Today.
“I did everything possible to fulfil his wish, his dream of bringing him on vacation to Puerto Rico as much as he desired but couldn’t,” Richard Colon wrote on Facebook.
The boxer lived in Florida after his devastating bout. His family had been with him for the past 11 years.
On Oct 17, 2015, a 23-year-old Colon took on fellow undefeated boxer Terrel Williams in a super welterweight bout at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.
During the intense fight, he had complained to the referee, Joseph Cooper, about his opponent for illegal “rabbit punching” – repeatedly landing blows to the back of the head.
American fighter Williams lost a point for that offence in the seventh round after Colon went down, placing his gloves on the back of his head. Something did not seem right, but the battle continued.
Colon fell to the mat twice more in the ninth round and was disqualified after his corner mistakenly took off his gloves, thinking that it was the end of the 10-round contest and that it was complete.
He collapsed again in the changing room, vomited, displayed confusion and lost consciousness before he was rushed to hospital.
Doctors diagnosed that he had suffered bleeding in his brain, and he underwent emergency surgery. However, it was too late.
Colon was left with severe neurological aftereffects and fell into a coma for 221 days. His career ended that night, but his battle had only just begun.
He subsequently underwent years of therapy but never regained speech nor mobility, and needed his mother by his side for full-time care.
In 2021, he had another major brain surgery but never fully recovered.
His family filed a lawsuit against the ringside doctor and the fight promoters. The case has yet to be resolved, according to Newsweek.
The World Boxing Council, which in 2021 made Colon an honorary world champion, called him a “true warrior”.
PHOTO: WBC
The World Boxing Council, which, along with the WBO, is one of the world’s four major boxing sanctioning bodies, in 2021 made Colon an honorary world champion and called him a “true warrior”.
“Prichard showed a level of strength and courage that transcended the boxing community and inspired people around the world throughout his journey... Prichard’s fighting spirit will never be forgotten.”
