Vergil Ortiz Jr. overplayed his hand and now he's left with nothing

By the start of 2026, Vergil Ortiz Jr. seemed to have everything in boxing. He was unbeaten, a fierce young fighter in the highly competitive super welterweight division, and had numerous options for high-profile fights. His team's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, even spoke about potential mega-fights against top names like Errol Spence and Sebastian Fundora.

The much-anticipated fight between Ortiz and Jaron Ennis, two rising stars in the welterweight division, seemed inevitable. However, the plan didn't go as smoothly as expected. After Ennis moved up to super welterweight in 2024, the matchup temporarily disappeared. As 2026 began, Ennis was ready to fight Ortiz, but negotiations didn't go as planned.

Ennis wanted a 60-40 split in Ortiz's favor with a smaller percentage for the winner, a request Ortiz's team refused. They demanded a 5% share for Ennis and nothing for the winner, regardless of the outcome. Despite Ennis's desire to fight Ortiz, the negotiations fell apart, and Ortiz found himself in legal trouble with his own promoter.

The dispute between the two parties resulted in Ortiz's departure from the championship scene at 154 pounds. Meanwhile, Ennis moved on to a title challenge against Xander Zayas, which drew a large crowd and solidified his position as a top contender. After Ennis's victory against Zayas, Ortiz's team realized they were now the B-side in any future fight with Ennis.

The middleweight division became Ortiz's new focus, and he was expected to pursue fights with high-profile opponents like Jermell Charlo or Tim Tszyu. While he may not secure a world title, at least Ortiz will have the satisfaction of being the A-side in his own future matchups.