Prichard Colon, boxer who lived 11 years after devastating brain injury, dies aged 33
Prichard Colon, the Puerto Rican boxer who spent more than a decade in a vegetative state after suffering a catastrophic brain injury in a 2015 fight, has died at the age of 33. His father, Richard Colon, confirmed the news on Facebook. BBC Sport
Colon died on 13 August 2026, eleven years after the fight that changed his life.
He was 23 years old and undefeated — 16 wins, 13 by knockout — when he stepped into the ring against Terrell Williams in Fairfax, Virginia on 17 October 2015. The light-middleweight bout (at 154 pounds) was supposed to be another step forward for a rising prospect from Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Instead, it became one of the most distressing episodes in recent boxing history.
During the contest, Colon repeatedly complained to the referee about punches landing to the back of his head — blows known as "rabbit punches," which are illegal because they target the base of the skull and can damage the brain stem. Williams was deducted a point for those strikes. Colon himself was docked two points for a low blow and was knocked down in the ninth round. After that, his corner removed his gloves, and he was disqualified. BBC Sport
What happened next turned a boxing result into a life-altering emergency. Colon collapsed in the changing room. Doctors discovered a subdural hematoma — bleeding between the brain and its outer membrane — that required immediate surgery. He was placed in a coma for 221 days to reduce the swelling. Bleacher Report BBC Sport
He never recovered. Colon lived the rest of his life in a vegetative state, unable to walk or talk, requiring round-the-clock care. His parents filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50m (£37m) in damages against the ringside doctor and the promoters connected to the fight. That case remains unsettled. BBC Sport
Colon's Instagram account, still bearing his fighting record of 16-0 with 13 KOs, described him as a professional boxer and CEO of DiggetTime, based between Orlando and Miami.
His story has shadowed boxing's conversation about fighter safety ever since. The back-of-the-head blows he complained about, the delayed medical response, and the years of suffering that followed have been cited in debates about referee intervention, ringside medical protocols, and the long-term cost of a sport built on head trauma.
Colon never got the chance to fight again. He was 33.
