Vergil Ortiz and Golden Boy settle as Jaron Ennis talks face new hurdle

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions have settled their legal dispute, removing the immediate court barrier that had blocked Ortiz from pursuing a fight with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. The settlement ends the competing claims between the unbeaten junior-middleweight and his long-time promoter, but the Ennis fight is no longer in the same place it was when talks first collapsed.

Ortiz, 24-0 (22 KOs), had been due to go to arbitration with Golden Boy and his manager Rick Mirigian on Tuesday before the hearing was postponed while the parties worked towards a deal. Golden Boy announced on Friday that the matter had been resolved, with Oscar De La Hoya saying in a prepared statement: “Our relationship with Vergil has spanned more than a decade, and we are proud to have played a role in his development into one of the sport’s premier fighters. We look forward to continuing our partnership and working together with Vergil Jr., Rick Mirigian, and the rest of Team Ortiz to deliver the biggest fights possible for boxing fans.”

Ortiz said: “I’m very grateful that Golden Boy and I were able to come to an understanding and resolve everything. I’m excited to move forward and make the biggest fights happen, including the Ennis fight. My only focus is on delivering unforgettable fights for the fans, and I know my team and I will accomplish that together.” A Golden Boy spokeswoman added: “Under the terms of the agreement, all claims between the parties have been resolved. Additional terms of the settlement remain confidential.”

The immediate boxing question is whether Ortiz-Ennis can be revived quickly enough to matter. Ortiz has not fought since stopping Erickson Lubin in the second round in Fort Worth in November, when Ennis watched from ringside and then entered the ring afterwards as the two DAZN fighters traded words in a scene that appeared to push one of the strongest fights at 154lbs towards the front of the schedule.

That momentum was lost when Ortiz filed a lawsuit in Nevada in January seeking to get out of his Golden Boy contract and pursue Ennis without the promoter’s involvement. Ortiz argued that Golden Boy’s broadcasting deal with DAZN ending on December 31 affected his contractual position, while Golden Boy maintained it retained exclusive rights over his boxing activities as the parties were also discussing a new DAZN deal for 2026 and 2027.

Golden Boy obtained a temporary restraining order on February 13 preventing Ortiz from making the Ennis bout, or any fight, without its involvement. Nevada District Judge Cristina D. Silva later issued an injunction stopping Ortiz from dealing with third parties until the dispute was resolved. After that ruling, Ortiz wrote on X: “Although the judge didn’t see it our way and the fight is blocked for now, my team and I will be moving on to arbitration and to the court appeal,” adding: “My time with Goldenboy is done. I am confident that my right to move on to other opportunities will be upheld. As always, I’m in the gym staying ready – ANY 154 champion should do the same. It’s only a matter of time.” De La Hoya replied on social media with: “Justice prevails.”

The dispute also included a separate Golden Boy lawsuit in California accusing Mirigian of sharing private details of Ortiz’s contractual position with rival promoters, including Zuffa, Canelo Promotions and Matchroom, and of undermining negotiations involving Ortiz, Ennis and DAZN. Ortiz’s side had claimed he could have earned at least $16 million for the Ennis fight, compared with a $3 million offer from Golden Boy, while Mirigian complained the promoter was not honouring contractual provisions to maximise Ortiz’s earnings.

Ennis priorities have shifted

The settlement removes the legal roadblock, but Ennis, 36-0 (32 KOs), has strengthened his own position since the original talks broke down. The Philadelphian moved on from the stalled Ortiz negotiations and stopped Xander Zayas on June 27 at Barclays Center in New York to become a unified junior-middleweight champion, putting him in position to chase further belts rather than return automatically to an old deal.

Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Ennis is willing to fight Ortiz, but that he would need to be incentivised to prioritise that bout over his current goal of unifying at 154lbs and becoming undisputed. Hearn has also said Ennis previously signed to fight Ortiz, accepting a smaller share because he believed he would win and that the fight would be significant for American boxing, only for Ortiz not to sign amid the contractual issues that later became public.

That history now cuts against an immediate revival on the same terms. Hearn was surprised that Mirigian believed the old framework could still work given Ennis’ new unified-champion status and Ortiz’s inactivity, although Mirigian has said on social media that talks with Hearn are active. Earlier in the week, Mirigian told BoxingScene: “We have a pathway and foundational structure now if ‘Boots’ wants to go first,” and said of Ortiz’s Golden Boy situation: “We have a fair deal now laid out. Both sides made some concessions and talked through issues and [the] interpretation of things, and took care of things that were not there prior.”

Bozy Ennis, Jaron’s father and trainer, has indicated Ortiz is now a lower priority, with their side looking instead at unification fights against WBC champion Sebastian Fundora and IBF champion Josh Kelly, potentially in December. He has also pointed to Ortiz’s falling-out with De La Hoya and the delay that left Ennis waiting as a reason Ortiz is no longer being treated as a leading option.

Ortiz and Golden Boy can now resume business together and test whether the Ennis fight can be rebuilt under new terms. The next move is likely to fall between renewed talks with Hearn and Ennis’ push for more belts, with Ortiz needing either a fresh agreement that reflects Ennis’ changed position or another meaningful 154lbs fight to regain momentum after months in court.