By Lem Satterfield

There could be trouble in store for Chad Dawson. According to WBC President Jose Sulaiman, nearly half of the votes of the WBC's 32-member Board of Governers are in favor of an immediate rematch between Bernard Hopkins and light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, after which the winner would then meet Dawson.

Hopkins and Pascal fought to a controversial twelve round draw on December 18 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec, Canada. Pascal is contractually obligated to face Dawson next. The Dawson rematch stems from a contract clause in their original bout agreement. Pascal won an eleven round techincal decision over Dawson last year.

Initially, it appeared that the WBC would support the Pascal's contractual obligation to Dawson. But as of mid-day on Wednesday, 13 of 14 voters favored over-ruling the contractual rematch between Pascal and Dawson in favor of a return bout between Pascal and Hopkins, whose victor would then defend the belt against Dawson, the WBC's former interim titlist.

"The total voting here has not been received yet. But the great majority is asking for Pascal and Hopkins, with the winner fighting Chad Dawson. That's the voting that we have been receiving the most of from about 35 percent of those who have voted, that's how it is going right now," said Sulaiman.

"We expect to get the rest of them by the end of this week because we've received approximately 13 votes in favor of the Pascal rematch with Hopkins. Everyone agrees that it was a great match, and they would like to see rematch, and that they both deserve that fight. Only one has voted for Dawson to get the rematch first."

Gary Shaw, Dawson's promoter, said that the WBC's voting was moot.

"They can vote all that they want. I have a contract that allowed for Pascal to have one interim fight after ours, and he fought Bernard Hopkins. And then, he would have to do the rematch with us," said Shaw.

"I just have to get a date from HBO, and that's all that I have to do. My comment is that we have a contract to fight Pascal, and I'm waiting for [promoter] Yvon Michel to tell me when Jean Pascal will be ready to fight. And then, I'll go to HBO and talk to them about a date and money."

Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here .