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Rick Mirigian responds to Oscar De La Hoya over the Ortiz-Ennis feud

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Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr face off during a boxing event

Rick Mirigian has slammed Oscar De La Hoya after the Golden Boy boss said he would never work with him again amid a legal dispute over his fight loss to Jaron Ennis.

Mirigian is the manager of Vergil Ortiz Jr. and former world champion Jose Ramirez, among others. in De La Hoya promotional attire. He made the comments in response to De La Hoya’s recent comments on the situation, arguing that the promoter’s version of events did not reflect what happened during negotiations for the Ortiz-Ennis fight.

The fight was widely discussed as one of the biggest potential welterweight fights before talks broke down.

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

Mirigian disputes Oscar De La Hoya’s version

At the center of the dispute is Golden Boy’s offer to Ortiz to fight Ennis. Mirigian maintains that the offer significantly underestimated his player’s value and says rejecting it was the right move.

“He only offers Vergil $3 million for the biggest fight in the entire sport, and then sues me personally for at least $10 million in ‘lost profits’ on the Vergil contract for simply saying, ‘No thanks, not enough money here,'” Mirigian said.

The dispute stems from last year’s negotiations for the Ortiz-Ennis fight. When the talks ended, the dispute escalated into legal action between Mirigian and Golden Boy.

Mirigian claims that subsequent offers showed that Ortiz’s market value was much higher than Ennis’ original proposal.

“Then, to further prove my point, I receive offers of $16 million and $12 million along with a bonus of up to $20 million for a fraction of what Oscar was offering,” he added.

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

“No thank you, there is not enough money here, so please send us another opponent according to our contract, because in this case we are too far apart,” Mirigian said, claiming that no replacement opponent was ever offered.

Golden Boy

Ortiz’s future could become history

Although De La Hoya publicly stated that he would never work with Mirigian again, the manager noted that several of his fighters were still involved in Golden Boy events.

“I have six guys there and tonight was the winner,” Mirigian said, noting that one of his guys headlined the event.

The exchange underscores how tense relations between Mirigian and Golden Boy have become since negotiations in the Ennis case collapsed and the dispute moved to court.

Given what happened and De La Hoya’s usual stance on retaining players while they remain under contract, it will be captivating to see how Ortiz’s future unfolds and whether the Golden Boy boss can realistically continue working with the undefeated contender while Mirigian remains his manager.

If this relationship can’t be repaired, the long-term situation between Ortiz and Golden Boy could become a bigger story than the Ennis negotiations that started the feud.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Deontay Wilder summoned by a fierce rival after years of sparring sessions ended with a hospital stay

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Deontay Wilder called out by bitter rival years after sparring session ended in hospital trip

Deontay Wilder is likely to have another major fight before the end of the year following his success against Derek Chisora, and now one of his fiercest rivals has called for a “personal” grudge fight.

Wilder made it two straight wins for the first time since 2019, first beating Tyrrell Herndon in a low-key comeback last June and then winning a split decision over Derek Chisora ​​earlier this month.

After the victory over Chisora, it seems that the “Bronze Bomber” has returned to competition in an crucial fight, either for the world title or against an opponent who will challenge him for the belts.

However, talking to Fighting Hub TVfellow American Jarrell Miller downplayed Wilder’s recent resurgence, unimpressed with his victory over “Del Boy”.

“Fuck no [I wasn’t impressed by his performance against Chisora]. He looked like a super b***h. I don’t think Chisora ​​was 100% ready for this fight because compared to the last three fights Chisora ​​had, his conditioning was much better, he looked much stronger [in those fights].

“He looked a little flat in it and Deontay looked like a super b***h.

Miller then admitted that he would love the opportunity to meet his 40-year-old compatriot, stating that their rivalry had become personal due to the situation involving Wilder’s former fiancée.

“I would love to fight Deontay, but Deontay repeatedly said, ‘I will never fight Miller,’ and then when I said more bullshit, ‘I will never fight Miller because he was so disrespectful.’ I said, ‘You’re a punk bitch, we’re fighters, bro!’

“It’s kind of personal because he took it personally. I never said it personally, I always respected him as an older brother because we went to camp a few times, but then he took his ex’s word for it about some things I told him and took it the wrong way. Then he came and found out that I was right.”

“He took it personally… Like I say bro, he didn’t listen to that motto before he did it – now he feels the wrath of that shit.”

The pair have been exchanging blows for years, including: Wilder previously claimed he sent Miller to hospital after a particularly brutal sparring session.

On Saturday night, Miller fights WBA No. 2 Lenier Perowanting to prove that he is the United States’ best chance at regaining the heavyweight title.

