Boxer Dies Two Days After Bout

British boxer Bradley Stone died Thursday night, two days after suffering brain damage in the ring. He was 23. Stone had surgery Wednesday at Royal London Hospital to remove a blood clot on his brain and was put on a life-support system. Doctors had held out little hope for a full recovery.

Stone collapsed at his fiancee’s home and slipped into a coma a few hours after being stopped in the 10th round of a fight for the British super-bantamweight title Tuesday night. Stone took a heavy left hook followed by four clean shots to the chin from Richie Wenton before the referee stopped the bout.

Hockey

Left wing Tim Sweeney of the Mighty Ducks scored twice and goaltender Guy Hebert of the Ducks had 44 saves as the United States defeated the Czech Republic, 5-3, in the World Ice Hockey Championships at Alba De Canazei, Italy. The United States (3-0) is virtually guaranteed a place in the medal round next week at Milan.

Pro Basketball

Center John Williams of the Cleveland Cavaliers injured his right hand in practice and will probably sit out the playoff series against the Chicago Bulls, which starts tonight. His hand will be in a cast for about six weeks, but he probably won’t need surgery. Williams started the last 29 games at center in place of Brad Daugherty, who was sidelined because of a herniated disk in his back. Daugherty is on the playoff roster, but is not ready to play. The only other center on the playoff roster is one-time Clipper Tim Kempton.

Benoit Benjamin of the New Jersey Nets bruised his neck in a car accident before practice but is expected to play in tonight’s game against the New York Knicks.

Robert Parish, 40, said he wants to play in the NBA next season, but doesn’t know if it will be with the Boston Celtics. Parish said his first choice was to finish his career with the Celtics. But the center, who has a $4-million annual salary, said he was aware the team might face problems paying him under the salary cap.

While a plan to buy the Target Center with public money and keep the Timberwolves in Minnesota awaits a critical vote in the state legislature, Mayor Sidney Barthelemy of New Orleans said that Top Rank of Louisiana has agreed to buy the NBA team and move it to New Orleans.

College Football

Gator Bowl officials have made a $20-million offer to play host to a Division I national championship football game in 1996. The proposal was presented last week at the Division I commissioners’ meeting in Dallas. The Gator Bowl is offering a three-year contract for a championship game, with a $20-million annual payout derived from a single sponsor and projected television revenues.

Taft College, which won two national junior college football titles the 1980s, has dropped its athletic programs, including football. By cutting football, the Kern County school figures to save $200,000 a year.

Miscellany

Tonya Harding, in an interview with the tabloid television show, “Inside Edition,” says her former husband, Jeff Gillooly, fed her about 20 cover-up stories after the attack on Nancy Kerrigan and once vowed “If I didn’t cooperate he would have me taken care of.” The interview is scheduled to be shown Monday. It is the last of a series of interviews in a deal Harding signed for a reported $400,000.

Names in the News

The Atlanta Falcons rescinded cornerback Deion Sanders’ status as a transition player, making the two-sport star an unrestricted free agent able to sign with any other NFL team. . . . The Raiders made it official, announcing the signing of free-agent running back Harvey Williams to a one-year contract worth about $500,000, completing a deal agreed on last Saturday. Williams, a first-round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs in 1991, is considered the favorite to become the Raiders’ starting tailback. . . . Fresno State Coach Gary Colson said he is no longer a candidate to replace Tom Asbury as Pepperdine’s basketball coach. . . . Purdue junior Glenn Robinson, the national player of the year, will announce Monday whether he will leave school to make himself available to the NBA.