Colón’s death was announced on Thursday by his father and former coach, Richard Colón, in a Facebook post.
“Good morning my people. I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world, now he is in a better world,” his father wrote.
He added that he had done everything possible to fulfil his son’s wish of taking him on vacation to Puerto Rico before his death.
“Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers,” he added.
Colón was an unbeaten junior middleweight prospect with a professional record of 16 wins, including 13 knockouts, before his career was abruptly cut short in October 2015.
The devastating injury occurred during his bout against American boxer Terrel Williams at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.
Colón sustained several punches to the back of the head, commonly known as rabbit punches, and was knocked down twice in the ninth round before his corner stopped the fight.
He was rushed to hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with a subdural hematoma and performed emergency surgery.
Colón subsequently spent 221 days in a coma and never regained the ability to walk or speak. He underwent years of rehabilitation and remained under the care of his family for the rest of his life.
His injury also sparked renewed concerns about fighter safety and contributed to a major rule change in boxing.
In 2016, the World Boxing Council introduced the “Prichard Colón Rule,” establishing zero tolerance for punches to the back of the head.
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