Ortiz said a 50-50 split was offered for a bout in neutral territory, adding that Zayas dismissed the proposal outright and did not attempt to negotiate further terms. The exchange stems from Zayas’ earlier suggestion that Ortiz wanted full control over the deal, something Ortiz rejected in detail.
“I wanted everything my way,” Ortiz said on X. “He publicly declined a 50/50 offer in neutral territory and said it was not a real offer, and never negotiated back.”
Vergil Jr. pointed to the lack of any follow-up discussions as the clearest sign the fight stalled on the other side, saying there was no counteroffer or private effort to keep negotiations active once the initial proposal was turned down.
The timing of Vergil’s complaints is suspect given how the board has shifted. While Ortiz is venting on social media, the rest of the division has moved into a completely different gear.
“He claims to have wanted the fight and did everything he could to make the fight happen and yet we never heard a peep about it again,” Vergil Jr. said about Xander. “Not something someone does when they really want to fight.”
The dispute reflects the wider divide between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, with both fighters aligned to opposing promotional outfits. Those situations often depend on sustained negotiation beyond a first offer, particularly when venue and control become early sticking points.
Zayas had previously questioned whether the offer was genuine and indicated a preference for different terms, including location. Ortiz’s account focuses instead on what followed, arguing that the absence of continued talks is what ultimately ended the possibility of the fight.
Xander is looking straight at Jaron “Boots” Ennis. Matchroom and Top Rank actually made it official just a few days ago: Zayas will defend his WBA and WBO titles against Ennis on June 27 at the Barclays Center.
That Zayas-Ennis fight is a massive unification/defense that completely sidelines Ortiz. If Zayas wins, he’s the unified king and a superstar. If Ennis wins, he’s a two-division champion. Either way, Ortiz isn’t even in the conversation for that specific winner right now.
Vergil’s comments place responsibility for that standstill on Zayas’ side, presenting the collapse as a breakdown in engagement rather than a disagreement over terms.
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