Vergil Ortiz Jr. sues Golden Boy for breach of contract, asks to have promotional deal voided
Golden Boy finds itself in a legal battle with yet another of its top stars.
Oscar De La Hoya's promotional company, which has been sued in recent years by Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Ryan Garcia, now finds itself on the end of a legal challenge by WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jr.
A lawsuit was filed on behalf of Ortiz in a Nevada court on Thursday, asking for Declaratory relief and claiming breach of contract and interference with prospective economic advantage.
Ortiz signed a three-year promotional contract with Golden Boy in May 2024, earning a minimum guarantee of $ 1 million per fight. Lawyers for Ortiz claim that, under the agreement, Ortiz can terminate his contract with Golden Boy if the promoter no longer has an active broadcast deal with DAZN and has not secured an exclusive distribution agreement with an alternative broadcaster.
Golden Boy's contract with DAZN ended on Dec. 31, 2025, and has not been renewed yet, although the pair are in talks for a possible extension. Lawyers for Golden Boy argue that Ortiz is not yet a free agent because they are still in negotiations with DAZN for a new media rights agreement.
At the center of this dispute is one of boxing's most anticipated fights.
Ortiz and Jaron "Boots" Ennis faced off in the ring after the former's win over Erickson Lubin on Nov. 8.
Negotiations have continued in the months since but a bout between the pair has yet to materialize. In recent weeks, it became apparent that the conflict between Ortiz's promoter, De La Hoya, and his manager, Rick Mirigian, was not helping matters along.
Mirigian has claimed he has the right to negotiate on Ortiz's behalf directly with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing because of the belief from Ortiz's side's that they are a promotional free agent. De La Hoya has made multiple videos and posts on his Instagram page asserting that he has the exclusive promotional rights for Ortiz Jr.'s fights, hence the legal battle that appears set to ensue.
According to Hearn, he and De La Hoya agreed on a 45%/45% purse split — with the remaining 10% going to the winner — to match the pair during a meeting with the Golden Boy chief and DAZN executives in 2025, but De La Hoya has since asked for a 55%-35% deal, with 10% to the winner. De La Hoya's feuds with Hearn, Turki Alalshikh and other promoters have prevented De La Hoya from working on behalf of Ortiz to maximize his revenue opportunities, it is claimed in the suit.
DAZN has not renewed Golden Boy's contract yet, in part because of the company's failure to make a fight with Ennis next, Uncrowned has learned. A highly-placed DAZN source told Uncrowned that a contest between Ortiz and Ennis is the only one that it wants to see next for the boxers, and it is putting significant pressure on De La Hoya and Hearn to make the match.
Golden Boy has informed Ortiz that it is the only fight it wants to make for the boxer, which is allegedly a violation of his contract that requires a minimum of three potential opponents.
Timing is key. While De La Hoya's contract with DAZN has recently expired, Hearn's media rights deal with DAZN has just six months left and is also in talks for a renewal. With Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions recently losing their network deals and finding themselves unable to secure adequate replacements, it is apparent that De La Hoya and Hearn will not want to find themselves searching for a new boxing broadcaster.
