A past trauma has been revisited! October 17, 2015, should have been a normal night of competitive boxing for Prichard Colon but it ended in a night of horrors. A video of a paralyzed Prichard revisiting the traumatizing event is making rounds online. But, what happened that night? Up-and-coming boxer Terrel Williams was going up against then-undefeated super-welterweight boxer Colon. As we roll back the tapes, what started as a usual run-of-the-mill boxing match took a dramatic turn. All throughout the fight, Terrel repeatedly threw punches at the back of Prichard’s head which is illegal in boxing. Reportedly, Prichard complained to the referee about the illegal blows who told him, “You take care of it”. In rounds seven and nine, in what can only be described as a blatant case of rabbit punching, Williams suffered devastating blows to the back of the head that made him drop to the canvas. Following round nine, Williams’ corner removed his gloves thinking that the match was over, and it was ruled as a DQ win for Terrel. But, the worst was yet to come!

As soon as Prichard reached the dressing room, he collapsed after experiencing dizziness and vomiting on the floor; an internal bleeding in the brain put him in a coma. That was it! It put an end to Colon’s boxing career. Thankfully, he survived after spending 221 days battling for his life in a coma. Now in a wheelchair, Prichard’s story has angered boxing fans who were quick to call out the foul play and injustice that happened on the night.

The messy aftermath of the eventful night!

As Prichard Colon watched the fight that changed the course of his life on television. it is important to remember what exactly happened after the event concluded.

Although Prichard survived the ordeal, after spending almost a year in a vegetative state, he lost his movement and speech. As of today, he moves around in a wheelchair and talks with the help of a communication device. Meanwhile, his family had sought more than $50 million in damages from the event promoters and the ringside doctor, for failing to treat him even after repeatedly complaining about experiencing head pain. Unfortunately, Colon’s mother feels that the lawsuit might never be settled.

In the case of Terrel, Prichard’s opponent on the fateful day, he told Ring Magazine in 2018 that he “didn’t do anything wrong that night”, and attributed the life-threatening injury that Prichard received to the unwarranted consequences of a “hard, tough fight” which “happen in boxing”. Although he wished that the tragic incident did not befall Prichard, he didn’t place “any blame” on himself.

Later, Terrel did return to the ring after two years of hiatus following the controversy. It was also only a year after Prichard Colon had woken up from his coma. Terrel continued to fight four more times and retired in 2019. “I’m still healing too. I’ll be healing for the rest of my life. I honestly never wanted to fight again after that fight.” he had told in the Ring Magazine interview. However, the boxing fans are not willing to forgive Terrel.

Fan insinuates that the rabbit punch was intentional

A boxing fan felt that the “rabbit punches” were an intentional tactic employed by Terrel.

Another fan expressed their anger on Williams for “paralyzing” someone for “fame and money”.

A fan lamented the current predicament of the sport of boxing when they found out that the “negligent and unethical” referee Joesph Cooper was still working even after such a big controversy that could have cost the boxer’s life.

One fan wanted the strictest action against Prichard’s opponent and the referee.

A fan described how “lethal” a rabbit punch can be so that it doesn’t get repeated again by any boxers in the future.

Nonetheless, Prichard Colon continues to have a public profile on Instagram, spending his time in the care of his family members. Following the backlash, Terrel keeps himself out of the limelight. He has no social media presence.

What do you think the consequences should have been for all the stakeholders involved during the tragic event? Let us know in the comment section below.