Golden Boy Blocks Ortiz-Ennis Fight
A Nevada judge granted Golden Boy Promotions' motion for arbitration in their legal dispute with Vergil Ortiz Jr., effectively killing the highly anticipated Ortiz vs. Jaron Ennis fight for the foreseeable future. This ruling sends Ennis searching for other opponents while Ortiz's career remains on legal hold.
The core of the legal conflict is a contract clause linking Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Golden Boy Promotions as long as the promoter has a broadcast deal with DAZN. Ortiz's legal team argued the deal expired on December 31st, allowing him to terminate the contract, while Golden Boy maintained that ongoing negotiations constituted a continuing relationship. This legal battle is the latest in a series of career setbacks for Ortiz, who has been sidelined by health issues. A serious condition called rhabdomyolysis, where damaged muscle tissue releases proteins that can harm the organs, forced him to cancel a March 2022 bout against Michael McKinson and an April 2023 fight with Eimantas Stanionis. The now-scuttled bout with Jaron "Boots" Ennis was a highly anticipated clash between two of the top undefeated fighters in the 154-pound division. Negotiations had been tumultuous; after a public face-to-face in the ring where they appeared to agree to a 2026 fight, talks repeatedly stalled, with both sides accusing the other of delaying. Before the lawsuit, Ennis's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, stated they had a deal agreed upon in principle with Golden Boy and DAZN, and that Ennis had signed a contract for the fight. However, the deal never fully materialized, leading to Ortiz's attempt to leave Golden Boy to make the fight happen independently. With the arbitration process expected to take months, Jaron Ennis is now forced to look for other opponents to stay active. His promoter has identified two primary targets: Xander Zayas, the unified WBO and WBA junior middleweight world champion, and Josh Kelly, the recently crowned IBF light-middleweight champion.
