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Johannesburg - Boxing trainer Nick Durandt says Danny Bruwer will be a dark horse in next month's Cruiserweight Super8 tournament at Emperors Palace.
"I can guarantee that Bruwer will be in the final," said Durandt, who trains him, at the competition launch at the sponsor's offices on Thursday.
"If you see his condition, we have made it our assignment to win the Super8."
However, Bruwer will have to contend with seven other hopefuls, including his first-round opponent Danie Venter and the hard-punching Flo Simba.
The four winners at Emperors Palace on June 16 will go through to the second round in September.
Apart from the boxing, Emperors Palace will herald reunions for Durandt.
The legendary trainer is not only back working with Bruwer, but is also on a fight card promoted by the Golden Gloves' Rodney Berman.
The relationship between Durandt and Berman has been strained in the past couple of years.
It was made worse when Silence Mabuza left Berman to join Durandt and rival promoter Branco Milenkovic in 2009.
Durandt said he and Berman were "talking again", but they were not doing business yet.
"I'm happy to be here. It's nothing personal, [but] we have our differences," Durandt said.
"But life has to move on and who knows if we can ever work again.
"I'm here in a Golden Gloves show -- that will be good for the public --as Danny's trainer."
Durandt and the lanky Bruwer -- with 22 wins, 19 KOs, four losses and one draw -- have also made up after falling out.
"He's back with me now, having left for two fights, and he's in great shape," Durandt said.
The four winners in the first round will go through to the following stage in September, where a R2 million winner's cheque is up for grabs.
An added incentive is that the four second-round fighters will compete against four United States Cruiserweight fighters next year, in an international competition with R3m in prize money.
"Not only that, but the bill on June 16 will be shown to an American broadcaster, which is going to be huge exposure for the guys," said Berman.
While picking an outright winner in the competition would be a hard ask, Durandt said he had a pick for the contest.
"I have three fighters out of the eight in the competition who should win it," he said.
"I won't say who they are, but I have my pick for the title."
