Former boxer Prichard Colon dies at 33, nearly 11 years after ring injury
Prichard Colon, a Puerto Rican welterweight who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a 2015 fight against Terrel Williams, died Thursday at age 33. He was left in a persistent vegetative state after the bout and remained under family care for the past decade. His father announced the death on Facebook.
Prichard Colon, a professional boxer from Puerto Rico, died Thursday at age 33, nearly 11 years after sustaining a traumatic brain injury during a welterweight fight in October 2015.
Colon's father, Richard Colon, confirmed his son's death on Facebook in Spanish, saying: "I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from his earthly world. He is now in a better place. I did everything possible to fulfill his wish, his dream of bringing him on vacation to Puerto Rico as he so deeply wanted, but it could not be done."
During the October 2015 bout against Terrel Williams at a venue in Fairfax, Virginia, Colon repeatedly complained about blows to the back of the head and was knocked down once, according to ESPN's reporting. The injuries left him in a persistent vegetative state, and he remained under family care for the past decade. At the time of his injury, Colon was 23 years old and held a professional record of 16-0 with 13 knockouts.
A 2016 investigative report by the state of Virginia examined the circumstances surrounding Colon's injury. The report stated that while "Colon's medical condition following the contest against Williams is tragic, there is not one action so apparent and/or egregious to justify laying blame on one person."
Following news of Colon's death, boxing organizations issued statements honoring his legacy. The World Boxing Organization president Gustavo Olivieri lauded Colon for his "courage, perseverance, and an extraordinary fighting spirit" in the wake of his injuries. The World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association each called Colon "a true warrior" in statements posted on X.
The precise medical cause of Colon's death and whether it is directly attributable to the 2015 brain injury are not confirmed in the available sources.
Colon died Thursday at 33, nearly 11 years after sustaining a traumatic brain injury during an October 2015 welterweight fight in Fairfax, Virginia.
Colon's death marks the conclusion of a decade-long chapter in boxing involving a severe ring injury, regulatory investigation, and persistent questions about fighter safety and medical oversight in the sport. The sources confirm the injury and its lasting effects but do not establish the direct medical cause of his death.
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