Last October, as the feud with Ryan Garcia intensified, Oscar De La Hoya offered a somber take. “I’m not your enemy. I’m your promoter. I gave you your career, your opponents, your victories. And you throw it all away and blame me?” he said. Now, months down the line, differences with Vergil Ortiz Jr. have forced the former world champion turned promoter to issue yet another stark reminder. The reflection follows the controversy surrounding the stalled negotiations for the fight between Ortiz Jr. and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

With talks going nowhere, Ortiz—who has been vocal about the matchup—filed a lawsuit against De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, citing a breach of contract. The development surfaced after Oscar De La Hoya issued a legal notice to Ortiz’s management team for independently negotiating the Boots fight. While his deadline for Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to finalize the fight expired, DAZN’s frustration over the mess added to De La Hoya’s woes.

Vergil Ortiz saga sparks Oscar De La Hoya to speak on fighter values

Having competed at the sport’s highest level, De La Hoya knows how fleeting a fighter’s career can be. “You have only a small window for your career,” it read on his Instagram story. “It’s important you stay focused and loyal. I will always be there to guide you. Never forget I’ve been in your shoes.”

He followed up with another comment: “My greatest joy in life is building relationships with my fighters and knowing they are loyal….” De La Hoya’s messages closely follow Ortiz’s lawsuit. The interim light middleweight champion, who has been with the Golden Boy stable since the start of his career in 2016, now seeks to part ways over an alleged contract breach.

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According to his legal team, De La Hoya interfered with the earnings he expected from the fight with Boots Ennis. On top of that, given the uncertainties surrounding the contract between Golden Boy and DAZN, they claim the ‘right’ to seek a split.

With talks about loyalty, Oscar De La Hoya could be making a last-ditch effort to get through to his fighter, who he believes has been influenced by those around him.

De La Hoya’s plan to protect his fighter’s purse took an unexpected turn

Especially given his past statement to The Ring that “he couldn’t be happier at Golden Boy,” Ortiz’s legal move reportedly confused De La Hoya. As far as he’s concerned, he’s just trying to get more money for his fighter. “I was just trying to get my fighter more money. A 60–40 split. I believe he deserves that. And that’s why you want out of the contract?” he said on Instagram.

Giving Matchroom a deadline, De La Hoya called for a 60-40 split of the purse, plus 5% for the winner. While Hearn disputed Golden Boy’s stance over the interview, he reportedly never met the deadline. Unhappy with the situation, Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, reportedly bypassed De La Hoya’s authority to negotiate the fight, prompting De La Hoya to file a lawsuit.

Having just inked the Ryan Garcia-Mario Barrios fight, the fallout from the Ortiz saga is now being closely scrutinized in De La Hoya’s record. So far, in response to Ortiz’s lawsuit, they have said, “We will aggressively defend this lawsuit and enforce our rights. We are confident a judge will agree that our contract is valid and Vergil and his team are in breach.”