Prichard Colon has died aged 33, more than a decade after a devastating brain injury suffered during his 2015 fight against Terrel Williams. He underwent emergency surgery and spent 221 days in a coma. After leaving hospital in 2016, Colon needed constant care and could no longer walk or speak normally.
The Puerto Rican boxer collapsed after the bout and was later found to have a serious brain bleed. His death comes after years of living with the effects of that injury. The exact medical cause of his death has not been publicly detailed by his family or doctors.
During the bout, Colon complained about punches to the back of his head. A referee had also warned Williams about the illegal blows. After the ninth round, Colon’s corner removed his gloves, believing the fight was over, and he was disqualified. He then became unwell in the dressing room, vomited and collapsed. Doctors found a large subdural hematoma, or bleeding around the brain. He needed an emergency hemicraniectomy to reduce pressure and remove the blood. There has been no public statement giving a separate, specific medical cause of death.
Colón’s death followed the severe brain injury he suffered during his October 17, 2015 fight with Terrel Williams in Fairfax, Virginia. The known link is to the serious brain damage Colon had lived with since the 2015 fight.
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His family spent years caring for him. Court records confirm the case was connected to the brain injury Colon suffered that night. The boxing world paid tribute following his death. “The WBO family mourns the passing of Prichard Colon, whose courage, strength, and fighting spirit transcended the ring.
In 2017, his parents filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million from the ringside doctor and promoters over the circumstances surrounding the fight.
The WBO said: “A warrior until the very end.
