Rick Mirigian, De La Hoya and the legal fight around Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Rick Mirigian has answered Oscar De La Hoya’s latest public jab with a response that stays measured while drawing a hard legal line. After the Golden Boy promoter mocked Ortiz’s manager over the pending lawsuit, Mirigian said the dispute has nothing to do with ego or public sparring. He viewed it as a contract issue that reached court only after communication failed.

Mirigian addressed De La Hoya directly and without insults. He acknowledged respect for Oscar’s career in boxing, then pointed to silence and stalled dialogue as the turning point. “Communication breaks down and you stop talking, that’s usually when the problems happen,” Mirigian said, explaining why legal action became necessary rather than optional.

Contract language at the center of the dispute

Mirigian pushed back on De La Hoya’s claim that managers should not negotiate terms. He pointed to written clauses in the promotional agreement and urged De La Hoya to read the complaint itself. According to Mirigian, the alleged breaches are not interpretive disputes but written obligations that were not honored.

He also clarified that the attorney handling the case is not an outsider brought in to escalate tension. The lawyer drafted Ortiz’s original contract three years ago, a detail Mirigian raised to underline that the lawsuit relies on Golden Boy’s own language rather than a rewritten theory.

Mirigian was sharper when discussing De La Hoya’s recent behavior toward business partners. He said the way Golden Boy’s head speaks publicly about others harms trust and weakens relationships that fighters depend on. While acknowledging De La Hoya’s wealth and influence, Mirigian argued that repeated outbursts create instability for boxers whose careers rely on clear planning.

Despite the legal clash, Mirigian said he would still take a call to talk directly and settle issues privately.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. remains a top-contender at welterweight, yet the lawsuit leaves his short-term future uncertain. If the court agrees that Golden Boy breached its duties, Ortiz could gain freedom at a critical point in his career. If not, the relationship resumes under visible strain.