Prichard Colon Melendez is an American former professional boxer who gained amateur fame by winning multiple national championships in his native Puerto Rico. Colón turned pro in 2012 and made his debut in February 2013. The rising star knocked out Xavier La Salle in the first round of their fight.
Melendez approached his October 2015 fight against Terrel Williams with an unblemished 16-0 record. He had knocked out Vivian Harris a month earlier and was therefore brimming with confidence. However, Colón never settled for a bout in which both boxers were penalized for various infractions. He lost the match and his boxing career when he suffered a cut to the brain at some point in the match.
Contents
- 1 Contrary to expectations, Colón has made steady progress in his rehabilitation.
- 2 Colon recovery continues at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital in Orange Park, Florida
- 3 Colon underwent successful surgery to repair a collapsed skull
- 4 Prichard’s parents filed a $50 million lawsuit against the promoters of Colón’s last fight
Contrary to expectations, Colón has made steady progress in his rehabilitation.
Prichard Colón was touted as the next Puerto Rican boxing talent. He had the talent and charisma of a future champion. Unfortunately, that ill-fated fight against Terrel Williams changed everything.
Colón complained about Terrel Williams’ rabbit punches throughout the match, but his protests fell on deaf ears. He responded with a low blow, which the referee quickly stopped. He graciously accepted the punishment from him, but again pointed out Williams’ rabbit punches. As the seventh round drew to a close, Terrel sent Colón to the canvas with a right hand to the back of the head.
Colón grimaced as he covered the back of his neck with his glove. He was clearly distraught but was cleared by frontline physician Dr Richard Ashby to proceed. NBC commentator Kenny Rice said on the broadcast:
“He [Dr. Ashby] He told me that Colón said that he was dizzy and that the back of his neck hurt, but that he felt that he could continue. The doctor agrees. He said he was just waiting for her to shake off and resume action.”
Terrel earned a points deduction for the rabbit punch, but the fight continued into the ninth round. Colón’s corner mistakenly cut his gloves after the round, resulting in his disqualification. Prichard came out of the ring dizzy, his arm around his mother. “I can’t see,” were the last words he spoke before collapsing, vomit spilling from his mouth and nose.
Colon had a 1.5 cm brain hemorrhage that spilled blood into the skull. He may not have made it past the tenth round alive. Prichard remained in a vegetative state after emerging from a months-long coma, with doctors holding little hope of recovery.
“The doctors don’t give us hope,” said Richard, Prichard’s father, ESPN. “They say it has a mark on the tomography [that] It appears as a black spot, which is too big for him to recover from.” Prichard’s family, and especially his mother, Nieves, have not given up hope. Nieves and speech-language pathologist Alisha Russell have spent countless hours helping Colón recover .
It is not clear how much Columbus can recover, but he has made impressive progress. On June 9, 2021, Nieves posted videos on Facebook showing Prichard’s progress. “Prichard Colon Melendez was super today in his PT therapy,” she wrote. “Thank you for his prayers. God bless you many blessings.”
Colon recovery continues at Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital in Orange Park, Florida
Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital specialists are in charge of Prichard Colón’s recovery.
The latest videos posted by Colón’s mother on YouTube show that he can stand with his back against a wall. Columbus has also progressed with his movement and continues to get stronger day by day.
Colon underwent successful surgery to repair a collapsed skull
Interest in Prichard’s case peaked in mid-2021 after a TikTok video highlighting his condition went viral. A month after the video surfaced, Colón underwent successful surgery to repair a collapsed skull on his own.
“In recent weeks it was found that a collapse in his skull was pressing on his brain, so a fragment had to be removed to be replaced by a plate,” a statement from the WBC read.
Prichard’s mother, Nieves Meléndez, confirmed to Boxing Insider that the operation went well. She said:
“The doctor has come to give the results of my son’s surgery, the CHAMPION Prichard Colón Meléndez. Everything was good. Thank you all for keeping my son in prayer for the huge messages and calls asking for us.”
Boxing fans can follow Colón’s progress on Nieves’ Facebook page. He posts rehab photos and pictures of the family enjoying life with their champion boxer. In late December 2021, she thanked Festival Mascaras for honoring his son. She wrote:
“Good afternoon: Thanks to the people of Hatillo, Festival de Mascaras for such a beautiful detail of my son Prichard Colon Melendez OUR CHAMPION. THANK YOU FOR SO MUCH RESPECT AND LOVE FOR MY SON AND THIS SERVANT.”
Prichard’s parents filed a $50 million lawsuit against the promoters of Colón’s last fight
Guillermo Weinbaum/ESPN
The question that lingered after the world learned the extent of Prichard’s injuries was: Who is to blame? The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation conducted an investigation and concluded that no one was at fault.
“While Colon’s medical condition after the fight with Williams is tragic, there is not a single action so flagrant and/or egregious that it warrants blaming a single person,” the Department’s conclusion read. However, Nieves and Richard disagreed. They were of the opinion that Dr. Ashby did not have the necessary background to ensure the safety of boxers and had a conflict of interest as he was also a promoter.
They also blamed the promoters for not following proper protocols for handling potential brain injuries. John Stiller, chief neurologist for the Maryland State Athletic Commission, agreed. “The fight should have stopped at that point. [in the seventh round]and I still can’t think of a solid medical reason why it wasn’t,” he said. out of line.
“The combination of being punched or hit to the head that causes a boxer to complain of a headache and dizziness requires an immediate stoppage.” The astronomical figure quoted would address Prichard’s future care if Nieves and Richard win the case.
Terrell Williams is not named in the lawsuit, but Nieves places the blame squarely on him. Williams could also be another casualty of that doomed fight, as he struggled to get back in the ring for a while. The cloak of invincibility that he always thought he had before that fight was gone. “That fight haunts me every day,” he said. tv ring.
Williams knows that one day she will have to talk to her three children about what happened that day. He said Washington Post that he will be as honest as he has always been: “When they find out, I will talk to them. And I’ll be honest.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn