The WBA has ordered a mandatory fight between its regular heavyweight champion, Trevor Bryan, and contender Daniel Dubois (pictured) from Great Britain. The WBA's super championship in the heavyweight division, held by Tyson Fury, is unaffected by this development. The ruling seems to leave WBA champion in recess Mahmoud Charr a/k/a Manuel Charr out in the cold. The WBA ordered Bryan to face Charr, but Charr could not gain entrance into the United States, a circumstance that Charr blames on Bryan's promoter Don King. When it became apparent Charr was unable to make the fight, Bryan received the WBA's special permission to make an optional defense. That took place last Saturday, January 29th, against Jonathan Guidry. Once the bout was completed, a split decision win for Bryan, the WBA gave a period of 180 days from the date of that defense, to make the fight vs. Dubois. On Monday, January 31st, however, a communication was sent to both fighters’ teams to begin negotiating the bout immediately.

 

The WBA also ordered an eliminator fight between its third-ranked fighter in the division, Robert Helenius and its number four, Hughie Fury, who will also have 180 days to fight as of January 29th. [It it is not expected that this fight will actually happen].