Heavyweight boxer Andre `Stone' Purlette is arguably the hardest punching Guyanese fighter alive. Some would say that he is the hardest punching Guyanese boxer ever.

For the non-believers he offers his imposing credentials. In 32 fights the young giant has just stopped short of knocking out all his opponents.

More than half of his victories were in the 190-pound cruiserweight division. Purlette's ascension to the heavyweight category two years ago didn't stop his string of knockouts.

The fact sheets show that a mere three opponents escaped his full wrath and can boast of mixing with the `Stone' for the full duration of a fight.

Now as boxing success continues to grace the Land of Many Waters this son of the soil is aiming for the sky.

Given the pseudonym `Stone' early in his career for his rock solid right hook, the 6' 2" son of the ghetto has embarked on a crusade to print Guyana's name on the world map in even bolder letters than his compatriot and current WBA welterweight champion Andrew `Six' Head Lewis did.

"It's highly possible that within a year I can bring home a world title to Guyana. I'm a heavyweight and everyone knows that that's the top. You can't go higher than that. I'll do myself proud, I'll do my dad proud and I'll do my country proud. Guyana just needs to be patient and with the support that I'm getting I'll bring it back home," Purlette said.

Both Lewis and Purlette hail from Albouystown, a depressed section of Georgetown popularly referred to as `Almanstown'. And both fighters were nurtured by experienced trainer George `Canchie' Oprecht in their early years.

Like Lewis, the NABO champion embraced the fistic sport as a means of defending himself. He teamed up with Oprecht at the Young Achievers Gym and the rest is history.

His propensity for leaving opponents in a heap started in December 1992 when he clobbered Elis Alberto, his first professional opponent, in the very first round.

Purlette never looked back and has reached the level where he won the North American Boxing Organisation (NABO) heavyweight title a couple of weeks ago.

Back home on a short vacation Purlette, in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport confessed that although there is still more ground to cover, he never envisaged reaching this far.

"I have to be really honest here. When I started this sport I never in my wildest dreams believed that I would have gone this far. I started boxing because I liked the sport and partly because I was being encouraged to defend myself. You know what living in Albouystown gives. You have got to defend yourself," Purlette said.

The scorpio-born fighter commenced his professional career as a light heavyweight and won his first three fights via first round knockouts.

He walloped Alberto, slammed Leon `King Kong' O'Neal in February of the following year and crushed Colin Murray seven months later.

By September of 1994 Purlette, under the management of Keith Bazilio and trained by local boxing technician Maurice `Bizzy' Boyce, rattled up an unbeaten record of eight fights with seven stoppages.

It seemed that contrary to the old adage the rolling `Stone' was gathering moss.

"Even then I never thought that I would make it this far," Purlette added. Inactivity and the yearning for a better life forced Purlette to depart these shores for the USA.

"I had to put up with a lot of stuff here and I wanted to do better for myself. I wanted to be independent and not have to rely on too many persons. I really didn't know what I was really going to meet in the USA but I left here with a positive frame of mind. I knew that with the talent that I possessed it wouldn't be long before I moved in the right direction," said Purlette.

On arriving in the USA he anchored in Florida since he claimed New York had too many distractions. "Florida was relaxing. It was more like back home. The environment there was what I was accustomed to."

In his adopted homeland Purlette's sledgehammer fists continued to drop fighters one after another.

"I never go into a bout looking for a knockout. If you look at my last fight (against Jeremy Bates) you would see that I started to box but then I got off my game plan a little. I wanted to take him out to the later rounds. Then he got caught with a right hand and it was over."

Two weeks ago when he knocked out Bates to snatch the NABO title, Purlette peaked at 219 pounds. His weight for that fight was over 20 pounds above the limit of the cruiserweight division he had fought in for over six years.

The transition between the two divisions was not difficult he claimed since like former world champion Evander Holyfield, Purlette acquired the services of a dietician and had a weight gaining programme which was rigidly adhered to.

"I have a nutritionist that I'm working with and I make sure that I stick to my weight gaining programme." Plans for the future include a match where `Iron' would meet `Stone'.

"After my trainer and manager watched my last fight they tried to get back to the negotiating table with the `Iron' Mike Tyson camp. He (Tyson) said that he wanted another two fights before a world title crack so we'll try to get in there. We also have other plans just in case the Tyson stuff falls through. We are rated between one to five in the WBO and in line for a shot at (Wladimir) Klitchko's title. On December 7 we'll fight for the WBA Inter Continental title. After that I'll be ranked in the WBA," the NABO champion said.

However, Purlette stressed that at the moment he is not thinking about a world title fight. "At this point I don't think that I'm ready for a world title fight. Maybe in my next two or three fights then," the power-puncher stated.

When asked about his toughest bout the champion had to go back to February 1994.

"George Allison probably gave me my hardest fight. That fight went into the eighth round which is the most that I have ever gone. I can't say Jimmy Thunder because I was getting my way with him," Purlette said. The Guyanese scored a second round technical knockout over Thunder, a former World Boxing Federation champion. In concluding Purlette urged local fighters, other sports figures and parents to be good role models.

"Being a role model is important. If I can be a role model to someone that's fine. However, I do believe that to children, the role models should be the people they see everyday, like their mothers and fathers."