‘We’re firing on all cylinders right now’: Oscar De La Hoya fires defiant message

The boxing world continues to create plenty of news, and Oscar De La Hoya and the state of Golden Boy Promotions have been prominent in the news recently. Many have speculated about the downfall of De La Hoya’s promotional outfit, but it has now been confirmed that Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN have agreed on a new two-year contract with option language for it to be extended, as per Dan Rafael at Fight Freaks Unite.

Golden Boy and DAZN struggled to reach new deal

Many have wondered whether Golden Boy and DAZN would continue their relationship after the deal expired on December 31, 2025. However, they continued working together, partnering on two one-off events. The first was on January 16, with Raul Curiel outpointing the late replacement, Jordan Panthen, in a middleweight bout. On March 14, they again partnered for Arnold Barboza Jr’s comfortable win over Kenneth Sims Jr.

Despite these two events, it was far from certain that they could work through several key issues. The most glaring issue has been the much-publicised proposed Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Jaron Ennis fight. It’s been made clear that it’s a fight that DAZN wants, but the negotiations and different needs have resulted in litigation between Golden Boy and Ortiz. This dispute is headed to court-ordered arbitration to decide the future of Ortiz and whether he is indeed now a free agent.

Oscar De La Hoya reacts to new DAZN deal

Reaching a new deal with Golden Boy further solidifies DAZN’s commitment to boxing. Their breadth of partners in the sport now includes Top Rank, Matchroom Boxing, and Queensberry Promotions. DAZN also has deals with Salita Promotions and upstart MF Sports.

Despite the recent ups and downs for Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya appeared defiant when reacting to the announcement:

“We’re firing on all cylinders right now,” said De La Hoya, the Golden Boy founder, chairman and CEO. “No one builds champions like we do. It’s a special formula mixed with a fighter’s talent, discipline and star power. As we approach a decade with DAZN, we’re going to keep setting the tone for the sport in 2026 and shaping the future of boxing.”