The Associated Press
LONDON Ä Gerald McClellan was taken off a life-support machine yesterday as he began to regain consciousness, 11 days after suffering brain injuries in a world title fight.
''He's doing quite well,'' neurosurgeon John Sutcliffe said of the American fighter. "He's starting to wake up. He's breathing for himself. He's opening his eyes and starting to move.''
The 27-year-old McClellan had a massive blood clot removed from his brain after collapsing at the end of his 10th round knockout by Nigel Benn in a WBC super-middleweight title bout Feb. 25.
Sutcliffe said McClellan was no longer in critical condition.
''He's one step removed from critical,'' he said. ''He's stable, but he's still not out of danger.''