BOTH SIDES OF THE VERGIL ORTIZ JR. VS. GOLDEN BOY LAWSUIT – VIDEOS
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Las Vegas, NV (January 18th, 2026)– In January 2026, Vergil Ortiz Jr. filed a lawsuit in Nevada to terminate his contract with Golden Boy Promotions, citing a broadcast deal expiration and bad-faith negotiations regarding a fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
Vergil Ortiz Jr.’s Claims
Ortiz’s legal team, led by Gregory M. Smith, seeks to void his contract based on the following allegations:
Broadcast Expiration: The promotional agreement allegedly allowed Ortiz to void his contract if Golden Boy’s exclusive partnership with DAZN ended. This deal officially expired on December 31, 2025.
Failed Negotiations: Ortiz claims Golden Boy, and specifically Oscar De La Hoya, failed to act in his best interest by stalling a high-profile fight with Jaron Ennis.
Interference with Earnings: The suit alleges De La Hoya’s public feuds with rival promoters (Eddie Hearn) and Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh have damaged Ortiz’s ability to secure lucrative “Riyadh Season” opportunities.
Contractual Violations: Ortiz alleges he was presented with only one opponent option (Ennis) instead of the three required by his contract, and was threatened with being “benched” if he did not accept specific terms.
Golden Boy Promotions’ Response
Golden Boy Promotions issued a statement strongly denying the claims and asserting that Ortiz is in breach of his contract:
“We are aware of the lawsuit,” De La Hoya wrote. “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.”
Golden Boy acknowledges that the DAZN deal technically ended, but maintains that the contract remains valid because they are actively negotiating a renewal for 2026 and 2027.
Golden Boy intends to aggressively defend the suit, expressing confidence that a judge will find Ortiz and his team are the ones currently in breach.
De La Hoya publicly blamed Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, for the stalled Ennis negotiations, accusing him of having a personal agenda and “interfering” in the process.
These legal updates present the claims made by Vergil Ortiz Jr. against Golden Boy Promotions, along with the promotion’s stated defenses.
Real Combat Media is not taking any sides in this legal matter. Feel free to comment below.
You can watch Rick Mirigian’s video and Oscar De La Hoya’s video below.
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