Prichard Colón, 33, Passes Away Years After a Bout Left Him Forever Changed — and Fans Are Pointing Fingers

Prichard Colón's father spent years hoping to fulfill one of his son's wishes. Now, he has announced the former boxer's death at 33.

Richard Colón's announcement brought an outpouring of tributes while reopening questions about the 2015 fight that ended his son's boxing career and the decisions that followed.

Richard announced his son's death on Facebook. In a message translated from Spanish, he wrote, "Good morning my people. I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world, NOW HE IS in a better world."

Richard also shared a wish he had been unable to fulfill. "I did everything possible to fulfill HIS WISH, HIS DREAM of bringing him ON VACATION to Puerto Rico as much as he desired but COULDN'T," Richard explained.

He thanked supporters for "so many years of love and prayers" and asked them to continue praying for the family. The announcement did not provide a cause of death.

Some Netizens Blamed Williams and the Referee

On Instagram, one netizen said, "Referee and Williams should have been charged with something when it happened." Another user shared, "Where's Terrel and the referee now they should both go to jail."

A third focused on Prichard's death rather than blame, writing, "One of the saddest stories 💔💔💔 RIP 🕊️."

On Facebook, some commenters posted tributes to Prichard after news of his death. One person remarked, "This one hurt bad man. God bless his family. R.I.P. Champ."

Another wrote, "Very sad news I thought he was getting better in recent history. Rest in peace Prichard." Someone else shared, "Our hearts are broken over this news RIP Champ you are loved 💔."

Boxing Organizations Joined the Tributes

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) remembered Prichard for his courage, resilience, and the support he received from his family throughout the years after his boxing career ended, according to its official statement on X.

Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) also offered condolences to Prichard’s family and loved ones and marked his life with the years 1992-2026, as stated in its official Facebook post.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) wrote, "We mourn the passing of Prichard Colón." It called him a "true warrior" and said he left lessons about life, resilience and boxing, according to its Instagram post.

Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council (WBC), also paid tribute to Prichard in a post on X, highlighting the years of care provided by Prichard’s mother, Nieves, his father and the friends who remained close to him.

Before his career ended, Prichard had built a 16-1 professional record. BoxRec lists the Puerto Rican super welterweight as having fought 17 times from 2013 to 2015, with 13 wins by knockout, according to its official fighter database.

The Injury That Ended Colón's Boxing Career

Prichard faced Terrel Williams on October 17, 2015, in Fairfax, Virginia. According to a 2017 ESPN report, Prichard suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of the bout and was rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital with his mother, Nieves Melendez, at his side.

There, a CT scan revealed a subdural hematoma. Doctors performed emergency brain surgery to relieve pressure on his skull, but the outlet reported that it was too late to restore Prichard to anything resembling the athlete who had entered the ring hours earlier.

"It's a nightmare," Nieves told ESPN. "Everything changed that day, that night, [it] was awful."

The fight footage shows several disciplinary incidents. In the fifth round, Prichard was penalized two points for a low blow. Terrel was docked one point in the seventh round for a punch to the back of Prichard's head.

Terrel knocked Prichard down twice in the ninth round. After the round, Prichard's corner began removing his gloves because they mistakenly believed the scheduled 10-round fight had ended.

Prichard did not continue into the 10th round and was disqualified, giving Terrel the victory. The events that followed went far beyond the official result.

Prichard Colón's Parents Filed a Multimillion-Dollar Lawsuit

In 2017, Prichard's parents filed a lawsuit seeking more than $50 million from ringside physician Dr. Richard Ashby and promoters connected to the fight, according to ESPN's Outside the Lines.

The lawsuit alleged medical malpractice by Ashby and negligence by co-promoters HeadBangers Boxing and DiBella Entertainment.

The complaint alleged that Ashby failed to act after Prichard repeatedly indicated that the back of his head hurt. It also alleged that Prichard reported dizziness and pain in the back of his head during the seventh round after a punch from Terrel sent him to the canvas.

The family further alleged that Ashby lacked the background needed to adequately protect the fighters. The lawsuit also raised a possible conflict of interest because Ashby worked as a boxing promoter.

The promoters were accused of failing to provide a physician with the necessary qualifications and of failing to follow proper procedures for possible brain injuries. ESPN reported that boxing did not have an industry-wide traumatic brain injury protocol at the time.

Dr. John Stiller, chief physician and neurologist for the Maryland State Athletic Commission, told Outside the Lines that he watched the fight live and later reviewed a recording.

"The fight should have been stopped at that moment [in the seventh round], and I still cannot think of a medically sound reason it wasn't," Dr. John said.

He said a boxer reporting headache and dizziness after blows to the head required an immediate stoppage. In his view, ending the bout in the seventh round would have given Prichard "the best chance to limit the evolving injury."

ESPN reported that Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) investigated the fight and concluded that no single action justified placing blame on one person for Prichard's condition. The department's report appears to be no longer available through the link cited by the outlet.

The investigation also noted that David Holland, who headed Virginia's boxing program, believed referee Joseph Cooper could have been more aggressive in controlling the foul-heavy fight.

Richard Colón Protested Terrel Williams' 2018 Weigh-In

In September 2018, Richard protested at a PBC weigh-in at Barclays Center in New York, where Terrel was scheduled to appear on an undercard.

Richard carried signs calling for reform in boxing and criticizing the promotion of fighters he believed had fought dangerously.

Richard said his goal was not to undo what had happened to his son. "I don't want people to get hurt," Richard said after the protest. "This isn't going to cure my son, I just don't want other families to go through what we've been through."

Terrel Williams Denied Trying to Hurt Prichard Colón

Terre addressed Prichard's condition three days after the fight in an October 20, 2015, interview with the Los Angeles Times. By then, Prichard had undergone brain surgery and remained in a coma.

"My heart dropped, my stomach dropped. I’m praying for him multiple times daily to make a full recovery," Terrel said. "I cannot enjoy this victory. I'm worried about Prichard."

Terrel described the bout as difficult from the start. He called Prichard sharp, strong and fast and said he saw no obvious weaknesses in him, adding that he considered the then-23-year-old a future world champion.

The fight also included fouls from both boxers. Prichard lost two points for a low blow in the fifth round, while Terrel lost a point for punches behind the head in the seventh.

Terrel denied intentionally using dirty tactics. He said the intensity of a fight could result in punches landing where they were not intended and maintained that neither boxer had tried to cause permanent harm.

"But I know from my end, I didn't do anything maliciously,” he told the newspaper, adding that he did not believe Prichard had acted maliciously either. "I have nothing but respect for the fighter."

Terrel said he briefly spoke to Prichard after the fight, before learning how serious his condition was. He recalled telling him, "You're a true champion. Keep your chin up. Don't let this deter you. You're going to bounce back."

At the end of the interview, Terrel again asked for a full recovery.

"Prichard Colon, you’re in my prayers. I wish you a full, speedy recovery and thank you for showing me so much about myself," Terrel said. "You're a strong, great, gifted fighter and I wish you nothing but the best. I'm here to support you in any way I can. God bless you and your family."

When ESPN's Outside the Lines revisited the case in 2017, it reported that Terrel had not fought since the Prichard bout. The outlet said its more recent requests for interviews with Terrel and his trainer, Joe Goossen, had gone unanswered.

For those who followed Prichard long after he left the ring, his death marks the end of a story that continued far beyond his final fight. The tributes now being shared show how many people remained invested in him until the end.