Boxer Prichard Colon Still in Coma, Reportedly Showing Signs of Improvement

Comatose boxer Prichard Colon has shown small signs of improvement during what is expected to be a long recovery, according to a Tuesday report from Fightnews.com.

Colon reportedly exhibited reflexes in his left hand and is able to breathe on his own, though the Puerto Rican fighter remains in a coma with a fever.

Colon suffered life-threatening injuries during his Oct. 17 bout with Terrel Williams. Colon and Williams waged an exciting battle, though it was marred by flagrant fouls, retaliation and plenty of controversy. After being rocked by a left hook in the fifth, Colon delivered what referee Joseph Cooper deemed an intentional foul when he blasted his foe’s groin with a vicious uppercut. Cooper took two points from Colon, but matters between the two only worsened.

Colon was pelted by a thudding blow to the back of his head in the seventh round and he immediately clutched his cranium. Colon was eventually disqualified by Cooper at the start of the 10th when his corner cut off his gloves, thinking the fight was over. As it turns out, the absentminded removal of the pugilist’s gloves may wind up saving his life.

The young fighter complained of dizziness after the seventh frame and suffered from additional dizzy spells in his locker room shortly after the contest. Colon was rushed to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va., after vomiting and fainting backstage. There, he underwent emergency surgery to relieve pressure caused by bleeding on the brain.