By Ronnie Nathanielsz

The trainer of IBF super featherweight champion Malcolm Klassen (24-4-2, 15 KO’s) has predicted that Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (24-1-1, 17 KO’s) will go inside six rounds.

Durandt told boxing writer Peter Lim that “Guerrero’s going to be knocked out. Guerrero’s not going to see six rounds.”

Klassen himself said that while he doesn’t need to trash talk or anything he took a swipe at “The Ghost” by claiming “ he (Guerrero) is not in my class if you know what I’m s aying. For me to come to Houston from South Africa and leave my title here is not going to happen. That will never happen.”

Handled by multi-awarded promoter Branco Milenkovic, Klassen who some years ago was being considered by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum as a possible opponent for Filipino hero Manny Pacquiao sounded cocky not just confident when he claimed that he is “the whole package. I am (Floyd) Mayweather Jr, I am Marco Antonio Barrera. I can move and I can fight. That’s what you c an expect – the whole package. I got speed and I’ve got power. They say speed is power and I’ve got everything together.”

The IBF champion indicated he was not concerned about Guerrero’s southpaw stance stating that he had fought a few southpaws early in his career and he has been sparring “with some of the best southpaws in South Africa which has been very, very good for me. So I’m not going to have a problem with that.

Trainer Durant noted that Klassen has never lost to a southpaw before. The title defense will be Klassen’s first fight outside his native South Africa. He won the title with a split decision over Gairy St. Clair in 2006 but lost, also by a split decision, to countryman Mzonke Fana before regaining the crown with a 7th round TKO over another South African Cassius Baloyi last April.