Remembered: Joe Cooper’s pro career faded after Colón-Williams

Joe Cooper’s professional boxing career declined sharply after he refereed Prichard Colón’s fight with Terrel Williams in October 2015. Cooper had been a regular official on major boxing cards, including world championship contests, before the bout in Fairfax, Virginia.

Colón entered the fight with a 16-0 record and 13 knockouts. He suffered a subdural hematoma after the contest, underwent emergency brain surgery and spent 221 days in a coma. He later required permanent, round-the-clock care from his family and died on August 13, 2026, aged 33.

The referee has remained part of the scrutiny surrounding the fight. Colón repeatedly complained about punches to the back of the head, and Williams was docked a point in the seventh round. Many of Colón’s supporters have argued that Cooper should have acted more firmly over the fouls.

There is no record that Cooper was suspended, banned or formally removed from professional boxing. Virginia authorities also found no regulatory violation that led to punishment. However, his documented assignments show a major reduction in work at the conventional professional level.

Cooper officiated only two more conventional professional bouts in 2016. He worked Ty Barnett against Daniel Attah in Washington, D.C., on February 27, followed by Patrick Harris against Dedrick Bell on April 1. He then had no recorded assignment at that level for more than six years.

Cooper continued to referee Toughman contests, which are listed separately from conventional professional boxing. Those events included cards at smaller venues, including high schools in West Virginia. He returned to conventional professional boxing on August 27, 2022, handling Chamar Flowers against Da’Vaughtae Bess and Aaron Thorne III against Fitzgerald Johnson on the same card. His only subsequent recorded assignment was Christopher Rodriguez against Kevin Hylton on August 12, 2023, leaving five such bouts after Colón-Williams and none recorded since.