By Steve Ninvalle
The management of Guyana's lone heavyweight professional boxer Andre `Stone' Purlette is in negotiation with the management of former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Gerald Kirpatrick Tyson for a possible fight in November.
Stabroek News
August 16, 2001
Purlette told Stabroek Sport yesterday that a decision should be reached within a week on whether the fight would be on.
"What Tyson's management is saying is that he needs one more fight after he fights in Denmark before going for a world title. They think that I'm unknown and not a potential threat," Purlette said. Tyson is scheduled to make his first ring appearance this year on September 8 in Copenhagen, Denmark against Danish Brian Nielsen. The fight will be Tyson's first since a no contest against Andrew Golota last October.
Purlette is undefeated in 31 professional fights with 29 knockouts. His last win was a third round TKO of over James Thunder last month.
"My trainer knows Tyson's current trainer and that (is) how the talks got started. At the moment I'm awaiting word from my manager. We are trying to get him to sign before he fights in Denmark," the hard hitting Purlette declared.
Tyson has been defeated thrice in 53 fights and has 41 knockouts. Two of his bouts ended in no contest. "I would welcome the chance to fight him. A good showing against Tyson can work wonders for my career," said Purlette.
However, nothing is concrete at the moment. Both sides are still talking." Tyson, 35 years in June, is ranked within the top six by the IBF, WBA and WBC.
The 27-year-old Purlette, who resides in Florida, is yet to be ranked as a heavyweight by any of the three recognised world organisations but holds on to a WBA number 9 ranking in the cruiserweight division.
He claimed that a decision to return home last month for the first time since departing over six years ago was overturned after a fight for the North American Boxing Organisation (NABO) heavyweight title was offered.
"We had been offered a fight against a Brazilian for the NABO tile. The winner of that fight would have had a crack at World Boxing Organisation champion Vladimir Klitschko but plans fell through."
The `Stone' joins junior welterweight Vivian Harris and cruiserweight Wayne `Big Truck' Braithwaite as the three Guyanese fighters on the verge of following in Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis' footsteps.
Lewis became the first Guyanese to win a world title when he TKOed James Page of the United States in round seven to win the WBA welterweight title.