Guyana’s lone heavyweight world title hopeful Andre `Stone’ Purlett is into his sixth week of training at the world famous Kronx Gym in Detroit, Michigan and is claiming to have improved leaps and bounds since moving to the `Motor City’.

The twice defeated Purlett is under the eyes of veteran trainer Emanuel Steward and co trainer James Ali Bashir.

“If I was with these gentlemen much sooner my career would have been very different. I would have been a much better fighter,” Purlette said from Michigan yesterday via telephone.

“I’m progressing very, very nice right now. There are so many things that I have learnt. To say that I’m now a better fighter would be an understatement,” he added.

Steward has worked with a number of world champions including Lennox Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya. Purlett’s co-trainer disclosed that the hard-hitting Guyanese is a natural fighter.

“What we are trying to do is to change him from brawler to boxer/puncher. When he came here he was a fighter. You can’t go in with the intention of knocking out every heavyweight,” Ali Bashir said.

“Of course nature will dictate how a boxer fights. You can take a horse to the water but you cant make him drink it,” Bashir continued.

“You can teach a fighter many things and when he gets into the ring and gets hit he forgets all that he was schooled in,” Ali Bashir explained.

“Andre is a natural fighter. He reminds me of Matthew Saad Muhammed the former world light heavyweight champion. If he sticks with us then at this time next year he should be knocking on the contenders’ door.” Ali Bashir is adamant that size would not be a problem for Purlett, who moved up from the cruiserweight division over two years ago. “He is alright. Mike Tyson nor Evander Hollyfield were not big heavyweights. Nor was Joe Fraser. It is not the size of the fighter but the size of the fight that is in a fighter,” Ali Bashir noted.

Meanwhile, Purlett disclosed that he may return to the ring on Friday for a 10-round bout. “We don’t have a definite answer as yet. However, for sure I’ll be fighting on December 20.”