A new lawsuit claims Oscar De La Hoya’s actions cost his star fighter millions.
Oscar De La Hoya is no stranger to headlines.
An Olympic gold medallist at just 19 years old at the 1992 Barcelona games, De La Hoya turned that success into one of the most decorated professional careers in boxing history, winning world titles across six weight classes and at his peak was considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
Since retiring in 2008 following his defeat to Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya has remained firmly in the public eye – often involved in controversy.
Today, he serves as chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, the company he founded in 2002.
In which he has helped turn fighters into global stars, with names like Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia becoming household brands under the Golden Boy banner.
But for all the success, relationships at Golden Boy have frequently ended in public and legal disputes.
Canelo Alvarez most notably sued both Golden Boy and DAZN for breach of contract, a legal battle that ultimately led to his exit from the promotion.
Ryan Garcia followed a similar path in 2023, taking Golden Boy to court in an unsuccessful attempt to free himself from his deal.
Though the relationship remains fractured, with Garcia widely expected to leave once his contract expires.
Now, history appears to be repeating itself.
Golden Boy has once again been sued by one of its own star fighters, this time by interim WBC super welterweight champ Vergil Ortiz.
Ortiz and Golden Boy had recently been in public negotiations for a showdown with Philadelphia star Jaron “Boots” Ennis, widely regarded as one of the best fights boxing can make.
Ennis, who is signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, had reportedly already agreed to his side of the deal, with only Ortiz and Golden Boy yet to agree to their end of the deal.
Then came the shock.
According to reporting from Lance Pugmire from Boxing Scene, Ortiz has filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy alleging breach of contract and interference with earnings.
A key part of the case is the claim is that Ortiz’s promotional agreement is tied to Golden Boy’s deal with streaming platform DAZN, and that once that deal expired, Ortiz could terminate his contract should he wish.
Ortiz’s legal team believes the deal with DAZN ended at the end of December last year.
Court document on DAZN deal.Ortiz’s legal team is seeking confirmation from the courts that the agreement has, in fact, ended.
Meanwhile Golden Boy are reportedly exploring the possibility of renegotiating a new DAZN deal.
No official confirmation has been made on that being agreed as of yet.
Other key parts of the case pertain to De La Hoya’s erratic behaviour, as team Ortiz described.
Ortiz’s lawyers argue that De La Hoya’s public conduct particularly his viral “Clap Back Thursday” videos, where he frequently targets rival promoters and figures in the sport has damaged their ability to negotiate major fight.
Most notably, the filing claims De La Hoya’s behaviour has negatively impacted his standing with boxing powerbroker Turki Al-Sheikh and those close to Saudi Arabia’s signifcant boxing investment
Ortiz’s camp alleges that, were it not for that strained perception, Al-Sheikh would have financed the Ennis fight and that De La Hoya’s actions ultimately cost the fighter millions.
Details of Turki Al-Sheikh in the caseRepresenting Ortiz is Gregory Smith, the same attorney who previously helped Canelo Alvarez successfully exit his own Golden Boy contract.
Despite the legal action, fans are hopeful we can still get the Ennis fight next.
Smith told BoxingScene that a fight with Ennis could still happen next, but without Golden Boy’s involvement.
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
