David Tua is not the International Boxing Federation's mandatory challenger and is not entitled to challenge new champion Hasim Rahman for the world heavyweight title, according to IBF officials in New Jersey.
Although Tua is ranked No 1 by the IBF in its April ratings "it was on the understanding he
would have to fight the No 2 to become mandatory challenger," IBF ratings chairman Daryl Peoples said.
The No 2 ranking was secured by southpaw Chris Byrd in New York last Saturday, when he beat Maurice Harris, a former lead sparring partner of Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson.
IBF championships chairman Joe Dwyer confirmed that an agreement to fight must be made between Tua and Byrd within 90 days of last Saturday.
Failure to do so would see the fight put out for purse bids to all registered promoters. If one of the fighters did not want to fight he would be dropped from the ratings.
Before the Byrd-Harris fight, Tua's American promoter Dan Goosen lodged a complaint with the IBF challenging the status of Harris to fight for the No 2 spot.
Byrd was ranked No 5 and Harris, 11.
Rule 10 of the IBF's ratings criteria states: "For a boxer to be rated in the No 1 or No 2 position he must be rated in one of the top five positions and beat another boxer rated in one of the top five positions."
Peoples said the IBF tried everyone in the top 10 to fight Byrd, but no one wanted to. He was a talented boxer with good lateral movement and a reputation for making others look bad.
The IBF was therefore forced to dip into the top 15 and Harris was the first to say yes.
Dwyer said Tua's promoter was well aware of the conditions of the eliminator boxoff to find the mandatory challenger.
The IBF's stand also nullifies the lawsuit laid against the body by Tua in protest over the rematch clause in the contract between Lewis and Rahman.
Tua is trying to have Rahman stripped of his IBF title because of the rematch clause.
- NZPA
