A major twist has shaken the super welterweight division. Golden Boy Promotions, led by Oscar De La Hoya, has emerged victorious—by decision of a Nevada judge—in its dispute with Texas fighter Vergil Ortiz Jr. The ruling, on one hand, slows down the boxer’s immediate plans and, on the other, puts the highly anticipated showdown with Jaron “Boots” Ennis on hold—for now.
However, the court clarified that the dispute between Golden Boy and Ortiz cannot be resolved through a standard trial but must go to arbitration. It also stated that until a final decision is reached, Ortiz cannot negotiate or sign contracts with other promotional companies.
In practical terms, this blocks the agreement the Texas fighter was reportedly close to finalizing with Matchroom Boxing, headed by Eddie Hearn, promoter of Jaron Ennis.
The dispute stems from a contractual clause tying Golden Boy to DAZN. Ortiz Jr. claims that his contract with Golden Boy expired on December 31, the same day his promoter’s partnership with DAZN also came to an end.
Golden Boy, however, maintains that in August 2024 a three-year contract was signed binding Ortiz Jr. to the company. Furthermore, even after the formal expiration of the contract, events promoted by De La Hoya were still staged on DAZN, and the parties remain in talks for a new agreement. This reality is reinforced by statements from the streaming platform itself, which has expressed openness to a long-term deal with Golden Boy Promotions.
For the Nevada judge, this is sufficient to demonstrate that the business relationship is still ongoing, even in the absence of a newly signed definitive contract. Therefore, the agreement between Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy cannot be considered automatically terminated.
In conclusion, the matter is now in the hands of an arbitrator, and the timeline for a final ruling remains unknown. Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn’s patience appears to be wearing thin, as the Matchroom chief has stated he is not willing to wait indefinitely. There are reportedly at least two intriguing names being considered for Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ next fight: England’s Josh Kelly or the undefeated Puerto Rican WBO world champion Xander Zayas.
For boxing fans who were dreaming of the Ortiz vs. Ennis super fight—a clash that could have lit up a spring night in 2026—are the emotions merely postponed, or have they vanished for good?
For the answer, we can only wait.