Prichard Colon, a 30-year-old former professional boxer, has one of the saddest stories in the boxing world. At the age of 10, Colon moved to the island of Puerto Rico and began boxing. He decided to turn pro in 2013 when he was twenty-one years old. Between 2013 and 2015, he had a good record of 16-1. However, his final fight within the ropes, which was his only career loss, turned out to be his last.
Prichard Colon had a DQ loss during his October 2015 fight against Terrel Williams. He received several blows at the back of his head that went unnoticed by the referee; such also caused bleeding in his brain, and Colon collapsed in the dressing room.
Colon eventually went into a coma that spanned 221 days. He was in a vegetative state and bedridden, moving around in a wheelchair during this period. In 2021, the WBC announced that a piece of his skull had collapsed and was pressing against his brain. This required emergency surgery and the part of his skull was replaced with a plate.
Biography
| Name | Prichard Colón Meléndez |
| Age as of 2024 | 312 (as of September 27, 2024) |
| Relationship | Not Known Yet |
| Parents | Nieves Melendez and Richard Colón |
| Siblings | Natalie Colón Meléndez |
| Net Worth | Not exactly known yet |
| Race | Puerto Rican |
| Social Media |
Deontay Wilder got really emotional when he talked about Prichard Colon
He is currently in a post-coma unresponsive state, but his condition is stable and continues to improve. Deontay Wilder won the first-round KO in his last fight against Robert Helenius. Though he won the fight decisively, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was quite disappointed and talked about the hazards that boxers take while entering a ring.
While speaking about what happened to Prichard Colon, Deontay Wilder had this to say during a post-fight press conference:
“Yeah it’s a great knockout, it’s devastating, but how much is that man gonna suffer? And we’ve seen what happened. Look at Colon, Prichard Colon. This man didn’t have no kids. Y’all don’t f***ing understand what we go through man. And I don’t even know him like that, but I’ll always be an advocate for us.”
Prichard Colon will forever be a cautionary tale of combat sports
After a successful run of 16-0 in just two years, Colon met Terrell Williams at the Eagle Bank Arena in 2015. As one of the most active boxers in the field, Colon also boasted 13 KO wins. However, he could not emerge unscathed against Williams, a battle that turned out to be his last one in the ring.
Most of it should be put on the bad management and William’s illegal blows to the back of Colon’s head. Right from the start, Terrell Williams employed cheap tactics. Prichard Colon complained about getting hit with bad shots. Nevertheless, the referee did not give a definitive verdict as the fight went on.
Who is Prichard Colon?
Prichard Colón Meléndez is a Puerto Rican ex-professional boxer and honorary gold medalist at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship in the 64 kg category and WBC World Champion.
He was born on September 19, 1992. Prichard Colón was born in Maitland, Florida. His parents are Richard and Nieves Colón, retired servers.
When he was 10 years old, his father relocated to Puerto Rico so Prichard could compete on the island.
He went there with his sister while his mom and other brothers remained in Florida.
The family settled in the rural town of Orocovis, Puerto Rico. Colón started his career at the Albergue Olímpico in Salinas, Puerto Rico.
There, he got the nickname “Digget”, derived from the word ” digger ” signifying his height.
Following high school graduation, Colón enrolled in the University of Business Administration at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
In his early career, Colón was known as a five-time world champion in the 141 and 152lb classes. He also won the gold medal in the 64 kg weight category at the 2010 Title.
He qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London after winning a pass at Brazil’s Pre-Olympics but was knocked out by a Venezuelan fighter in the third round.
What happened to Prichard Colon?
Prichard Colon was injured in his fight against Terrel Williams in October 2015. It was found that the young prodigy had a subdural hematoma. In other words, a haemorrhage.
A hideous physical ailment that stole his career and his happiness as well. He soon lost consciousness, and when he regained it, his senses were gone.
Over the last eight years of his life, the fighter has been partially in a vegetative state.
