From the promotional side, the tone has hardened. Oscar De La Hoya has said he is prepared to move on after not receiving a response from Ennis promoter Eddie Hearn to a proposed purse split. That public stance may be leverage, or it may be a genuine signal that patience is running out. Either way, it has shifted the conversation from anticipation to attrition.
Ortiz manager Rick Mirigian has pushed back on the idea that talks are finished, saying he remains authorized to negotiate directly. That detail matters. It suggests the fight is not dead so much as poorly routed, caught between camps waiting for the other side to blink.
Analysts have largely agreed on one point. The fighters are not the problem. Chris Algieri has described the situation as a standard negotiation stalemate shaped by egos and competing interests. Paulie Malignaggi has been less diplomatic, arguing that Ortiz has already shown his willingness to take risks, while Ennis now faces greater pressure to demonstrate the same intent.
The wider junior middleweight landscape offers little relief. All four major titleholders are already booked. Xander Zayas, Abass Baraou, and Bakhram Murtazaliev are scheduled for January, while Sebastian Fundora is expected to face Keith Thurman later in the spring. Ortiz holds an interim belt without a clear destination. Ennis is new to the weight and still waiting for a defining assignment.
Speculation has filled the space. Errol Spence Jr. has been mentioned alongside Tim Tszyu, while Jermell Charlo hovers as a theoretical option if the division reshuffles. Even Garcia has questioned whether those paths make sense right now.
There has also been quiet talk of outside money stepping in to force progress, with Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh mentioned as a possible bridge. Whether that avenue still exists, given strained relationships behind the scenes, is unclear.
For now, Ortiz versus Ennis remains the obvious fight that nobody seems able to finalize. Boxing has a long history of letting clarity slip while negotiations grind on. This situation is starting to feel like another entry on that list.
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