{"id":355143,"date":"2026-08-14T21:58:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/former-boxer-prichard-colon-dies-at-33-nearly-11-years-after-life-altering-brain-injury"},"modified":"2026-08-14T21:58:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T02:58:23","slug":"former-boxer-prichard-colon-dies-at-33-nearly-11-years-after-life-altering-brain-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/former-boxer-prichard-colon-dies-at-33-nearly-11-years-after-life-altering-brain-injury","title":{"rendered":"Former Boxer Prichard Col\u00f3n Dies at 33, Almost 11 Years After Life-Altering Mind Harm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>Former professional boxer Prichard Col\u00f3n has died at 33, nearly 11 years after a catastrophic brain injury ended one of boxing\u2019s most promising young careers.<\/p>\n<p>Col\u00f3n\u2019s father and former trainer, Richard Col\u00f3n, announced his son\u2019s death on Aug. 13. \u201cI regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world,\u201d he wrote in Spanish, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmz.com\/2026\/08\/13\/boxer-prichard-colon-dead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TMZ<\/a>, while thanking supporters for years of love and prayers.<\/p>\n<p>Richard also said he had hoped to fulfill his son\u2019s wish of taking another vacation to Puerto Rico but had been unable to do so. Col\u00f3n\u2019s mother, Nieves Mel\u00e9ndez, separately thanked the people who had supported her son and family throughout his lengthy recovery.<\/p>\n<p>No cause of death has been publicly announced. Col\u00f3n had lived with severe disabilities since suffering a traumatic brain injury during his Oct. 17, 2015 fight against Terrel Williams in Fairfax, Virginia.<\/p>\n<h2>Col\u00f3n Entered His Final Fight With a 16-0 Record<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Colon vs. Williams HIGHLIGHTS: Oct. 17, 2015 - PBC on NBC\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vng2i5_eswM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Col\u00f3n was 23 and considered a rising prospect when he faced Williams at EagleBank Arena. He entered the 10-round welterweight fight with a 16-0 professional record and 13 knockouts.<\/p>\n<p>During the bout, Col\u00f3n repeatedly complained about punches landing behind his head. Premier Boxing Champions\u2019 contemporary account shows that referee Joe Cooper deducted one point from Williams in the seventh round after a punch to the back of Col\u00f3n\u2019s head. Earlier, Cooper had deducted two points from Col\u00f3n for an intentional low blow.<\/p>\n<p>The ninth round brought two knockdowns. After the round ended, Col\u00f3n\u2019s corner began removing his gloves because they mistakenly believed the scheduled fight was over. When they tried to put them back on, officials ruled that Col\u00f3n had failed to answer the bell for the 10th round and disqualified him.<\/p>\n<p>The consequences quickly became far more serious than the result on his record. Col\u00f3n had complained of dizziness, and after returning to the dressing room he vomited, collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors found a severe brain bleed, and he underwent emergency surgery. Col\u00f3n subsequently spent 221 days in a coma, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/boxing\/story\/_\/id\/49601738\/former-boxer-colon-dies-decade-suffering-brain-injury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a>. He never boxed professionally again.<\/p>\n<h2>His Family Supported Years of Rehabilitation<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Prichard Colon Terapia 08\/02\/2023\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XxNQRzbY-Wc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Col\u00f3n required extensive care after the injury, with his parents becoming central figures in his daily life and rehabilitation. His recovery eventually brought him to Brooks Rehabilitation in Florida. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/brooksrehab.org\/resources\/fighting-a-new-opponent-brain-injury\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brooks account of his treatment<\/a>, Col\u00f3n began working with the organization\u2019s outpatient programs after an evaluation in late 2017 and made progress through physical, occupational and speech therapy.<\/p>\n<p>Therapists discovered that he could use his eyes to communicate through an augmentative and alternative communication device. Over time, Brooks documented improvements that included increased movement in his arms and legs, assisted standing and walking and the ability to communicate wants and needs.<\/p>\n<p>Luke Davidson, an outpatient center manager at Brooks Rehabilitation, told ESPN after Col\u00f3n\u2019s death that the former boxer continued making \u201cslow but steady progress\u201d physically. \u201cPrichard was and continues to be an inspiration for every patient and therapist who knew him at Brooks,\u201d Davidson said, remembering his sense of humor, love of music and willingness to challenge therapists during exercises.<\/p>\n<h2>The 2015 Fight Was Investigated After Col\u00f3n\u2019s Injury<\/h2>\n<p>The circumstances surrounding Col\u00f3n\u2019s final fight became the subject of scrutiny well beyond the boxing ring. A Virginia state investigation examined the officiating, medical response and other events surrounding the bout. According to ESPN, the 2016 investigative report concluded that while Col\u00f3n\u2019s condition was tragic, there was no single action \u201cso apparent and\/or egregious\u201d that investigators believed responsibility could be placed on one person.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, Col\u00f3n\u2019s parents filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million from ringside physician Richard Ashby and promoters connected with the event. The lawsuit alleged failures involving Col\u00f3n\u2019s medical care and the safety measures surrounding the fight. Williams and referee Cooper were not named as defendants in that lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The case focused renewed attention on key moments during the bout, including Col\u00f3n\u2019s repeated complaints about punches behind the head, his report of dizziness and the medical decision that allowed him to continue fighting. PEOPLE reported after Col\u00f3n\u2019s death that the lawsuit remains unresolved.<\/p>\n<h2>Col\u00f3n\u2019s Recovery Became a Fight of Its Own<\/h2>\n<p>Brooks Rehabilitation said that when Col\u00f3n first arrived for treatment, doctors and family members had struggled to determine how much he understood about what was happening around him.<\/p>\n<p>Speech-language therapist Alisha Russell later used eye-gaze technology to establish that he could answer yes-or-no questions in both English and Spanish. Brooks said that provided evidence that Col\u00f3n was aware and capable of communicating.<\/p>\n<p>Physical and occupational therapy brought other gains. Brooks documented Col\u00f3n progressing from having little voluntary movement to moving parts of his body and standing with assistance. His mother remained deeply involved throughout that process.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Boxing Organizations Paid Tribute After His Death<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Db_BdNhR0jE\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>World Boxing Organization president Gustavo Olivieri praised Col\u00f3n\u2019s courage and perseverance after his injury. \u201cPrichard\u2019s life was defined by courage, perseverance, and an extraordinary fighting spirit,\u201d Olivieri said in a statement reported by ESPN. \u201cHis story transcended the ring and deeply touched the boxing community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association also issued tributes, each remembering Col\u00f3n as a \u201ctrue warrior.\u201d The WBC had previously honored him as an honorary champion in 2021.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/> <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/former-boxer-prichard-colon-dies-at-33-nearly-11-years-after-life-altering-brain-injury\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former professional boxer Prichard Col\u00f3n has died at 33, nearly 11 years after a catastrophic brain injury ended one of boxing\u2019s most promising young careers. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":355146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4557],"tags":[2797,31517,31518,31515,31520,609,3778,31516,4022,412,31519],"class_list":["post-355143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","tag-boxer","tag-eaglebank","tag-gustavo-olivieri","tag-joe-cooper","tag-luke-davidson","tag-president","tag-puerto-rico","tag-terrel-williams","tag-therapist","tag-virginia","tag-world-boxing-council"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355143"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355145,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355143\/revisions\/355145"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}