Former Puerto Rican boxer Prichard Colón has died at the age of 33, nearly 11 years after a brain injury suffered during a professional fight left him in a persistent vegetative state.
His father and former coach, Richard Colón, announced his death in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world,” he wrote, thanking those who had supported the family with love and prayers over the years.
Colón was regarded as one of boxing’s promising young prospects before his career ended in October 2015.
The former junior middleweight held a professional record of 16 wins, no defeats and 13 knockouts. He also won gold at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship as an amateur.
Colón suffered a brain bleed during his fight against American boxer Terrel Williams at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.
He was knocked down twice in the ninth round after taking repeated blows to the back of the head. His corner then stopped the fight.
Colón was taken to hospital, where doctors diagnosed a subdural hematoma that required emergency surgery. He spent 221 days in a coma and never regained the ability to walk or speak, relying on family care and rehabilitation for the rest of his life.
The injury led the World Boxing Council to introduce the Prichard Colón Rule in 2016, requiring zero tolerance for blows to the back of the head.
In 2017, Colón’s parents filed a $50 million lawsuit against the ringside doctor and promoters linked to the bout.
