The update was the clearest sign yet that months of public negotiations, legal tensions and posturing had finally given way to a deal.
The timing is no accident. For much of the past three months, the fight has existed in theory while alternatives have been publicly floated. Ortiz’s side pushed for A-side status. Other options have been referred. The rhetoric was harsh. The movement was minimal.
What changed was not sentiment. It was leverage.
Why the conversations suddenly shifted
Several industry reports, later expanded upon by BoxingScene writer Jake Donovan, made it clear that DAZN had little interest in financing any fight for either fighter that did not involve the other. Once that position hardened, the negotiating space quickly narrowed. There was no longer a credible financial ramp.
That reality coincided with instability elsewhere. Golden Boy Promotions is nearing the end of its existing DAZN deal. Ortiz was involved in a lawsuit that sought to void his promotional contract, alleging trespass and interference. The combination left little room for brinkmanship. Whatever existed on paper was no longer backed by a willing platform.
From that point on, the fight ceased to be a debate and began to become a necessity.
Ennis already made his intentions clear last fall, traveling to Fort Worth to see Ortiz’s win over Erickson Lubin and publicly calling for the fight immediately afterward. The enthusiasm was real, but enthusiasm alone did not move negotiations. Only when the financial alternatives disappeared did progress follow.
That order is important. It redefines the fight not as a triumph of ambition or fan demand, but as an example of how modern boxing power actually works. In 2026, a secondary status is no longer something a promoter can declare. It only exists if a broadcaster is willing to finance it.
Donovan’s reporting filled in the connective tissue around that reality. His account detailed the stalled talks, the hard lines taken early on and the quiet shift once it became clear there was no appetite for replacements. The through line was consistent. Once the platform’s position was understood, resistance faded.
If the fight is settled this week, it will be welcomed for sporting reasons. Ennis vs Ortiz is the matchup the division has been talking about for years. But it will also be a reminder that the fight didn’t happen because every party suddenly agreed, but because the economic environment removed every other option.
In the end, ego didn’t make this fight. The reality has.
