It looks like Jaron “Boots” Ennis will have to move on while Vergil Ortiz Jnr’s career remains on hold.
Golden Boy Promotions earned a huge victory in its ongoing legal battle with Ortiz, when a Nevada judge granted the company’s motion to compel arbitration. Furthermore, Monday’s ruling also denied the unbeaten WBC interim junior middleweight titlist and manager Rick Mirigian from independently negotiating with third parties prior to arbitration.
The latter was determined hours after Ortiz filed an emergency motion to dismiss the Temporary Restraining Order [TRO] filed by Golden Boy.
“While Ortiz attempts to argue application of agency principles, this argument requires that I find Golden Boy’s decision to sue Mirigian as constituting waiver,” Nevada District Judge Cristina Silva stated in a final ruling obtained by BoxingScene. “But Ortiz fails to meaningfully analyze how those principles apply here. Ortiz also fails to cite points and authorities to support his position that Golden Boy’s decision to sue Mirigian waives its right to invoke arbitration here.
“Even so, this argument has been raised and rejected in other courts… thus, I also grant Golden Boy’s request for interim injunctive relief to allow for meaningful arbitration, so I hereby order that Ortiz may not negotiate or contract with third parties for future fights before the arbitrator addresses the parties’ dispute set forth in this action.”
The ruling came 10 days after both parties appeared before Judge Silva to present final arguments to determine whether the case should head to arbitration or be dismissed outright. The February 20 hearing was crucial for Ortiz, Matchroom Boxing and DAZN in its efforts to proceed with a desired Ortiz-Ennis clash originally targeted for this spring.
Those plans are not only shot to sunshine, but it remains unclear when the matter can be revisited as long as Ortiz is not permitted to move without resolution to this case – unless the unbeaten Texan is willing to reconcile or settle with Golden Boy.
It’s a significant ruling, given the on-the-record confirmation that Matchroom Boxing, Ennis’ promoter, was prepared to enter a three-fight, eight-figure deal with Ortiz to include the abovementioned matchup. Monday’s decision puts that arrangement on ice, if not nullifying the agreement altogether.
Ortiz’ legal team filed a lawsuit earlier this year, citing breach of contract and interference with economic advantage. The contention on the Ortiz side was that the promotional contract with Golden Boy expired once the company’s output deal with DAZN expired this past December 31.
Section 10(g) of Ortiz’s contract calls for termination of said 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.
Where Golden Boy gained its victory is in the wording of that clause. Ortiz’s team mistook the expiration of the deal, rather than taking note of the specific wording – relationship, not contract.
Golden Boy pointed to its two dates on the calendar post-contract – its January 16 show and the upcoming March 14 DAZN show from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Furthermore, DAZN COO Ed McCarthy, in his own fumbled attempt to support Ortiz via written declaration, admitted on record 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 – meant to support Ortiz’s claim but instead bolstered Golden Boy’s argument that there still exists a relationship, however dysfunctional at the moment.
Meanwhile, the court did not fully buy the claim from Ortiz’s legal team that Golden Boy’s filed counter lawsuit against Mirigian waives its right to invoke arbitration. In fact, the court said that the case is fit to be presented before an arbitrator.
“The totality of Golden Boy’s actions does not indicate that it waived its right to arbitration,” explained Silva. “Rather, its actions are consistent with its right to enforce the arbitration provision of the Agreement. Accordingly, I grant Golden Boy’s motion to compel arbitration. Further, because I find that this action is arbitrable, injunctive relief is necessary to preserve the status quo.”
The ruling forces Matchroom Boxing to take the next step in advancing the career of its fighter.
Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), entered the 154lbs division with a first-round knockout victory over Uisma Lima last October 11 in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He’s spent the next four-and-a-half months waiting out Ortiz’s side.
Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn told BoxingScene and other promoters on Saturday – while promoting the Emanuel Navarrete-Eduardo Nuñez DAZN show in Glendale, Arizona – that time was short on holding out for this fight before moving on to the next step.
“If we can’t get Vergil Ortiz, then the target we want is Xander Zayas,” insisted Hearn. “And if we can’t get him, we have another Matchroom fighter – Josh Kelly, who just won the IBF title. That’s another opportunity as well.
“I’d like to do Boots versus Vergil Ortiz and Xander versus Josh Kelly. Then the winners fight each other.”
It seems that Matchroom will instead have to mix and match to eventually get to Ortiz-Ennis, because that fight is not happening anytime soon – if at all.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Golden Boy’s motion to compel arbitration and for interim injunctive relief is GRANTED,” Judge Silva ruled. “This action is STAYED pending arbitration. Because I am granting the interim injunctive relief, the parties are required to file a joint notice with the court, on September 2, 2026, advising of the status of the arbitration proceedings, or within five days of the arbitrator’s decision, whichever is first.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Golden Boy’s motion to dismiss is DENIED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Ortiz’s emergency motion is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part as set forth in this order.”
