“Sean [Zittel], that won’t happen. Sampson has blocked that fight for the past few. Ask him how he does it. We all are curious,” Ortiz Sr. said.

Boxing writer Darshan Desai offered another explanation, arguing that Ortiz Jr.’s legal dispute with Golden Boy Promotions left him unavailable to serve as the WBC mandatory challenger. During that stretch, the sanctioning body advanced to the next available contender instead of waiting for the litigation to be resolved.

The outcome has left Ortiz Jr. in a far different position than many expected. Ermal Hadribeaj is scheduled to challenge Fundora as the mandatory contender, and if Fundora keeps his titles, attention is likely to turn toward a unification with Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

That leaves Ortiz Jr. farther from a championship opportunity despite the recent settlement that ended his dispute with Golden Boy. A fight that once looked attainable has been overtaken by other obligations and potential high-profile matchups.

Ortiz Sr. clearly rejects the idea that the legal case tells the whole story. His comments suggest Team Ortiz believes outside influence, not just the promotional dispute, kept Vergil Jr. from receiving the title opportunity they had been pursuing.