Boxer Prichard Colon breathing on his own but still in coma after brain surgery
Puerto Rican boxer Prichard Colon, a top prospect who had undergone surgery for bleeding on the brain following his fight Oct. 17 against Terrel Williams, has been taken off a ventilator and is breathing on his own. However, he remains in a coma.
Lou DiBella, who promoted the Premier Boxing Champions event at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., told Paste BN Sports Tuesday that Colon was showing improvement, "but he's still not awake.
"The doctors are talking to the parents. They aren't giving them any definitive information. What are they going to say? They don't know themselves right now.
"I don't think they're giving negativity, I just think they don't know. Of all the organs in the body, the one that's the greatest mystery to us is the brain."
Doctors recently removed pressure sensors on Colon's brain because they believe the pressure has been reduced to the point where it no longer threatens his life.
Colon's family, which has kept a vigil at his bedside since he was hospitalized, posted this message on the fighter's Facebook page one week after the fight: "Prichard is breathing without machines!! The Glory of God!! I just need you to wake up."
The 23-year-old Colon underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure in his skull at Inova Fairfax (Va.) Hospital shortly after his loss to Williams. Walking to the locker room under his own power, he began to experience dizziness and vomiting and eventually passed out. He was rushed to the hospital.
Colon had been disqualified after the ninth round, when his corner began removing his gloves, thinking it was the end of the 10-round fight. A fighter is disqualified if his gloves are removed. It was the first loss of Colon's career.
The mistake might have saved Colon's life, DiBella said, considering the fighter made it to the hospital in the nick of time. Had he fought another round, it might have been too late.
Colon was not brutally beaten, though he was hit behind the head several times by Williams.
"It didn't look like a profound situation while (the fight) was going on," DiBella said. "This kid's injury, it wasn't like it was anyone's fault. It wasn't a mismatch. It was a very well-matched fight. But the fact that a kid with that kind of future and that much going for him, and what that nice family is going through, I'm not finding any of this pleasant.
"In my experience, there were situations where you knew a guy was in a vicious fight, a sustained beating over several rounds, but this wasn't one of those fights where I was watching and thinking to myself, 'Oh my God, someone's in big danger here.'"
According to the Los Angeles Times, Williams (15-0, 12 knockouts) has cried several times since learning of Colon's condition, and told The Times in an interview that "My heart dropped, my stomach dropped. I'm praying for him multiple times daily to make a full recovery. I cannot enjoy this victory. I'm worried about Prichard."
The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation has launched an investigation into the incident, spokesperson Mary Broz-Vaughn said Tuesday, and though she offered no details of the probe, she said they will interview the principals involved, including referee Joe Cooper and the ring doctor.
"We're a regulatory body, and we have to follow the Administrative Procedures Act in Virginia," Broz-Vaughn said. "We're doing a top-to-bottom review to determine whether the laws and regulations of Virginia were followed and whether there's anything out of the ordinary for our jurisdiction.
"We will be taking a comprehensive look, and at the end of the day, if there is anything within our jurisdiction, we'll then move accordingly.
"Like everyone, we just hope the news on (Colon's) condition continues to move in a positive direction."