Terrel Williams' life changed forever after his punches caused permanent brain damage to Prichard Colon, a promising boxer who died 11 years after the catastrophic injury.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleThe death of former Puerto Rican boxing prospect Richard Colón at 33 has reopened one of the darkest chapters in modern boxing, bringing renewed attention to Terrel Williams, the fighter who stood across the ring from him on the night that changed both of their lives.
Colón died on August 13, 2026, more than a decade after the catastrophic brain injury during his bout with Williams at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. His father, Richard Colón, announced the death on Facebook, saying he had hoped to fulfill his son's wish for another trip to Puerto Rico but was unable to do so.
After that infamous fight on October 17, 2015, both boxers' lives changed forever, and Williams never let his own kids pursue boxing. While his "rabbit punches" were deemed illegal at the time, did you know Williams was never actually named in the Colón family's USD 50 million-plus lawsuit?
In 2017, Colón's parents, Nieves and Richard Colón, along with Sean Bogle as guardian of Colón's property, filed a civil case for the life-altering fight of 2015. According to the federal court record, the lawsuit named four defendants: ringside physician Dr. Richard Ashby, Family Practices Medical Services, P.C., Headbanger's Promotions, Inc., and DiBella Entertainment, Inc.
Williams was not one of the defendants, nor was referee Joe Cooper named in the filings. The complaint alleged negligence regarding the medical response to Colón's condition and the promoters' responsibilities. The family argued that the devastating consequences of the fight could have been avoided if appropriate medical procedures had been followed after Colón's reported symptoms.
The lawsuit sought damages exceeding USD 50 million, and the family stated their goal was to secure the extensive care Colón required after his injury.
When Colón entered the fight on October 17, 2015, he held a perfect 16-0 record and was viewed as one of boxing's promising young prospects. Williams, too, was undefeated with a 15-0 record and 12 knockouts.
During the fight, Colón repeatedly complained about punches to the back of his head, better known as "rabbit punches." Williams was deducted a point in the seventh round after one such incident, but the fight continued. He was reportedly punched 72 times during the fight.
During the ninth round, Colón was knocked down twice, and his corner subsequently removed his gloves, apparently believing the fight had ended. While this resulted in his disqualification, Colón became seriously ill and collapsed backstage shortly after the fight. Doctors discovered a large subdural hematoma, and he underwent emergency surgery.
The young boxer spent 221 days in a coma. After leaving the hospital in 2016, he required extensive care and was unable to walk or speak normally. The injury ended his boxing career at just 23.
Williams did not immediately retire after the tragedy. He stayed away from boxing for more than two years before returning to competition in 2017. He continued fighting until September 2019, when he lost a unanimous decision to Thomas Dulorme. Williams finished with an 18-1 record and 13 knockouts.
Since retiring, Williams has largely stayed out of the public eye. He has rarely given interviews and has maintained a low profile, particularly compared with the enormous attention surrounding Colón's story. His name, however, has never completely escaped the controversy.
While there is no public record of Williams issuing a formal apology to Colón or his parents, the former boxer has previously spoken about the emotional impact of the tragedy. He said in an interview with RingTV in 2018:
"I pray for Prichard every single day. I don't wish nothing but peace and health for that man. It's been hard on me, too. I didn't want that to happen to him. I was just trying to win a fight. My life changed that night, and it will never be the same.”
In a 2019 interview with The Washington Post, Williams acknowledged that the fight changed both men's lives. He said, "It affected his [Prichard Colón's] life forever, and it affected my life forever.” He also addressed the backlash that followed, saying that even though he had wanted to speak to Colón's family, it would never happen.
At the time, Williams was living in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons. Remarkably, he had never even told his children that he was a professional boxer. More importantly, he said he would never allow his sons to pursue boxing themselves.
More than a decade later, that fateful night still defines both fighters' stories, with Colón’s 11-year battle now tragically over.
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