With the non-surgical treatment and support of his family, the 31-year-old has progressed by leaps and bounds.
During fighting, he had several back-head hits that snuck through the cracks by a ref, drained his brain and Colon dropped in the dressing room.
Colon eventually slipped into a coma, which lasted for 221 days. At this point, he was in a vegetative state and bedridden; he moved around using a wheelchair.
In 2021, the WBC revealed that a portion of his skull imploded and was pressing against his mind.
The story of the 30-year-old former professional boxer Prichard Colon is one of the sadst stories in the world of boxing.
This necessitated a swift medical surgery, and that piece of his skull was replaced with a plate.
How is Prichard Colon now?
Prichard is recovering. He had a crisis hemicraniectomy to reduce brain swelling and remove the hematoma.
Colon has been in a coma for 221 days, now he is conscious and recovering. In 2021, the World Boxing Committee made a statement regarding Colon’s surgery. The Brooks Hospital professionals handle the recovery of Prichard Colon.
The latest videos of Colon’s mom on YouTube show how she can stay leaning against the wall.
Colon has also made progress in his development and continues to grow with time.
The interest in Prichard’s case peaked in the middle of 2021 when a TikTok clip about his condition went viral.
One month after the video was aired, Colon underwent an effective operation to repair a crack in his skull.
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The fight that left boxer Prichard Colon paralyzed
With a 16-0-0 (13 KO’s), the Puerto Rican fighter met American Terrel Williams on October 17, 2015, at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, to have a compromised scheduled fight between the Welter and the Super welter division. Williams was also an unbeaten prospect (14-0-0, 12 KO’s).
This was a tough fight for Colon because of the many rabbit punches from Williams, which have become less and less effective. Prichard fell on the seventh round after another hit in his nape; however, he did not surrender. In that round, the referee, Joe Cooper, took a point away from Terrel Williams.
The ninth round was the bottom line of Colon’s boxing career and his whole life. He was knocked down twice. He managed to keep on the fight, but his corner took out his gloves in a misunderstanding: They believed that the round was finished, but it was not. He was immediately disqualified.
Prichard Colon was led to his dressing room, but there, the collapse occurred. He got lightheaded, could not stay in his place and vomited. He was transported in an ambulance to the Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he underwent surgery but eventually slipped into a coma for more than seven months due to brain damage as a result of blows received during the fight.
He is diagnosed with an unresponsive wakefulness state, which is also referred to as a vegetative state. Colon can breathe on his own; he needs help for everything else. Today, Prichard Colon is now 29 years old, and he was operated on in the year 2021 as a result of brain pressure after his skull caved in. Luckily, everything turned out fine for the former Puerto Rican boxer.
People May Ask
What happened to Prichard Colon?
On March 29, 2015, after a match with Terrel Williams in which he was hit on the back of his head, Colón collapsed in the locker room and fell into coma for 221 days due to brain hemorrhage. He was later in a permanent vegetative state and could not speak.
What is the rule of Prichard Colon?
The “Prichard Colón rule” was introduced by the WBC in 2016 as a deterrent and punishment for rabbit punches, which are blows to the back of the neck.
Who ended Prichard Colon’s career?
One of the most heart-breaking stories in boxing history is that of Prichard Colon. The Terrel Williams bout in October 2015 dealt a career-ending head injury to the American-born Puerto Rican, who became comatose and was never able to recover consciousness.
Was the opponent of Prichard Colon ever apologetic?
Williams has never publicly apologized to Colon or his family for what happened on that sorrowful night. It has been reported that he may have privately apologized to some sources.
What boxer was paralyzed by an illegal punch?
Over the years, Boxer, who left Prichard Colon paralyzed, had been through a traumatic time himself. The lives of Terrel Williams and Prichard Colon would never be the same after their bout on October 17, 2015. Colon was illegally struck in the back of his head several times.
What is the number of fights that Prichard Colon won?
Prichard Colon Melendez is a Puerto Rican professional boxer who has won 16 of his 17 fights.
