Vergil Ortiz Jr sues Golden Boy in dispute tied to stalled Jaron Ennis talks
Vergil Ortiz Jr has filed a federal lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, seeking to end his relationship with Oscar De La Hoya’s company amid stalled negotiations for what he views as a career-defining fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis,Ortiz, the unbeaten World Boxing Council interim junior middleweight champion, filed the complaint on Thursday in US district court in Nevada, asking a judge to confirm that his promotional agreement with Golden Boy has been terminated and alleging that the promoter breached the contract and interfered with his earning potential,Golden Boy has promoted the Texan since his professional debut in 2016 and signed him to a new three-year deal in May 2024,Ortiz’s lawsuit, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, argues that the agreement allowed him to walk away if Golden Boy’s broadcast partnership with Dazn ended – a condition he says was triggered when the promoter’s deal with the streamer expired on 31 December,According to the complaint, Ortiz formally exercised his right to terminate the agreement on 8 January.
Golden Boy has acknowledged that its Dazn deal concluded at the end of the year but maintains that Ortiz remains under contract because the promoter has been actively negotiating a renewal with Dazn covering 2026 and 2027.Ortiz disputes that position, arguing that ongoing negotiations and exchanged drafts do not constitute a binding agreement and that the contract language requires a completed deal, not “an agreement to agree”.The lawsuit seeks declaratory relief to clarify the 27-year-old Ortiz’s contractual status, with his attorneys arguing that uncertainty is harming the prime years of his career as he looks to secure high-profile fights.Ortiz’s filing goes beyond the termination clause, alleging that Golden Boy breached the agreement well before the split.Central to those claims are negotiations – or lack thereof – for a bout with Ennis, one of the most hotly anticipated matchups in boxing.
Ortiz and Ennis both hold interim championships at 154lb, and the fight is widely viewed as a natural step toward a unification bout for the undisputed title,Ortiz alleges he instructed Golden Boy to work with Ennis’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, but that Golden Boy failed to act in good faith,The complaint claims De La Hoya’s strained relationships with rival promoters and Saudi boxing power broker Turki al-Sheikh undercut opportunities to stage the fight, particularly given Saudi Arabia’s recent role in financing marquee events,The lawsuit also alleges Golden Boy violated a contractual requirement to present Ortiz with at least three opponent options for each bout, instead offering a single Ennis proposal and threatening to sideline him if he declined,Ortiz further claims Golden Boy failed to disclose written documents generated during meetings involving Golden Boy, Matchroom and Dazn that related to the Ennis fight.
Following Ortiz’s attempt to terminate the agreement, the complaint alleges Golden Boy continued to publicly assert control over his career, setting negotiation terms and deadlines without authorization,Ortiz argues that those actions wrought confusion within the industry and interfered with his ability to negotiate independently with other promoters,Golden Boy disputed Ortiz’s claims in a statement, saying it intends to fight the lawsuit,“We are aware of the lawsuit,” a spokesperson said,“Unfortunately, Vergil is getting bad advice from his lawyer and manager who have repeatedly violated the contract.
