BOXER PRICHARD COLÓN DIES AT 33, 11 YEARS AFTER FIGHT COMA
Prichard Colón, the Puerto Rican former boxer who spent 221 days in a coma after a 2015 fight in Virginia, has died at 33, his father announced on Facebook on August 13, 2026. Colón suffered a brain injury after taking repeated blows to the back of the head, and his family cared for him around the clock for the 11 years that followed.
His father, Richard Colón, shared the news in a post that began, “Good morning, my people.” The Independent reported the death.
“I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world. Now he is in a better world.”
He then wrote about a wish he could not grant. “I did everything possible to fulfil his wish, his dream of bringing him on vacation to Puerto Rico as he so deeply wanted, but it could not be done,” he wrote, ESPN reported.
“Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers,” he added, according to The Ring.
The fight in Fairfax
Colón was a rising star before it happened. He won national amateur titles at 141 and 152 pounds and fought at the Brazil Pre-Olympics for a place at the 2012 London Games, though he lost in the first round. He turned pro that year, made his debut in February 2013, and won his first 16 fights, 13 of them by knockout.
On October 17, 2015, he met Terrel Williams in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout in Fairfax, Virginia, The Athletic reported. Colón complained during the fight about blows to the back of his head, and ESPN reported he was knocked down once by such punches.
The Independent reported that he told the referee, but the fight went on. He was docked two points for a low blow, then floored in the ninth round. His corner removed his gloves, believing the fight was over. Instead, Colón was disqualified, the only defeat of his career.
Afterward, he vomited and collapsed in the dressing room, Al Jazeera reported. At the hospital he was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma and underwent emergency surgery to reduce the swelling in his brain and remove the blood.
Years of care
He then spent 221 days in a coma. ESPN reported that when he came out of it, he remained in a persistent vegetative state. The Independent reported he could not speak without computer assistance.
His parents filed a $50 million lawsuit in 2017 against the ringside doctor and promoters connected with the fight, ESPN reported. The same account said a Virginia state investigative report found no single action sufficiently apparent or egregious to justify assigning blame to one person.
ABC News Australia reported that by 2019 Colón could communicate using facial gestures, verbal sounds and a computer that tracked his eye movements. He could also pedal a recumbent bike.
Tributes from boxing
The World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Association both paid tribute on X, with ESPN reporting that the groups called Colón “a true warrior.” The WBC also called him an “eternal champion,” according to ABC13.
The World Boxing Organization said it received the news “with profound sorrow.” WBO president Gustavo Olivieri praised Colón’s “courage, perseverance, and an extraordinary fighting spirit.”
ESPN later updated its report with comments from Davidson, a therapist who worked with Colón. Davidson described slow, steady physical progress and said Colón communicated through head nods and facial expressions.
“Prichard was and continues to be an inspiration for every patient and therapist who knew him at Brooks.”
