Photo: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

Errol Spence Jr. was on top of the world following his fifth-round dismantling of Chris Algieri. Everything seemed possible on April 16, as Spence called out IBF welterweight titleholder Kell Brook, assuming he was the mandatory to Brook’s title with the impressive victory.

If only things were that simple.

Spence (20-0, 17 knockouts) will get his title shot but it won’t come in his next fight. The IBF ordered on Wednesday for Spence to face Italy’s Leonardo Bundu in an eliminator to decide the mandatory to Brook’s title, IBF Championships Chairman Lindsey Tucker told RingTV.com on Wednesday.

Spence and the 41-year-old Bundu (33-1-2, 12 KOs) have a small window to complete their talks, until June 22 when a purse bid will be ordered, Tucker said. Letters with the details were sent out to both camps on Tuesday, he said. The IBF had to speed up the process because of talks that broke down between Spence and another fighter because of injury, he said.

After Brook stopped Kevin Bizier in two rounds in March, the IBF was going to order Spence and “whoever the leading available guy was” to fight for the No. 1 position, Tucker said. Spence had already fought Alejandro Barrera for the No. 2 spot in the welterweight rankings on Nov. 28, also stopping him in five rounds.

But Spence agreed to fight Algieri outside of the IBF’s realm, forcing the IBF to wait. “He took that fight on his own,” Tucker said. After Spence took care of Algieri, the IBF ordered for Spence to face No. 3 contender Konstantin Ponomarev (30-0, 13 KOs) to decide the top spot. The two sides started negotiations, Tucker said, but Ponomarev suffered an injury and withdrew, he said. “We started going down the list and ended up with Bundu,” Tucker said.

The talented Spence found himself defending himself on social media on the order to face Bundu, the IBF’s No. 7 welterweight. Bundu was easily out-pointed by WBA titleholder Keith Thurman in 2014 and has fought most of his opposition in Italy.

“Everybody got a call up to Bundu,” Spence wrote on Twitter in response to a comment that Spence has faced some light touches recently. Spence suggested that others ahead of Bundu in the IBF were contacted to see if they were available. “I don’t know who I’m fighting until I hear it from Al,” Spence later wrote, referring to his manager, Al Haymon. Spence didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Mitch Abramson is a former reporter for the New York Daily News and can be reached on Twitter at: @Mabramson13.