NEW YORK -- Top-ranked junior middleweight Mike McCallum and lightweight Livingstone Bramble have been promised mandatory title shots by the World Boxing Association.
Promoter Dan Duva, who has negotiating rights for both challengers, is working on matching junior middleweight champ Roberto Duran against McCallum and lightweight champion Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini against Bramble.
'We'd like to put them on in the spring,' Duva said. 'In fact, I'd love to see both fights on the same show. We'll attempt to negotiate with people representing Duran and Mancini and if we can't reach agreement, we'll go to purse bids.'
Bramble was promised a title shot after winning a 10-round decision over 10th-ranked Rafael Williams of Panama on Jan. 22. McCallum has been rated No. 1 since Duran won the WBA crown from Davey Moore, but a Duran-McCallum fight was pushed back so Duran could challenge middleweight champion Marvin Hagler. Hagler won a 15-round decision over Duran last November.
After the Williams fight, WBA vice-president Efriam Martiz said Mancini must face Bramble by July 15. Duva said last Friday Elias Cordova, chairman of the WBA championship committee, assured the promoter and McCallum that the Detroit fighter would get the next shot at Duran.
'Under WBA rules, both McCallum and Bramble have been promised the next title shot in their division,' WBA General Counsel Jim Binns said Monday. 'Now its up to their promoters to work something out.'
McCallum, managed by Emanuel Steward, is unbeaten in 20 fights. Bramble, of Passaic, N.J., is 21-1-1. Bramble is managed by Lou Duva, father of the promoter.