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Dillian Whyte calls for rematch with Joseph Parker, Eyes Summer returns

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Image: Dillian Whyte: From Small-Hall Graft to Wembley World Title Shot

Whyte is 38 and coming off a 119-second stoppage-time loss to Moses Itauma. Heavyweight fighters can bounce back from losses, but some defeats change the way the market views a fighter. I thought it was one of them.

Anthony Joshua has greater commercial opportunities and there is no reason to revisit Whyte now. Tyson Fury operates in a completely different financial bracket. Oleksandr Usyk is chasing legacy fights, not rebuilding opponents. This narrows the field quickly.

Derek Chisora ​​effectively comes to an end, erasing another high-profile domestic money fight. Up-to-date challengers are hazardous, not guaranteeing the same reward. There may be risks associated with younger names, but not with the wallet of an established former titleholder.

This makes Parker one of the few names remaining that still has a profile, a history and a story to sell. They fought in 2018. Whyte made his decision, and the controversy surrounding that result continues to give promoters something to offer.

Whyte’s problem is that Parker’s task seems more complex now than it did then. Parker has become stronger, more aggressive and more established at the highest level. Even in his loss to Fabio Wardley last October, he showed more acumen than Whyte has in recent years.

Therefore, the fans’ reaction is understandable. This doesn’t look like a man choosing from an extensive list of options. He looks like a warrior scanning the board for the last significant check.

There’s nothing unusual about that in heavyweight boxing. The question is whether the opportunity still reflects reality. Right now, Parker could be one of Whyte’s best paydays available and one of his toughest nights.

From a competitive standpoint, the chance of Joseph Parker taking this fight in 2026 is almost zero.

It’s strange that Whyte wants a rematch with Parker, a guy he already beat in 2018. In boxing, you usually only come back to win if it was a massive worldwide hit (unlikely in this case) or if you literally have no other options to secure a televised main event.

For Whyte, Parker is a “protected” choice from a marketing perspective. He can point to the 2018 failure and the ultimate decision to tell the networks, “See? We didn’t finish things.” It’s a lot easier to sell it than to convince people that he might associate himself with a up-to-date race of giants.

Parker’s situation has actually changed significantly since slow 2025. Parker’s 11th-round TKO loss to Fabio Wardley last October was a major blow, but it was a “fight of the year” contender. He showed he still has world-class attributes.

Recent reports indicate that Parker tested positive for a cocaine metabolite following the Wardley fight. If he’s facing a suspension or a “clear his name” phase, the last thing he needs is to fight for nothing with a Dillian Whyte bombshell.

If Parker beats Whyte now, critics will say he beat a dead man. If he loses or even fights, his elite level career will officially be over.

Since the defeat to Fury in 2022, Whyte has looked like he was fighting in ponderous motion. The Itauma disaster was only the final confirmation of what the eyes had already seen.

His situation is basically a severe version of the “golden parachute.” He knows that Joshua and Fury’s paydays are gone forever. Parker is the only name left on the board who can still generate a decent gate and TV license fee. This is the last payment before the phone stops ringing.

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The former heavyweight champion admits he is not yet ready to fight Moses Itauma

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Former heavyweight champion admits he’s not ready to face Moses Itauma yet

Moses Itauma appears to have a fresh fight date set as he continues his march towards the heavyweight throne, with talk turning to who will walk through the ropes with him.

Itauma has never fought more than six rounds in his 14-fight professional career, but now he finds himself one step away from fighting for the coveted heavyweight crown. which may occur before the end of the year.

It has been reported that the 21-year-old will headline the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, July 25 in a fight that will ideally be another step forward in the competition.

Promoter Frank Warren didn’t have time to catch up with the youthful talent, claiming that many heavyweights had either rejected the fight altogether or overestimated themselves. Itauma’s future depends on strategically selecting players, increasing his exposure and attracting opponents who can bring fresh aspects to his game. There were many suggestions for good candidates, and Andy Ruiz Jr was mentioned as a hard-wearing and experienced operator by the likes of Tony Bellew.

However, when asked if he would be willing to compete in his opponent’s corner, the former unified heavyweight ruler, who shocked the world by defeating Anthony Joshua in 2019, said: Casino.org that he would like at least two fights to get rid of the rust in the ring.

“Of course I’m not backing down from any fight, but I want to be ready to fight. I want to fight at least two fights first. Then, if they put me against him, I’ll be ready and it will be a great fight.

“If you combine the Mexican fighting style, which is about moving forward and not being afraid of getting hit, with his style, I think it will be an intriguing fight. So we’ll see if he succeeds or not.”

“If I’m 100% and in shape, I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat me. But I think me and Itauma could do it. I feel like I could beat those guys (AJ and Itauma).

“Other than that, I was like Patrick Star, I was just resting under a rock while everyone else was getting beat up and taking losses and stuff like that. So I’m going to come in fresh and come in differently than before.”

The search is on for Itauma’s next foe, which will be his first headlining appearance in London.

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