Terrel Williams, the boxer who knocked out Prichard Colon, has been the subject of ire, especially from the Colon family since that fateful night of October 17, 2015. In fact, Williams' life has never been the same.
33-year-old Colon passed away Thursday, battling complications from the injuries that left him in a vegetative for the last 11 years. In that time, Williams' life has also changed drastically. Now 42, the former boxer has taken up a role as a trainer, drawing a curtain over his then-fledgling boxing career.
With Prichard Colon's death, Terrel Williams' reaction at the time and his subsequent stance on the punches he landed on Colon's head continue to haunt him. He, along with the match referee Joe Cooper, and ringside physician Richard Ashby were investigated by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), but no violations were found in their conduct.
Also read: Where is Terrel Williams now? What happened to the boxer after Prichard Colon fight?
Did Terrel Williams Apologize To Prichard Colon?
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Where is Terrel Williams now? What happened to the boxer after Prichard Colon fight?
Did Terrel Williams Apologize To Prichard Colon?
{{/usCountry}}Deep Dive
What happened to Prichard Colon after his fight with Terrel Williams?
Why did Prichard Colon's parents file a lawsuit against Terrel Williams and others?
Has Terrel Williams ever apologized for the incident involving Prichard Colon?
Terrel Williams, to this day, has not tendered a formal apology to the Prichard Colon and his parents. He has spoken about the grief he felt over how Colon ended up in multiple interviews after the incident.
Yet, Williams seems to have never been absolved of the incident in the public eye, even 11 years later. Colon had been complaining about the punches to his head right from the first round of the fight at the EagleBank Arena. Referee Joe Cooper did penalize Williams one point in the seventh round for a rabbit punch after Colón was knocked down.
But Williams landed additional punches to the back of Colón's head later, including a crucial blow in the ninth that wasn't called a foul. In the ninth, Williams scored two knockdowns before Colón was disqualified over a misunderstanding.
After the win, Williams took time away from boxing for two years before returning in 2017. The announcement of his return was met with protests from Colon's family.
Williams 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.”
Subsequently, in a 2019 interview with The Washington Post, he addressed the backlash from the incident, both from fans and the family of Williams. In that interview, he said that he had wanted to speak to the family, but acknowledged that it would never happen.
Even today, the relationship between Terrel Williams and Prichard Colon's parents, Richard and Nieves, are not amicable. They have never made up since the devastating series of events starting the evening of October 17, 2015.