Heavyweight king of the world Lennox Lewis is helping North Yorkshire's Paul Ingle plot a princely coup de grace.

The Scarborough pocket rocket is currently in the plush surroundings of the honeymoon capital of the America - the Poconos Mountains in Brookdale, Pennsylvania - as he gears up for the fight of his life against Sheffield's Prince Naseem Hamed.

But it is far from a holiday for the undefeated Ingle, who is training alongside WBC champion Lewis as he gears up for his mouthwatering clash with WBA and IBF champion Evander Holyfield, in New York, on March 13.

Speaking to the Evening Press from America, Ingle's trainer Steve Pollard revealed Lewis was passing on some vital heavyweight words of wisdom. "Lennox welcomed him to the gym and welcomed us to the training camp," said Pollard.

"He has just been really friendly towards us and wished Paul the best of luck. They have had a few pep talks.

"I have sat down with Emanuel Steward (Lewis's trainer) and we have watched some of Naz's fights just to see if he can pick up on anything I have missed."

Pollard is convinced the benefit of Ingle's two-week Stateside stay will be reaped come April 10 when the former European and Commonwealth featherweight champion bids for Hamed's world crown in Manchester.

"We have seen nothing but benefits since arriving here," revealed Pollard. "It has gone beyond our wildest expectations.

"The aim was to soak up the atmosphere of training in a world champion's camp and we have done that."

Since arriving in America, Ingle has enjoyed some gruelling, top-class sparring sessions with British super-bantamweight champion Patrick Mullings.

Mullings, a team-mate of Ingle's in promoter Frank Maloney's Panix Promotions stable, has provided the Scarborough featherweight with the experience of a facing a southpaw.

He has also been touching gloves with top American lighweight David Toledo - another southpaw who likes to switch to orthodox like Hamed.

"Paul has been doing some serious sparring out here and is already looking very sharp, eight or nine very competitive rounds every other day," said a buoyant Pollard. At this level it is as much about getting the mental approach right as the physical."

Ingle and Pollard, together with his brother, Dean, and ex-Marine minder Rocky Rowe, fly back to England on Sunday.

The Yorkshire Hunter is then expected to spend the next two weeks training at his Hull-base before heading off to a marine camp in Devon as part of his final preparations.

Meanwhile, the fight's promoters say they are expecting the all-Yorkshire world title fight will be a 21,000 sell-out. "The tickets are going really well and in the Yorkshire area they are just flying out" said a spokesman. "By the weekend we do not expect any of the cheaper tickets to be left."

Tickets are available from the Manchester Evening News Arena on 0161 930 8000.

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