Golden Boy’s Legal Action Against Ortiz Jr.’s Manager
Golden Boy Promotions and Rick Mirigian, the manager Vergil Ortiz Jr., are locked in a $10 million lawsuit.
The lawsuit from Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions claims Mirigian has engaged in a “campaign of self-promotion.” This friction has cast a shadow over negotiations for an April 25 showdown between Ortiz and Jaron Ennis.
Mirigian is accused of sharing private contract terms and minimum purse requirements with rival promoters, with suggestions that he is trying to “ingratiate himself” with Dana White and Zuffa Boxing. The suit claims that while Golden Boy was making progress with Eddie Hearn for the Ennis fight, Mirigian was working “behind the scenes” to broker a different deal. A major driver behind the $10 million figure is the potential fallout with DAZN. Golden Boy warns that Mirigian’s interference has jeopardized their standing with the streaming giant.
The Lawsuit
“Unfortunately, Mirigian has embarked on a campaign of self-promotion … in an effort to ingratiate himself with the newest player in the boxing world – Dana White … and Zuffa. In a transparent effort to curry favor with Zuffa, Mirigian has deliberately and willfully interfered with Golden Boy’s contracts for his own personal interest. … He is acting for himself only,” Ricardo P. Cestero (Golden Boy attorney) said
Vergil Ortiz Jr. also filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy, stating he was a free agent on December 31, 2025. Ortiz’s team argued that as Golden Boy’s exclusive distribution deal with DAZN allegedly expired, a “trigger clause” in his contract was activated, allowing him to walk away. Golden Boy noted there is a 2024 extension in place to keep Ortiz until 2027, while also stating that there are ongoing renewal talks with DAZN.
“We are aware of the lawsuit. 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,” De La Hoya stated
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