Vergil Ortiz Jr. is requesting the termination of his promotional contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and is suing for breach of contract and “interference with [prospective] economic advantage” after failed negotiations for a fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
The lawsuit was filed with a U.S. District Court in Nevada on Thursday and seeks to end the relationship with Golden Boy, Ortiz’s promoter since the beginning of his pro career in 2016. Ortiz is also seeking unspecified damages.
“We are aware of the lawsuit,” Golden Boy said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, Vergil is getting bad advice from his lawyer and manager who have repeatedly violated the contract. We will aggressively defend this lawsuit and enforce our rights. We are confident a judge will agree that our contract is valid and Vergil and his team are in breach.”
Ortiz is represented by Gregory M. Smith, the same attorney who represented Canelo Alvarez in his lawsuit against Golden Boy in 2020. That suit also alleged breach of contract regarding Alvarez’s 11-fight, $365 million deal signed in 2018 with Golden Boy and broadcasting partner DAZN. Alvarez was released by Golden Boy later that year.
Ortiz’s 32-page lawsuit alleges that there were “various breaches” of the agreement by Golden Boy. Chief among them are claims that De La Hoya is “a controversial and divisive figure in boxing” and that his strained relationships with other promoters is the primary reason a deal for Ortiz to fight Ennis has yet to be finalized.
“Although Mr. De La Hoya had [a] legendary boxing career, he has a history of substance abuse and rocky relationships with other boxing promoters,” the lawsuit reads. “In recent years, he has unprofessionally attacked his peers and other boxing luminaries on social media platforms, including weekly Instagram video rants in which he often concludes by telling various boxers and promoters to f— themselves.”
Recently, De La Hoya demanded on social media a 60-40 split in favor of Ortiz with Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn. De La Hoya even suggested he was moving on after Hearn did not adhere to a deadline De La Hoya had set and would pursue other options for Ortiz. However, Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, fired back on social media and claimed there was a lack of communication with Golden Boy Promotions regarding negotiations. He ended the social media post by offering the fight to another promoter.
De La Hoya took aim at Mirigian on social media and blamed him for the failed negotiations while telling him to “get out of the way” and accusing him of having an agenda.
“I respect Oscar [and] will never say negative things about him personally,” Mirigian told ESPN. “He’s done a lot for boxing and fighters. We have a dispute, and a third party will now decide. I’ll always take his calls and I am always here to talk. The childish insults and games are why the situation is what it is.”
The lawsuit also stated that Ortiz has the right to void his promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions if the promotion’s exclusive content partnership with DAZN ends; Golden Boy’s deal with DAZN ended Dec. 31. However, the lawsuit explains that Golden Boy is negotiating another deal with DAZN to provide content for 2026 and 2027. In May 2024, Ortiz and Golden Boy Promotions extended their promotional agreement for another three years.
