The Tragedy of Prichard Colon

The world of sports is very unpredictable. It can take a professional to the peak of their premise with a match. But it also has the same possibility to turn the personnel’s life upside down with a single blow. In the industry of sports, many people became famous for their performance on the field. At the same time, some have even lost their capability in life not just as a player, but also as a person as well. Hence, the world of sports is like a needle balanced on the rope. It has an equal probability of exhibiting the greatest balance. But on contrary, it has equal vulnerability to losing it all. Something disastrous has happened with one of the very renowned sports athletes as well, named Prichard Colon. Here is a brief discussion about everything he has achieved in his life and also the one blow that took everything from him in life as well.

People who love the world of boxing are very fond of this name, Prichard Colon. Hailing from Maitland in Florida, Colon lived in a very middle-class family. His mother and father were waiters and waitress by profession. Colon started his boxing career at Albergue Olimpico in Puerto Rico. He was more popular in his nickname ‘Digget’ in the arena. He finished high school and studied Business Administration at a renowned university in Puerto Rico. 

In the early years of his career, he won 5 national championships in the heavyweight sections of 141 and 152 pounds. In the 64 kg category in Pan American Youth Championship, he was the gold medalist in 2010. It was two years later, that Colon decided boxing to take up as a profession in 2012. 

Colon made a professional debut on 23rd February 2012. He came out to be a very distinguished pro-boxer within years of debut. By 2015, he was an unbeaten super welterweight champion with a record of 16-0 matches. It was the 17th match of his life that unfortunately became the tragic match of his whole career and life.  

It was 17th October 2015, that Colon had gone face to face with Terrel Williams in an undercard fights in Virginia. A punch on the head from Williams has cost the whole life and career of Colon. As a result of the undisputed and frivolous punch on the head, Colon had a grievous head injury. He is now in a paralyzed state. 

What happened in the deadly match?

At the very first round of the match, Colon has been repeatedly complaining to the referee about the back head strikes from Williams. That carried on unnoticed till the fifth round. Colon, out of anger and disgust, forced a low blow on Williams. He got two points deducted from his chart. The referee confirmed that the illegal blow was intentional; hence he will get his points deducted. Colon explained that he had no choice left to save his back neck from the grievous ‘Rabit punches’ of Williams. He was continuously attacking him at the same area of the back head with repetitive punches since round one. Rabit Punch is also illegal in boxing. Yet after complaints, he failed to bring the matter to the referee’s notice. 

The thing again repeated in the sixth round. Williams punched Rabit punch on Colon while he returned it with a low blow punch. Joe Cooper warned both the fighters for the last time to behave and follow the game rules. 

In the seventh and the last round, Williams again struck Colon with the Rabit Punch at the back of his neck. But this time, it was deadlier; the deadliest was on its way. Colon collapsed on the canvas. The referee called it time and gave Colon 5 minutes to recover and join the fight. In the while, Williams also lost a point for his continuous illegal blows. 

There was a thorough check-up of his condition by the NBC Sports and Premier Boxing Champions doctor, Ashby. He was suffering from dizziness and head pain. But, the doctor assured him that he could carry on with that. 

Williams again repeated the same cutthroat gesture of Rabit Punch in the ninth round. And he had made history with that punch that no other boxer had ever done. He knocked down Colon. And he repeated it for the second time to strike the last nail on the match. It was the last round, the end of the match. And Colon lost- not just the match, but in life as well. The blow made him vegetative for the rest of his life.  

The mother of Prichard Colon, Nieves Colon has later told the reporters that he was even unable to move. He was having her arm around his neck as a support as he was moving towards the dressing room. Entering the room, he threw up and collapsed. In an instant, he was taken to the hospital and brain surgery was done on him. The doctors evacuated the subdural hematoma to release the pressure on his skull. But, it was of no use. Colon was gone to coma. He remained in a coma for 221 days.  

He was under continuous treatment in various hospitals for months. But it was of no positive result. Even today, Colon remained paralyzed. He is not on ventilation, but breathing is the only biological action he is left to be able to perform. His whole body is numb; he remains to be unresponsive to any gesture.  

The tragedy of the fight is that it was not in the schedule. Andre Dirrell Vs Blake Caparello’s flight got canceled due to medical reasons. In that place, this match was the replacement. And how unfortunate it turned out to be! A match that was not scheduled for him destined him to the lifelong retirement. Just at the age of 24, Prichard Colon’s career ended within a short career span of 3 years. His father, Richard was his trainer in childhood. He still believes that something miraculous would happen. But his mother has become devastated.