Former professional boxer Prichard Colón died on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at age 33, his father announced. No cause of death has been made public.
Colón’s father, Richard Colón, who was also his trainer, confirmed the death in a Facebook post: “I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world. He is now in a better place.” A World Boxing Organization executive, Paco Valcárcel, separately confirmed the death to the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Día.
Key facts
- Who: Prichard Colón, a former undefeated Puerto Rican boxing prospect
- What: Died Thursday, August 13, 2026, at age 33; no cause of death made public
- Pro record: 16-1, 13 knockouts — he was unbeaten at 16-0 until a disqualification in his final fight, the only loss of his career
- Amateur record: 170-15, five national championships, gold at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championships
- The injury: Suffered a subdural hematoma after an October 17, 2015 bout against Terrel Williams; spent 221 days in a coma and needed full-time care afterward
- Lawsuit: His parents sought more than $50 million in 2017, alleging negligence by ringside physician Dr. Richard Ashby
- Honor: The World Boxing Council gave him an honorary world championship belt in 2021
Undefeated prospect before the injury
Colón was an undefeated Puerto Rican boxing prospect, 16-0 with 13 knockouts as a professional after a decorated amateur career — a 170-15 record, five national championships, and a gold medal at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championships — before a single fight in October 2015, when he was 23, changed the course of his life. He never fought again.
The fight that ended his career
That fight took place on October 17, 2015, at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, against Terrel Williams. During the bout, Colón repeatedly told referee Joe Cooper that he was being hit illegally in the back of the head. Officials deducted points from both fighters over the course of the fight: in the fifth round, Colón was docked two points for a low blow, and in the seventh round, Williams was docked one point for a blow behind Colón’s head, according to Premier Boxing Champions and the Washington Times.
Colón was knocked down in the ninth round. After that round ended, his corner began removing his gloves, apparently believing the fight was already over. When the bell rang to start the tenth round, the gloves could not be put back on in time, and Colón was disqualified for failing to answer the bell. It was the only loss of his career, leaving his final professional record at 16-1.
Coma and years of full-time care
Colón collapsed and vomited in the locker room afterward. He was taken to a hospital, diagnosed with a subdural hematoma — bleeding between the skull and the brain — and underwent emergency surgery. He then spent 221 days in a coma.
When he woke, he could not walk or speak normally, and he needed round-the-clock care for the rest of his life, provided mainly by his parents, Richard and Nieves Colón, in the Orlando, Florida area. Accounts of how much he recovered differ: some reporting described him as remaining severely disabled, while other accounts say he was later able to communicate with the help of a computer. Boxing writer Dan Rafael reported that family videos showed some gradual improvement over the years that followed, though he never regained the ability to speak on his own.
His father told Rafael’s newsletter that the family had hoped to take him on a long-wanted trip to Puerto Rico: “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.”
Cause of death not yet confirmed
No cause of death has been released by the family, a medical examiner, or any other official. Boxing writer Dan Rafael, who has followed Colón’s case for years, wrote in his Substack newsletter that whether the death was connected to the 2015 brain injury is unclear. El Nuevo Día reported that Colón’s body had been taken for an autopsy; no results had been made public as of Thursday.
Investigation and lawsuit
A Virginia state investigation into the 2015 fight, completed in 2016, found insufficient evidence to place blame on any single person. In 2017, Colón’s parents filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million, alleging that ringside physician Dr. Richard Ashby was negligent in allowing the fight to continue; the suit initially also named the event’s promoters, who were later dropped from the case. No public settlement or verdict involving the doctor has been reported since.
Tributes and reaction
In 2021, the World Boxing Council gave Colón an honorary world championship belt in recognition of his resilience. WorldBoxingNews reported in January 2016 that the WBC said it would require referees to give fighters a pre-fight locker-room warning about blows to the back of the head, and to warn, deduct points from, or disqualify boxers who commit them during a bout — an initiative that outlets have since informally called the “Prichard Colón rule,” though it has not been independently confirmed as a formally adopted WBC rule.
Following his death, Gustavo Olivieri, president of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) — a separate governing body from the WBC — said the organization would “solemnly join his family and all those who had the privilege of knowing, supporting, and loving him in mourning his passing.” Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González said she would declare a day of mourning for Colón.
No public comment from Williams, Colón’s opponent in the 2015 fight, had been reported as of Thursday. He was never charged with a crime over the fight; in a 2019 interview, he said the incident “affected his life forever” and that he thinks about it every day.
What’s next
No funeral or memorial arrangements had been announced as of Thursday.