By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The IBF is faced with a major controversy over whether or not IBF minimum weight champion Florante Condes signed a contract to defend his title against No. 6 ranked Raul Garcia of Mexico in February next year.
Condes’ promoter Bobby Bostick informed IBF Championship Committee chairman Lindsey Tucker that Condes “never saw the contract and never signed the contract” which was contrary to claims by Tucker that he had a contract “that appears to be signed by Condes.”
Tucker informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that based on the contract he had, the IBF had approved the fight against Garcia but disclosed he had told Bostick that “if Condes does not come to Mexico, I will notify all the parties involved with Condes on February 7" that the Filipino " must fight his mandatory against the leading available contender.”
Tucker disclosed that Bostick had told him he “wants to promote Condes vs (Muhammad) Rachman in the Philippines in the last Saturday in February” but that he had told Bostick “it will not happen because its too far past Condes’ notification date.”
Bostick indicated he would try to arrange for the fight to happen on February 16. However, Tucker said “the IBF will not accept any postponements and Condes must then go directly to his mandatory.”
The IBF official emphasized that if Condes did sign the contract to fight Garcia “I will not approve Condes vs Rachman” and indicated that Bostick and co-manager Dante Ortiz would have to resolve their dispute in court. Tucker revealed that Bostick “may in fact take legal action against Ortiz and (Morris) East” who apparently claimed Condes signed the Garcia contract.
