The Numbers Disagree with De La Hoya on Ennis vs Ortiz Split
Negotiations for the highly anticipated showdown between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron “Boots” Ennis have been moving at a frustratingly slow pace. The responsibility should be placed squarely on Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya’s wrong-headed assertion that Ortiz warrants a bigger paycheck than Ennis.
De La Hoya has repeatedly gone on record insisting that Ortiz deserves at least a 60/40 split for the bout to move forward. His rationale is that Ortiz is the bigger star with the higher profile. That assertion, however, does not hold up under scrutiny.
Boots (35-0, 31 KOs) has consistently demonstrated stronger drawing power. In his last three headline appearances, he has attracted crowds of approximately 10,000 fans and generated around $1 million in revenue per event.
By comparison, the largest crowd Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) has drawn as a headliner is roughly 6,000. Ennis also boasts a significantly larger social media following, further undercutting the claim that Ortiz is the more marketable fighter.
Beyond the numbers, Ennis’ résumé carries more weight. He is a former unified welterweight champion, while Ortiz has yet to capture a major world title. Despite this, De La Hoya continues to push the narrative that Ortiz deserves the larger share of the purse. If anything, the available evidence suggests the opposite.
Ortiz vs Ennis is a fight that serious boxing fans have been clamoring for—a high-risk, high-reward matchup that would help define the division. Unfortunately, stubborn negotiating positions threaten to derail what should be one of boxing’s most compelling contests. If the fight falls apart, Golden Boy Promotions will have no one to blame but themselves.
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