McClellan `improvement'

BOXING

Gerald McClellan showed his first signs of improvement yesterday, five days after suffering brain injuries in last Saturday's world title fight at the London Arena.

John Sutcliffe, the consultant neurosurgeon, said that while it was still too early to wake McClellan, the amount of sedation he was under would be slowly reduced.

"It will take several more days for the effects of the sedation to wear off," Sutcliffe said. "But he's stable and there has been a marginal improvement in his condition."

The 27-year-old American has been on life support at the Royal London Hospital since the fight. A blood clot was removed from his brain after he collapsed in the ring at the end of his 10th-round knockout by Nigel Benn in the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title contest.