Witter gets a contender by default

Junior Witter found out who the next mandatory contender to his WBC light-welterweight title would be last night, the day before there was supposed to  an eliminator. Timothy Bradley, an unbeaten American who has the nickname Desert Storm, became the WBC's official No 1 and next in line for Witter when Jose Luis Castillo, the Mexican legend, failed to show up for his weigh-in for his eliminator against Bradley in Cancun, Mexico. The weight problems that have dogged Castillo in recent years and cost him most of the money he has earned from an illustrious ring career struck again.

We reported earlier in the week how Bradley's co-promoter was concerned about Castillo, who had failed to do one check weigh-in. At Thursday's weigh-in for the Maskaev-Peter WBC heavyweight title bout (heavyweights can weigh-in a day early as they do not need to make weight) Castillo was asked to go on the scales and was found to be 7.5lb over the limit. Twenty-four hours later, he did not return, having weighed a reported 4.5lb over the limit two hours before the weigh-in, when a doctor intervened to stop him attempting to lose any more weight.

"Jose Sulaiman, president of the WBC, stated that Bradley would be named the WBC's mandatory  challenger," Alex Camponovo from Thompson Boxing Promotions, who was at the weigh-in, said. "This is not the way we wanted to become the mandatory challenger, but we are gratified that Mr Sulaiman and the WBC did right by Timothy, recognising that he shouldn't be penalised for adhering to its rules and regulations. We look forward to meeting with Junior Witter's team at the appropriate time to begin negotiations for the world title fight."

It could be a blessing in disguise for Witter, who is looking for an opponent after a proposed defence against Demetrius Hopkins in California this month fell through. Witter had been in training for that fight but, with Bradley fit but without a fight too, it is a bout that could be staged quite quickly if a date and backing can be found.

Bradley, 24, has won all his 21 bouts, so could be the sort of opponents that the US networks and, indeed, ITV - who will be screening a show of Witter's promoter, Mick Hennessy, on March 29 when Carl Froch faces Denis Inkin - are interested in. Witter needs to keep busy and winning if he is ever going to get his jackpot fight with Ricky Hatton. It should be remembered that Shaw also promoted Vivian Harris, whom Witter flattened in his last defence last September, so he will know how dangerous the Yorkshireman is.

As for Castillo, who was knocked out in four rounds by Hatton last June, this could be the end as a top class contender.