We will aggressively defend this lawsuit and enforce our rights,We are confident a judge will agree that our contract is valid and Vergil and his team are in breach,”Ortiz is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, alleging that Golden Boy’s conduct cost him millions in fight purses, sponsorships and related earnings,The lawsuit adds Ortiz to a growing list of elite fighters who have taken Golden Boy to court over contractual disputes, including Canelo Álvarez, whom Ortiz’s attorney Gregory Smith previously represented in his successful effort to exit a promotional deal with De La Hoya’s company,
Barbeary shows class as Bath score nine tries to race into Champions Cup last 16
Scotland’s fly-half Finn Russell had spoken about his desire to claim the pre-Six Nations bragging rights at the expense of several good mates in the Edinburgh squad. There was never the slightest doubt his wish would be granted as Bath eased to a comprehensive nine-try victory that guarantees pool winner status plus a home draw in the last 16 and, potentially, beyond.On this occasion Russell also had the luxury of an armchair ride behind a Bath pack who took an early grip on the contest and never let go. Even if Edinburgh had turned up in north-east Somerset with their best side, as opposed to resting a few senior men, they would have been hard pressed to put too many dents in the black-shirted tanks and electric sprinters parked up opposite.There will be sterner tests ahead against stronger opposition but, first and foremost, there was no disputing the unflinching mood of Bath’s tight forwards or their forceful No 8 Alfie Barbeary
Vergil Ortiz Jr sues Golden Boy in dispute tied to stalled Jaron Ennis talks
Vergil Ortiz Jr has filed a federal lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, seeking to end his relationship with Oscar De La Hoya’s company amid stalled negotiations for what he views as a career-defining fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.Ortiz, the unbeaten World Boxing Council interim junior middleweight champion, filed the complaint on Thursday in US district court in Nevada, asking a judge to confirm that his promotional agreement with Golden Boy has been terminated and alleging that the promoter breached the contract and interfered with his earning potential.Golden Boy has promoted the Texan since his professional debut in 2016 and signed him to a new three-year deal in May 2024. Ortiz’s lawsuit, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, argues that the agreement allowed him to walk away if Golden Boy’s broadcast partnership with Dazn ended – a condition he says was triggered when the promoter’s deal with the streamer expired on 31 December.According to the complaint, Ortiz formally exercised his right to terminate the agreement on 8 January
Lewis Hamilton to get new engineer as Adami replaced in Ferrari shake-up
Ferrari have announced they are to replace Riccardo Adami as Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer for the 2026 Formula One season, after the pair endured what appeared to be a fractious and testing relationship during the seven-time world champion’s first season with the Scuderia.Ferrari issued a statement on Friday stating Adami would be moved to a new role with the team’s driver academy as academy and test previous cars manager, adding that his replacement as Hamilton’s race engineer, the crucial link between team and driver on the pit wall, would be announced in due course.During his first year with Ferrari, a trying season with the car well off the pace of the frontrunners and with Hamilton struggling to adapt to a new team, his relationship with Adami appeared to be far from easy. The pair endured several terse exchanges with Hamilton expressing frustration and confusion, notably in Monaco when he asked his engineer at the end of the race: “Are you upset with me or something?” He appeared to receive no reply.Hamilton dismissed speculation that the pair did not enjoy a good working relationship at the time as “BS” and said Adami had “been amazing to work with, he’s a great guy”
Testing times for English cricket | Letters
Emma John’s perceptive analysis of cricket in Australia is spot-on (England ruthlessly privatised cricket – Australia embraces it with constant public displays of affection, 9 January). I have been visiting Australia for many years – our son and his family live in Sydney. The locals, on hearing my accent, mostly respond by saying “Sorry about the cricket, mate.” It’s not in a gloating or superior way, but in a genuine sense of puzzlement at how when we have often promised a real contest we perform like a malfunctioning firework.As Emma observes, in Australia cricket is a national obsession and accessible to all, either to watch or to play
Your Guardian sport weekend: Australian Open, NFL playoffs and the Afcon final
Ease into the football weekend with our essential rolling blog. Dominic Booth buckles up to bring you breaking news and insights from around the grounds with seven Premier League fixtures, kicking off at lunchtime with the Manchester derby. Jamie Jackson will be online at Old Trafford for a live Q&A before the match, so post your questions to matchday.live@theguardian.com
Thistle Ask seeks to sting rivals in Ascot’s all-star Clarence House Chase
The top-rated two-mile chaser in training takes on the most improved performer in the division in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot today and Thistle Ask (3.30) feels overpriced at around 7-1 to take the step up to Grade One company in his stride.Thistle Ask has made remarkable progress since joining Dan Skelton’s yard for just £11,000 in May, winning his first start for his new stable off a mark of 115 and completing a four-timer off 146 in the Desert Orchid Handicap Chase at Kempton’s Christmas meeting.The opposition there was a long way short of the three high-class rivals he will face on Saturday, but the visual impression of Thistle Ask’s frontrunning, 10-length success was backed up by a strong time figure and the form pushed his Timeform rating to 162, within 6lb of last year’s winner, Jonbon.Harry Cobden, who was announced this week as JP McManus’s new No 1 rider in Britain and Ireland from the start of next season, rides Jonbon for the first time on Saturday, but while the 10-year-old remains wonderfully consistent, recent runs have suggested that he may be just a little past his best
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