The timing of Matchroom Boxing’s long-term extension with DAZN made headlines on Wednesday.
It also provided an example for Golden Boy Promotions in its ongoing legal battle with Vergil Ortiz.
Barely 24 hours after Ortiz filed a Motion of Opposition to Golden Boy Promotions’ temporary restraining order (TRO), his estranged promoter followed suit with its Reply in Support of Emergency Motion in time to satisfy the court’s imposed deadline. A 10-page complaint and separate declarations, obtained and reviewed by BoxingScene, Golden Boy pointed to numerous examples where Ortiz’s own filing “admits that he has been engaged in unauthorized negotiations with third parties behind Golden Boy’s back” while the boxer has an active lawsuit against the promoter for alleged breach of contract and interference with economic advantage.
“[Ortiz] claims that “[b]ut for the Court issuing the TRO on February 13, 2026,” he already would have entered either a “three-bout agreement from Matchroom [Boxing USA LLC]” that included an April 18, 2026 bout with Jaron Ennis, or a separate three-bout agreement with an unspecified promoter.”
In the balance amidst the courtroom drama is a targeted bout between Ortiz, 24-0 (22 KOs), and Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs). The terrific matchup has been on DAZN’s radar ever since Ennis – who is promoted by Matchroom – committed to moving up from welterweight to the 154lbs division.
Ortiz and Ennis currently hold secondary 154lbs titles.
Both boxers faced off immediately after Ortiz’s early knockout win over Erickson Lubin last November 9 – four weeks after Ennis’s 1st round knockout of Uisma Lima. The timing was seemingly perfect, and Ennis and Matchroom had already agreed to terms on their end.
Hanging in the balance, however, was an at-length dispute between Golden Boy and Ortiz’s team, specifically manager Rick Mirigian. It lingered beyond the end of the year, which coincided with the expiration of Golden Boy’s most recent contracted output deal with DAZN.
Golden Boy was since granted two separate one-off dates by the streaming service – its January 16 show in Palm Springs, and the recently announced March 16 card in Anaheim. The latter card was approved while both sides continue to work out what is hoped to be an agreement through the end of 2027.
Why a deal wasn’t reached prior to the start of 2026 is now a matter for the court to determine as the truth.
Among the supporting documents in Ortiz’s filing on Tuesday was a declaration from DAZN COO Ed McCarthy. In his sworn statement, McCarthy alleged that “DAZN remains open to seeking to agree and enter into a long-term distribution agreement with GBP on commercially reasonable terms, whether or not GBP has Mr. Ortiz under contract.”
McCarthy also noted that “DAZN is aware that, following the filing of proceedings by Mr. Ortiz against GBP and immediately prior to the recent Court Order, Mr. Ortiz was negotiating, and close to executing, an agreement with Matchroom Boxing to fight Mr. Ennis on April 18, 2026 in an event to air on DAZN.”
Both statements were made while confirming Golden Boy’s claim that DAZN was in talks with the promotional company since late 2025 to work out a new deal. McCarthy confirmed that a deal was still not in place, which was meant to support Ortiz’s claim that the absence of Golden Boy’s distribution deal would allow the boxer to trigger Section 10(g) of his promotional contract and terminate their agreement.
Instead, Golden Boy flipped it and used that claim as the leading argument in its filed response.
“Tellingly, however, Ortiz does not quote Section 10(g), the critical provision of the Promotional Agreement that purportedly gave him the right to terminate. The reason for that glaring omission is clear. Contrary to Ortiz’s assertions, Section 10(g) does not grant Ortiz “the right to withdraw from the [Promotional Agreement]” if Golden Boy’s “contract” with DAZN “was terminated or expired.” Instead, Section 10(g) only allows Ortiz to terminate the Promotional Agreement if Golden Boy’s “distribution relationship” with DAZN terminates, providing in relevant part as follows:
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Promoter’s distribution relationship with DAZN is a material incentive for Boxer to enter into this Agreement. In the event that Promoter’s distribution relationship with DAZN terminates, for any reason, and Promoter does not have an agreement in principle in place for an exclusive distribution relationship with an alternative broadcaster, then Boxer shall have the right to terminate this Agreement.
“Golden Boy raised the key distinction between termination of a “relationship” and termination of a “contract” in its Motion, but Ortiz continues to ignore this distinction and the actual language of Section 10(g) by incorrectly insisting that he may terminate the Promotional Agreement simply because the most recent long-term contract between DAZN and Golden Boy expired. Ortiz continues to conflate the terms “relationship” and “contract” because he knows that Golden Boy’s “relationship” with DAZN has not terminated and, thus, he has no grounds for termination of the Promotional Agreement under Section 10(g).”
Furthermore, Golden Boy contends that the current and ongoing talks with DAZN and its two agreed-upon one-off fight dates constitutes a continued distribution relationship.
Should a judge agree with that logic, it would put Ortiz and Mirigian at risk of contract breach for freely negotiating with other promoters. Among the willing suitors was Matchroom, who offered Ortiz a three-fight deal – including the Ennis clash - worth at least $12,000,000, with the potential to grow to $20,000,000.
Furthermore, Golden Boy continued to cite its claims of irreparable harm, should the court rule to dissolve the TRO. Such a ruling would allow Ortiz to proceed with his career on his terms, and without Golden Boy along for the ride.
“Ortiz never sought permission from Golden Boy to directly negotiate with Matchroom or the other unnamed promoter referenced in the Opposition,” read the complaint. “More importantly, at no time during negotiations with Golden Boy for the Ennis fight did Matchroom ever suggest that it wanted to negotiate directly with Oritiz’s manager, Mirigian.
“Certainly, Golden Boy never “allow[ed] [Ortiz’s] representatives to directly negotiate” any bouts without Golden Boy.”
The complaint also outright dismissed any claim that Golden Boy has fallen out of favor with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, citing its involvement in Saturday’s DAZN pay-per-view event in Las Vegas. Golden Boy represents Ryan Garcia, who faces WBC 147lbs titlist Mario Barrios in the main event, and Oscar Duarte who challenges IBF 140lbs beltholder Richardson Hitchins in the co-feature.
The most telling part of current events in the view of Golden Boy was McCarthy’s full role within the industry.
Among the supporting documents with Wednesday’s Reply was Statement of Information Limited Liability Corporation for Matchroom’s members as seen in the state of California. McCarthy was among the six names listed as a Matchroom “manager or member”.
“McCarthy’s declaration regarding DAZN’s intentions is misleading and incomplete,” Golden Boy insisted. “In his declaration, McCarthy fails to disclose that he is also a manager and/or member of Matchroom, the promoter with whom Ortiz has been negotiating a replacement three-bout deal. Moreover, earlier [Wednesday], Matchroom and DAZN announced a new five-year exclusive broadcast contract, which means that, if Matchroom signs Ortiz, DAZN will receive the benefit of the three-bout agreement with Ortiz
“Accordingly, McCarthy and DAZN have a clear interest in the Court dissolving the TRO so that Ortiz may sign a new agreement with Matchroom.”
A hearing is scheduled for Friday in Las Vegas’ District Court. All involved parties are required to appear for a hearing and oral argument, per the court’s ruling last Friday.
