BOXER Bradley Stone, brain-damaged in a title fight on Tuesday, died

last night.

Consultant John Sutcliffe, who operated on the 23-year-old fighter

early on Wednesday, pronounced him dead at 8.15pm.

Mr Sutcliffe said: ''He hadn't recovered at all. There had been no

improvement, no change in his condition at all.''

Stone's ventilator was not switched off until his family had the

chance to say goodbye.

His bout, for the new British super-bantamweight championship against

Richie Wenton at London's York Hall, was stopped by the referee in the

10th round after he suffered a barrage of blows.

Mr Sutcliffe said Stone had failed to make any progress after a

two-hour operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.

''There had been a period of improvement after surgery. That was a

transient thing. After 9pm yesterday he hadn't been able to make a

significant response at all.

''His mother realised that he probably died on Tuesday. Quite clearly

the family were prepared, although his fiancee is desperately upset.''

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