Rising ring star Jamie Warters is standing at the gates to the States.

The light heavyweight prospect has revealed he plans to head to America later this year to add some world class backing to his tilt at the boxing big time.

Legendary boxing trainer Emanuel Steward has already invited the Jorvik Warrior to his Stateside base, the renowned Kronk gym in Detroit.

There Steward has honed the skills of a long line of ring greats, most notably Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya.

Last year he guided Prince Naseem Hamed to victory and the World Boxing Council's featherweight crown in a 12-round brawl with Mexico's Cesar Soto.

As well as Detroit, Warters said it was also possible he could link up with Britain's Lennox Lewis at the undisputed world heavyweight champion's plush training headquarters in the honeymoon capital of America - the Poconos Mountains in Brookdale, Pennsylvania.

Warters said the Stateside link-up with Lewis, also trained by Steward, was very much a possibility as both fighters share the same manager, Frank Maloney.

"It would be for about three or four weeks and it would be a fantastic opportunity," enthused Warters. "I would be mixing shoulders with the very best."

Warters said a trip across the Atlantic will only come after his next fight, on February 12 against Tony Oakey.

But he revealed that fight could now be in doubt after Warters was hit by the 'flu bug over Christmas and is currently suffering from a chest infection.

He is now on antibiotics but has only just returned to light training.

Warters admitted there was every possibility the fight with Oakey in Sheffield may have to be called-off.

"I am just waiting to see what happens this week but I have not been able to train and I am very upset about it," he told the Evening Press.

"I pride myself on my training and when I can't I get very frustrated."

And with the lure of a possible fight with Henry Wharton just around the corner, Warters admitted he was in a "real dilemma".

"I want to fight but the boxing ring is the worst place in the world to be if you are not 100 per cent.

"I have got a lot to lose if I am not right, there are some big fights coming up this year."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.