Colon was left incapacitated at the tender age of 23 following a tragic clash with Terrel Williams in Fairfax, whilst Franco’s career was cut short in June of this year at just 25.
Both were touch and go whether they would even pull through and both dads have made it their personal mission to get justice for their sons.
Richard Colon, himself an ex-pro, travelled 1,200 miles this week to protest at the weigh-in of Williams’ latest fight in Flint, Michigan, taping messages to his person and holding up a poster saying, ‘Boxing needs to reform’.
Colon was ushered out after a short time but made his point as Williams was roundly criticised at the time for landing several blows on the back of Prichard’s head.
Speaking to ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Colon outlined his protest by saying: “I would like a change in boxing, I want to prevent other boxers from going through what Prichard is and what we are as a family.
“Boxing is a good game, but boxers need to follow the rules and the referees need to make that happen.
“He (Williams) was looking to throw punches behind his head — rabbit punches — and he never tried to stop. He tried to hammer my son.”
FRANCO
For Al Franco, a boxing coach in his own right, the fight goes on with promoters RocNation, who walked away from Daniel after his career was ended in worrying circumstances.
Franco says it’s now been 161 days since any contact with the brand as son ‘Twitch’ puts his own case into the media any which way he can.
Despite Colon and Franco recovering in contrasting ways, they fight for the same cause – hoping boxing doesn’t leave them behind as just another statistic of coming with the territory.
You can donate to help Prichard Colon or Daniel Franco at these pages:
Prichard Colon Fund
Help Daniel ‘Twitch’ Franco
