Rick Mirigian Hits Back at Oscar De La Hoya Over Ortiz-Ennis Dispute

Rick Mirigian has fired back at Oscar De La Hoya after the Golden Boy boss said he would never work with him again following their legal dispute tied to the collapsed Jaron Ennis fight.

Mirigian is the manager of Vergil Ortiz Jr. and former world champion Jose Ramirez, among others at De La Hoya’s promotional outfit. He made the comments in response to De La Hoya’s recent remarks about the situation, arguing the promoter’s version of events does not reflect what happened during negotiations for Ortiz to face Ennis.

The fight had been widely discussed as one of the biggest potential matchups at welterweight before talks broke down.

“Pobrecito, thinks he actually won the case,” Mirigian wrote when reacting to De La Hoya’s claim of victory in the early stages of the dispute.

Mirigian Disputes Oscar De La Hoya Version

At the center of the disagreement is the offer Golden Boy made for Ortiz to face Ennis. Mirigian maintains the proposal significantly undervalued his fighter and says rejecting it was the correct move.

“Offers $3 million only to Vergil for the biggest fight in the entire sport and then sues me personally for $10 million minimum for ‘lost profits’ on the Vergil deal for simply saying ‘No thank you, not enough money here,’” Mirigian stated.

The dispute traces back to negotiations last year for Ortiz to face Ennis. When talks collapsed, the disagreement escalated into legal action between Mirigian and Golden Boy.

Mirigian says later offers demonstrated that Ortiz’s market value was far higher than the Ennis proposal originally put forward.

“Then to further prove my point I get a $16 million offer and $12 million offer with up to $20 million in incentives for what Oscar offered a fraction of,” he added.

Mirigian also rejected accusations that he blocked the fight, insisting he simply asked Golden Boy to present another opponent when the financial gap could not be bridged.

“No thank you, not enough money here, so please send us another opponent as per our contract as we are too far apart on this one,” Mirigian said, while claiming no replacement opponent was ever offered.

Ortiz Future Could Become The Real Story

Despite De La Hoya publicly declaring he will never work with Mirigian again, the manager pointed out that several of his fighters remain involved in Golden Boy events.

“I have six guys there and the main event tonight that just won,” Mirigian stated, noting that one of his fighters headlined the card.

The exchange highlights how strained the relationship between Mirigian and Golden Boy has become since the Ennis negotiations collapsed and the dispute moved into the courts.

Given what has transpired and De La Hoya’s usual stance on keeping fighters when they remain under contract, it will be interesting to see how the future of Ortiz unfolds and whether the Golden Boy boss can realistically continue working with the unbeaten contender while Mirigian remains his manager.

If that relationship cannot be repaired, the long-term situation between Ortiz and Golden Boy could become the bigger story than the Ennis negotiations that started the dispute.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.