Ortiz's Manager on De La Hoya's Statement: "If You Want the Fight, Call Me"

Rick Miridjan, the manager for WBC interim super welterweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr., has contradicted promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s claims that they are "moving on." The head of Golden Boy had previously hinted that a deal for a fight against WBA interim champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis could not be reached.

“I have the right to negotiate with anyone. Golden Boy does not have the authority to state that the split must be 60/40 in favor of Ortiz.

60/40 of what? You can't 'move on' when no one has spoken to us, and we have the right to negotiate. We want this fight. We were given one number, and we gave a counter-offer, which was rejected at the end of December.

If you want 'Boots' to fight Ortiz—call me. We aren't 'moving on.' We will negotiate. Vergil wants to make this fight happen, and so do I,” Miridjan said.

Previously, Vergil Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) and Jaron Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) agreed to the fight inside the ring immediately after Ortiz’s victory over Erickson Lubin. Tense negotiations have been ongoing ever since.

During this time, Ennis's promoter, Eddie Hearn, stated that while they respect the opposing team, De La Hoya's terms are unacceptable. Hearn revealed that they had previously reached a verbal agreement for a 50/50 split, with an additional 5% of the total budget going to the winner (essentially 55/45 for the victor), which the opposing team had reportedly accepted.

Shortly after that 55/45 agreement, De La Hoya shifted his stance, demanding a flat 60/40 split. He justified this by claiming Ortiz has other lucrative options, specifically mentioning a potential clash with Errol Spence Jr. in Texas.