The boxing community and the World Boxing Council feel sorrow for the health status of Prichard Colon, aged 23, who registers one hundred days in a coma since his fight with Terrell Williams, last October 17 at the Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.
Prichard received many blows to the back of his head- impacts in the boxing media known as “rabbit punches”. An action prohibited in our sport, since in this area “the medulla oblongata” it lays at the base of the skull, and is relatively unprotected. This region is where the spine joins the brainstem.
The danger of these punches is enormous as it may damage specific areas of the brain, causing serious consequences that can even lead to death.
The WBC is forced to address this issue. Certain boxers are used to hit back in the head during the clinch, many other occasions the opponent hits this zone because of the boxer’s movement and there also are blows landed in this area by accident without any bad intention.
We are sure that the fighters do not understand and don’t know that these blows may threat the medical integrity of their opponents. For this reason, we are spreading and developing the global program in which we suggest boxing commissions instruct referees to follow the guidelines of zero tolerance to the “rabbit punches” through the rule “Prichard Colon”.
A rule that will carry the name of this warrior’s honor and struggle he’s maintaining. In official fights sanctioned by the WBC, strict application of the rule will be required.
The guidelines are the next ones:
1.- The first warning will be given by the Referee in the Locker room, during the reading of instructions, prior to the fight.
2.- The Referee may Immediately stop the action and warn an offending boxer who punches to the back of the head (rabbit punch).
3.- After the first warning, any continuous action by the same offending boxer or by retaliation must be immediately addressed by the referee with a firm warning or a point deduction.
4.- Referees have the authority under their discretion to warn, to take away points or to disqualify offending fighters.
Lets raise our voice on behalf of Prichard and all those boxers who get into the ring seeking sports glory.
Lets finish with Rabbit Punches!
