Former boxer dies at age 33 after spending 221 days in a coma

In a post on social media, Richard mourned the loss of his son and thanked him for the support received by his family over the last few years.

"I regret to inform you of the death of my son Prichard from this earthly world. Now he is in a better world," he wrote. The father also said that he wanted to take the former fighter back to Puerto Rico, but was unable to carry out the plan.

Fight changed Prichard Colón's trajectory

Prichard Colón's career was interrupted on October 17, 2015, during a fight against Terrel Williams, in Fairfax, in the state of Virginia. Until then undefeated as a professional, the Puerto Rican had accumulated 16 victories, 13 of which were by knockout.

During the fight, Colón received several blows to the back of the head, an area where punches are prohibited under boxing rules. The athlete even complained to referee Joseph Cooper. In the seventh round, Williams lost a point for one of these blows.

In the ninth round, Colón was knocked down twice. At the end of the round, members of his team removed their gloves as they believed the fight was over. When they realized that there was still one more round left, they tried to replace them, but the referee ended the fight and disqualified the Puerto Rican.

Shortly afterwards, in the locker room, the boxer felt sick, vomited and lost consciousness. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors identified a subdural hematoma, caused by a hemorrhage between the brain and one of its membranes. Colón had to undergo emergency surgery.

Boxer spent 221 days in a coma

Prichard remained in a coma for 221 days. After waking up, he suffered serious neurological consequences and lost the ability to walk, in addition to facing communication difficulties.

In the following years, the former athlete remained under the care of his family and underwent rehabilitation treatments. His mother, Nieves Colón, closely followed her son's routine and frequently shared records of his progress on social media.

Born in the United States and raised in Puerto Rico, Prichard was considered a promising boxer before the episode that ended his career. During his time as an amateur, he won national titles and a gold medal at the 2010 Pan-American Youth Championship.

Case sparked debate about safety in boxing

What happened to Prichard Colón had wide repercussions in the sport and reignited discussions about the protection of fighters, especially in relation to illegal strikes and medical care during competitions.

In 2017, the boxer's parents filed a lawsuit related to the care provided on the day of the fight and the organization of the event.

Over the years, Colón has received tributes from entities and professionals linked to boxing. The World Boxing Council (WBC) even awarded him the title of honorary champion.

Real Madrid player surrenders to Mourinho: “It’s a dream to work with him”

Jude Bellingham returned to Real Madrid's pre-season work after participating in the final phase of the World Cup and spoke, this Thursday, for the first time to the Spanish club's official channels.