Ortiz-Ennis finished after Hearn misses De La Hoya deadline

“Eddie hasn’t called me, so I’m moving on,” De La Hoya told Boxing scene.

In a separate video released later that day, De La Hoya cleared up any remaining ambiguity. He added that if Eddie Hearn did not call before Monday to accept the offer, negotiations would be over. The terms, he said, will not be revisited and there will be no prolonged back-and-forth.

The proposal would have given Ortiz a larger share as interim WBC junior middleweight titleholder, with five percent reserved for the winner. Jaron Ennis would have entered the fight as an undefeated former unified welterweight champion making his full transition to the 154-pound division.

From Golden Boy’s perspective, the delay itself became the answer. Ortiz is active, holds a recognized belt and has already fought demanding fights since moving up in weight. De La Hoya showed little interest in leaving his fighter sitting around waiting for an answer that might never come.

Attention is now focused elsewhere. De La Hoya said he plans to open negotiations with Sebastian Fundora’s representatives, and he also mentioned Errol Spence Jr. as a possible future opponent. Both names represent established paths rather than protracted negotiations.

For Ennis, the situation leaves a narrower path. He made his junior middleweight debut earlier this year with a quick stoppage of Uisma Lima, a fight that served as an introduction to the weight rather than a test at the top of the division. While options remain, the Ortiz fight was one that would have immediately settled questions about his spot at 154.

Elsewhere, the division continues to take shape. Xander Zayas is set to face Abass Baraou, while IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev is expected to defend against Josh Kelly.

If the call was going to come, it had to come now. This is not the case. De La Hoya says that ends it, and he’s already acting like it does.