Former Boxer Prichard Colón Passes Away at 33

Former boxer from Puerto Rico, Prichard Colón, has died at 33 years old.

He passed away on Thursday. This comes nearly 11 years after a serious brain injury ended his boxing career.

Colón’s father and former coach, Richard Colón, shared the sad news on Facebook. He wrote, “Good morning my people. I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world, now he is in a better world.”

He continued, “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. Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers.”

Colón was a former junior middleweight boxer. He had an impressive professional record of 16 wins and no losses, with 13 of those wins coming by knockout. He was seen as a rising star in boxing until his career ended in October 2015.

During a fight against American boxer Terrel Williams, he suffered a brain bleed. This happened at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. He was knocked down twice in the ninth round after taking many hits to the back of the head, also known as rabbit punches. His corner then decided to stop the fight.

Colón was taken to the hospital. Doctors found he had a subdural hematoma and needed emergency surgery. He spent 221 days in a coma and never regained the ability to walk or talk. He depended on years of rehab and family care for the rest of his life.

His injury changed boxing rules. In 2016, the World Boxing Council created the “Prichard Colón Rule.” This rule means there is no tolerance for hits to the back of the head.

His parents filed a $50 million lawsuit in 2017. They took action against the ringside doctor and promoters involved in the fight.

Prichard Colón was born on September 19, 1992, in Maitland, Florida. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship while boxing as an amateur.