by Miguel Rivera
An investigation by the Regulatory Department of Professions and Occupations (DPOR) for the state of Virginia have exonerated referee Joe Cooper, ringside doctor Richard Ashby and fighter Terrel Williams from having any responsibility in connection to the serious injuries suffered by Prichard Colon during his bout with Williams last October.
The document was signed by the director of communications of the DPOR, Mary Broz Vaughan. The department claimed, after an exhaustive investigation led by the deputy director of the agency Nick Christner, there were no actions that merited disciplinary actions against Cooper, Ashby and Williams.
Colon was hit by several hard rabbit punches during the contest and went down in pain more than once. Williams lost one point for the numerous infractions. Colon was disqualified after the ninth round when his corner mistakenly thought the fight was over and started taking off his gloves.
Once he returned to his locker room, Colon was vomiting and fainted. He was rushed to a local hospital.
Five months later, 23-year-old Colon remains in a coma at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he was taken after several weeks of being admitted to the Innova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia, where he underwent surgery for severe brain bleeding.
The determination of the DPOR felt like a bucket of cold water was being thrown at the fighter's family, especially his father and coach, Richard Colón, who prays every day for his son to come out of his coma.
A legal suit will be coming in the near future, with a top lawyer already retained.
"We have a lawyer and he will take care of this. There is nothing more to say," said the elder Colon to El Vocero.
"[The ruling] definitely surprised me, but my lawyer will take care of it and I have no opinion. We will not make comments because that could damage the process."