Joseph Parker's handlers have squashed suggestions the Kiwi heavyweight's looming fight with Carlos Takam has been downgraded.
The boxing world was abuzz with suggestions the IBF had turned the May 21 fight in south Auckland into one of two elimination bouts rather than a battle to find the mandatory fighter to challenge new world champion Anthony Joshua of Britain.
The theory was that the May 7 fight in Hamburg between Britain's Anthony Chisora and Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev would also be an eliminator.
Essentially they would be "semifinals" with the winners of the two fights then facing each other within 120 days for the mandatory right to take on the IBF champion.
But Parker's promoters Duco Events are adamant they hold the rights to the only eliminator for the mandatory rights and are proceeding accordingly.
There had been no contact from the IBF suggesting any changes to the current schedule.
Duco bosses Dean Lonergan and David Higgins are still in Europe after attending Joshua's London win over American Charles Martin to claim the coveted belt.
But their respected matchmaker Stu Duncan said there was no substance to the latest talk.
Definitely not," Duncan said on Friday, adding that he was involved in negotiating the Parker-Takam fight with the IBF, whom he has a longstanding relationship with.
A letter, from the office of the IBF president to Duco Events, officially confirms the boxing body's "formal sanction" for the eliminator fight in south Auckland and confirms that the winner will be rated No 1 and the mandatory challenger to the champion.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn added weight to the New Zealand claims as he questioned the rumours on Twitter.
"I'm not sure where that article came from but the winner of Takam v Parker is the mandatory," Hearn said as he got in a discussion around the busy heavyweight landscape.
Earlier reports had the IBF confirming that the Chisora v Pulev fight would be to find their No 2 rated fighter and that's the way the Kiwi camp see the lay of the land.
Parker is in Las Vegas training for the fight with Takam preparing in Paris.