Jaron Ennis (35-0) says he is moving on from negotiations with Vergil Ortiz Jr., stating the latter never wanted to fight.
The collapse comes after a Nevada judge blocked Ortiz’s attempt to break free from his promotional contract from Golden Boy, effectively freezing the fight for the foreseeable future. Ortiz Jr. sued Golden Boy Promotions, alleging that the promoter failed to act in good faith and was blocking the Ennis fight.
Judge Cristina Silva ruled in favor of Golden Boy, issuing a temporary restraining order that prevents Ortiz from negotiating with third parties (like Matchroom Boxing) until the dispute is settled in arbitration. Ortiz reportedly had a $12M–$20M three-fight offer from Matchroom on the table, which included the Ennis bout. The court’s decision has effectively made that deal impossible for now. Ennis took to X to express his frustration, while Ortiz hit back.
“”I did everything in my power to make this fight happen for the fans. It looks like Vergil or his team really didn’t want to fight. I came to his fight in his hometown and told him he was next. That was November, it’s March and still nothing,” Ennis
“I came to his fight in his hometown and told him he was next,”Ennis
“Since nobody is smart enough to know how to read between the lines and see we actually tried to make the fight happen despite all the ongoing legal issues, I’ll spell it out for you and everybody else,” Ortiz stated