Where the Boxer Is After Prichard Colón Dies a Decade After Brain Injury

Prichard Colón, the Puerto Rican welterweight who at one time was regarded as one of boxing’s most promising young fighters and had become the tragic symbol of the realities of boxing, has died at the age of 33, more than ten years after having sustained a brain injury in the ring which left him unable to walk or speak.

Richard Colón, his father, announced the death on Facebook, stating that he had attempted to carry out his son’s desire for one more trip to Puerto Rico but “couldn’t.”

The story has once again brought to mind the man who was on the other side of the ring that night in 2015: Terrel Williams, a fighter whose personal career and public life had been permanently altered as a result of the aftermath.

The Fight That Ended Two Careers

On October 17, 2015, Colón and Williams fought at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, a match that later became one of the most notorious in boxing history.

Colón, who had a record of 16 wins and 0 losses, kept on complaining to the referee about blows hitting the back of his head, since this is against the rules of the sport.

Williams received a point deduction as a result of the fouls committed in the seventh round, but the fight went on. Colón was knocked down twice in the ninth round before his corner deliberately took off his gloves, which caused his disqualification.

Colón collapsed backstage a short time later and was found to have a subdural hematoma, after which he had emergency surgery to alleviate the pressure on his brain. He remained in a coma for almost a year and never managed to walk or speak on his own again, staying in a persistent vegetative state and needing constant care from his parents until his death.

His family subsequently brought a lawsuit against the ringside doctor and the promoters asking for over $50 million, on the grounds that the match should have been stopped earlier. As a result of this incident the WBC decided to introduce a policy of zero tolerance for rabbit punches.

Where Terrel Williams Is Today?

Williams did not leave boxing at once; instead he took away about two years before coming back to fight four more times, and he finally retired in September 2019 after suffering a decision loss to Thomas Dulorme, which ended his career with a record of 18 wins and 1 loss including 13 knockouts.

After the fight against Colón, Williams told the reporters that he wasn’t able to celebrate the victory and was instead deeply concerned about his opponent, adding that he was praying for him.

Since he has left boxing, Williams has mostly vanished from public view. He shuns interviews and social media, and his Facebook page, which is inactive, has still attracted hostile comments from supporters of Colón over the years, comments to which Williams has neither responded nor removed the page.

A review of the arbitration records in 2025 also showed that Williams earned only a few thousand dollars over several years of his early career. Although the fight became viral due to its tragic ending, neither of them was a boxing star and neither received a large purse for the match.

He has always stated in previous comments that he never meant to cause permanent harm, yet this has not done much to put an end to the decade-long criticism that has been aimed at him online.

It is still one of the most tragic stories in boxing, even though many fighters have died as a result of injuries sustained in that match. Several videos and documentaries available on YouTube have shown his condition both before and after the fight, ensuring that the tragic night remains in the memories of boxing fans.

After his loss at the UFC White House fight against Ciryl Gane, the UFC fighter Alex Pereira recently mentioned Colon’s name.