Ortiz said a 50-50 split had been proposed for the fight on neutral territory, adding that Zayas completely rejected the proposal and made no attempt to negotiate further terms. The exchange follows Zayas’ earlier suggestion that Ortiz wanted full control of the deal, which Ortiz denied in detail.
“I wanted everything to be my way,” Ortiz told X. “He publicly rejected a 50/50 offer on neutral territory and said it wasn’t a real offer and he never negotiated.”
Vergil Jr. he pointed to the lack of further discussions as the clearest sign that the fight had stalled on the other side, saying there had been no counteroffer or private effort to keep negotiations lively after the initial proposal was rejected.
The timing of Vergil’s complaints is suspect given the change in management. While Ortiz vents on social media, the rest of the division has moved into a completely different gear.
“He claims he wanted this fight and did everything he could to make it happen, and yet we never heard from it again” – Vergil Jr. he said about Xander. “It’s not something someone does when they really want to fight.”
The dispute reflects a broader split between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, with both fighters wearing opposing promotional uniforms. These situations often depend on ongoing negotiations beyond the first offer, especially when space and control become early points of contention.
Zayas had previously questioned the authenticity of the offer and preferred different terms, including location. Ortiz’s account instead focuses on what happened next, arguing that ultimately the possibility of a fight ended with no further talks.
Xander looks straight at Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Matchroom and Top Rank made it official just a few days ago: Zayas will defend his WBA and WBO titles against Ennis on June 27 at the Barclays Center.
This Zayas-Ennis fight is a massive unification/defense that completely sidelines Ortiz. If Zayas wins, he will be the unified king and superstar. If Ennis wins, he will become a two-division champion. Either way, Ortiz isn’t even in the conversation about this particular winner right now.
Vergil’s comments place responsibility for this stasis on Zayas’ side, portraying the collapse as a break in engagement rather than a misunderstanding of terms.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.