Quick Legal Action Ends Steroid Accusations Against World Champion Boxer Vergil Ortiz, Jr.
Published: February 6, 2023
Weintraub attorney Josh H. Escovedo sent a cease-and-desist letter on behalf of WBO International champion boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. and successfully procured a full retraction of defamatory statements from fellow professional boxer Blair Cobbs.
Over the course of several months, Ortiz had been openly and repeatedly accused by Cobbs of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) — in both writing and speech — without any factual basis. At the request of Ortiz, Escovedo issued a cease-and-desist letter to Cobbs over the weekend of January 28, 2023, demanding that both the claims be stopped and that public retractions be issued in all outlets where Cobbs had made the claims against Ortiz.
On Monday, January 30, 2023, Cobbs complied with the terms of the letter, issuing a full retraction on previous claims. “Right now, I need you guys to understand that Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a clean fighter. I retract all my statements,” Cobbs said in his video statement. Cobbs also gave explanation to his accusations and admitted that he was mistaken.
“We were pleased to see such a quick response. Trash talk is a part of boxing, but defamation is not.”
Josh Escovedo
Josh Escovedo is an experienced trial attorney and chair of Weintraub’s sports law group. He regularly assists clients with disputes involving sports, intellectual property, and real property. He counsels clients on sports and entertainment contracts and name, image, and likeness deals, and provides general sports and media representation.
For more information, see: Boxing Scene, 1/29/23 and Boxing Scene, 1/30/23