Stone aims to follow Rahman lead

Adrian Stone is hoping to emulate Hasim Rahman and pull off one of boxing's greatest upsets in Las Vegas tomorrow night.

The Bristol boxer is being motivated by Rahman's shock heavyweight victory over Lennox Lewis to win the world title in April for the toughest fight of his life.

Stone, 30 yesterday, challenges American superstar 'Sugar' Shane Mosley for the WBC world welterweight title at Caesar's Palace as a massive underdog.

Mosley is regarded by many as the world's best poundfor-pound fighter and is one of America's best- known sportsmen after racking up 37 wins.

But IBO light-middleweight champion Stone is virtually unheard of - even in Britain - after he moved to America nine years ago to boost his career.

Unbeaten Mosley, 29, should complete a routine win over Stone, but the English exile will not be overawed by the champion - and is blocking Mosley's glowing reputation out of his mind.

He said: "Everyone said Lewis would beat Rahman - but look what happened. That's given me hope of doing the same against Mosley.

"People saying he is the best pound-forpound fighter in the world doesn't bother me - it has given me an incentive to train harder."