Oscar De La Hoya has responded forcefully to the breach-of-contract lawsuit filed by Vergil Ortiz Jr., rejecting claims that the unbeaten interim junior middleweight champion is free to leave Golden Boy Promotions and instead directing sharp criticism toward Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian. Speaking in Palm Springs just hours after the lawsuit was filed, De La Hoya warned that Golden Boy would take “aggressive action” against anyone he believes is interfering with the existing contract.
The legal dispute centers on the stalled negotiations for a high-profile fight between Ortiz and recently unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis. Ortiz’s attorney, Gregory Smith, argues that Golden Boy’s streaming agreement with DAZN expired on December 31, which would give Ortiz the right to terminate his promotional deal. Golden Boy counters that negotiations with DAZN are ongoing and that Ortiz remains under contract.
De La Hoya expressed frustration at the sudden shift in tone from Ortiz’s camp, noting that Ortiz had publicly stated just two months earlier that he was happy with Golden Boy. He also referenced Ortiz’s comments after his November knockout of Erickson Lubin, when the fighter told De La Hoya and Golden Boy president Eric Gomez that he “had their back” as talks with Ennis were set to begin. Ennis and his promoter Eddie Hearn were present that night, and the two fighters even met face-to-face in the ring on DAZN.
Much of De La Hoya’s criticism was aimed squarely at Mirigian, whom he accused of pushing a personal agenda and disrupting negotiations. He also pointed to the involvement of attorney Gregory Smith, who previously represented Canelo Alvarez in his successful lawsuit to exit Golden Boy, suggesting a familiar pattern. De La Hoya insisted that Golden Boy’s proposed 60-40 purse split in Ortiz’s favor was an effort to maximize the fighter’s earnings.
While Ortiz’s legal team has said it is confident in its position, De La Hoya dismissed the lawsuit as a move designed more for “optics” than substance. He maintained that Ortiz and his father simply want to fight and avoid the surrounding drama, concluding that the conflict is an unfortunate distraction from what was meant to be one of the sport’s most significant matchups.
Image Credit: Golden Boy