By: Sean Crose
And so, the tragic story of Prichard Colon has come to its sad earthly conclusion. The man had been suffering with debilitating brain damage for about a decade. That damage of course came from action in the boxing ring. There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on right now no doubt. No one wants to see a fighter killed. Those of us who have can tell you it’s a horrible thing to witness. No one wants to see a life cut short especially a young life simply trying to make it in a very challenging sport. And, make no mistake about it, boxing is indeed a sport. We may start hearing elsewise from observers in the next few days, but those who know boxing know that it requires a grueling amount of preparation and the mastering of an extraordinarily challenging skillset.
Those who scoff that boxing isn’t a real fight are right. It’s an athletic competition. If boxing were nothing more that two people throwing down George Foreman would have cracked Mohammad Ali when they fought in the 70’s as if “The Greatest” were nothing more than an empty eggshell. Boxing isn’t fighting, however, and Foreman ended up getting clobbered. When it comes to boxing it really is skills that pays the bills, not grit or machismo.
Yet the sport we love is also exceedingly dangerous, even, as in the case of Colon and others, deadly. That’s been acknowledged for years of course but adjustments have also been made over the past few decades. You don’t see any more 15 round fights. Fighters fight a lot less frequently as well. That’s not always a good thing but from a pure careerminded point of view but it can be beneficial to one’s long-term health. It’s too easy to criticize the sport of boxing but when it comes to fighter safety the sport really needs to have the well-being of fighters in mind first and foremost
Boxing in and of itself is not an immoral sport. It’s an exceedingly violent sport however and as fans know one that is both tragic and glorious. And now again we see the tragedy of it. Most ring catastrophes I’ve been aware of have been preventable. That doesn’t mean there’s not exceptions but most could have been prevented. Having said that this is not the time to delve into who’s responsible for Colon’s death. No one is happy with this. Everyone is deeply saddened by it.
Yet this is indeed a time to honor Colon. He was a good fighter after all having won all of his 13 bouts before that last terrible encounter. Possessed with heavy hands, the young Puerto Rican had the kind of talent that throws attention on an up and coming boxer. Whether it was rabbit punches from Colon’s last opponent and/or the fact that he had just fought recently beforehand, there’s no denying that action in the ring is what led to his permanent injury and eventual death.
There’s not much left really for fight fans to say at times like this except that they have the deepest sympathy for the the deceased fighter and his family. It’s a fact that boxers play their trade knowing that on any given night they can end up in the position Colon or countless fighters before him were. It’s a tough, a very tough, job, one that can bring about glory but can also bring about life-changing and sometimes life ending injuries. Many boxers fight at least in part for the fans, which is why they should be appreciated, prayed over, and looked out for.
Rest in Peace.
*Image: WBC
