Jaron Ennis Abandons Negotiations With Ortiz Jr.
Jaron Ennis has announced he is abandoning negotiations with Vergil Ortiz Jr.
The collapse follows a decisive ruling in Nevada federal court that has essentially frozen negotiations. The court ruled in favor of Golden Boy Promotions, granting an injunction that has major implications for the 154-lb division. The court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing Ortiz from negotiating with “third parties.” This effectively killed a rumored $12M–$20M three-fight deal from Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing that would have featured the Ennis bout as the centerpiece.
Judge Silva ordered the dispute into arbitration, rejecting Ortiz’s claim that his contract expired when Golden Boy’s DAZN output deal ended on December 31. Ortiz is now legally prohibited from signing any fight contract outside of Golden Boy until the arbitration concludes. Now, Ennis is looking elsewhere, while Ortiz is understandably unhappy at the situation.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Outcome |
| Nov 2025 | face-off in Texas | Fans want the fight |
| Jan 2026 | Ortiz sues Golden Boy | Legal battle begins over contract termination. |
| Feb 2026 | Matchroom reportedly makes $20M offer | Allegedly blocked by Golden Boy’s legal team. |
| Mar 3, 2026 | Judge Silva Rulings | Injunctive relief granted to Golden Boy. |
| Mar 12, 2026 | Ennis officially pivots | The fight is declared dead. |
Ennis Reacts
“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
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