James Leija (born July 8, 1966), best known as Jesse James Leija, is an American former
professional boxer
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...
who competed from 1988 to 2005. He held the
WBC super featherweight
Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a boxing weight classes, weight division in professional boxing, contested between and .
The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although firs ...
title in 1994, and challenged twice each for world titles at
lightweight
Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing.
Boxing
Professional boxing
The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing.
Notable lightweight boxe ...
and
light welterweight
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional boxing
In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...
.
Amateur career
Leija had an amateur career that spanned three years, going 23-5 during this time. He won the San Antonio
Golden Gloves
The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...
in 1988. Later that year he lost in the first rounds of the Olympic Trials to
Kelcie Banks
Kelcie Herron Banks (born May 8, 1965) is an American former professional boxer. As an amateur, he won the gold medal at the 1986 World Championships in Reno and at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis. Inducted to the USA Boxing Hall of ...
.
Professional career
Jesse James Leija began his professional boxing career on October 2, 1988, beating Oscar Davis by
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
in round one, in Leija's native
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
. When he turned professional he took the name "Jesse James" in honor of his father, Jesse Leija, who trained him.
On January 21, 1989, he defeated Joe Mitchell by a decision in four at the Trump Plaza hotel in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. This marked Leija's debut outside Texas. On his fourth fight, Leija beat Manuel Gomez in San Antonio by decision in four, on April 10.
During the early 1990s, Leija won his first fifteen fights, ten by knockout. His first blemish came on October 8, 1990, when he and Edward Parker fought to a ten-round draw in San Antonio, TX.
Leija won his next three bouts, and then, he had an upgrade in opposition quality when he met the experienced Miguel Arrozal, on May 31, 1991. He beat Arrozal by an eighth-round disqualification. On October 18, he met
Steve McCrory in
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, beating McCrory by a ten-round decision.
Leija got his first championship try on the fight that proceeded his win over McCrory. On March 3, 1992. He met Jose Luis Martinez for the
North American Boxing Federation The North American Boxing Federation (NABF) is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council (WBC).
History
The WBC established the NABF in 1969 as part of i ...
bantamweight championship. This fight was held in San Antonio, and it resulted in a nine-round
technical decision
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.
In boxing fights, referees have to pay deep attention to the action going on between the fighters, especially when the two combatants are fightin ...
.
Leija proceeded to win three bouts, two of them against former world champions. Having defeated Jesus Poll by a decision in twelve rounds and
Troy Dorsey
Troy Glenn Dorsey (born November 19, 1962) is a former U.S. boxer and kickboxer who competed in the bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight divisions. Known predominantly for his indomitable spirit, amazing physical endurance and a propensi ...
by a knockout in six, he was matched, on March 23, 1993, with
Louie Espinoza
Louie Espinoza (born May 12, 1962 in Globe, Arizona) is an American boxer in the Featherweight division. He now resides in Chandler, Arizona.
Espinoza turned pro in 1982 and won the Vacant WBA Super Bantamweight Title in 1987 by defeating Tomm ...
, a former two-time world featherweight champion. Leija won this fight by a twelve-round decision, and with this, the NABF title and the right to challenge for the world title for the first time.
Title fights against Nelson
On September 10, 1993, Leija participated at one of the
Alamodome
The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 milli ...
's first ever events, when he challenged
Azumah Nelson
Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super-featherweight title twice ...
for the
WBC super featherweight
Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a boxing weight classes, weight division in professional boxing, contested between and .
The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although firs ...
title. After twelve rounds, Nelson had been announced as the winner by a split decision, only to find out twenty minutes later that a judge had miscalculated his scoring card, and the fight was really a draw.
On May 7, he got a rematch with Nelson. Leija became the WBC super featherweight champion when he defeated Nelson by a twelve-round unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
Losing the title and afterwards
![WBC Gold Belt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/WBC_Gold_Belt_.jpg)
On September 17, he defended his title against
Gabriel Ruelas
Gabriel Ruelas, (born on July 23, 1970 in Yerbabuena, Jalisco, Mexico), is a Mexican former professional boxer.
Professional career
Ruelas turned pro in 1988 and in 1993 challenged WBC Super Featherweight Title holder Azumah Nelson, losing a ...
, once again, in Las Vegas. Leija lost his world title when he lost to Ruelas by a twelve-round unanimous decision.
Leija rebounded with two wins, including one over
Jeff Mayweather
Jeff Mayweather (born July 4, 1964) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 1997, and held the IBO super featherweight title from 1994 to 1995. He has since worked as a boxing and mixed martial arts trainer.
Professio ...
, and then, on December 15, 1995, he received a chance at becoming world champion for the second time, when he challenged
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya ( , ; born on February 4, 1973) is an American boxing promoter and former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2008. His accolades include winning 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championshi ...
for De La Hoya's
WBO lightweight
Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing.
Boxing
Professional boxing
The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing.
Notable lightweight boxe ...
title, at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. He lost by second-round knockout.
On June 1, 1996, Leija challenged Nelson, who had regained the WBC super featherweight title. Leija lost by a tech. knockout in six.
After a string of wins against relatively insignificant competition, Leija won the NABF lightweight title, defeating
Joel Perez
Joel Perez is an American actor, singer, and dancer known for his work in several theatrical performances and television appearances.
Early life
Perez was born in Boston, and grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts. His father is a Pentecostal min ...
by a decision in twelve rounds on January 20, 1998.
After a second-round knockout victory over
Troy Crain, Leija fought Nelson for the fourth time. In what was supposed to be Nelson's final career bout, Leija defeated Nelson by a twelve-round unanimous decision on July 11, 1998 (Nelson would later have a one-fight comeback against
Jeff Fenech
Jeff Fenech (born 28 May 1964) is an Australian former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2008. He won world titles in three weight divisions, having held the IBF bantamweight title from 1985 to 1987, the WBC super-bantamweight ...
).
On November 14, Leija had a shot at the IBF lightweight title when he faced
Shane Mosley
Shane Mosley (born September 7, 1971), often known by his nickname "Sugar" Shane Mosley, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2016. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the IBF l ...
. Leija was dropped in rounds six, eight and nine before the fight was stopped, with Mosley retaining the world title by a ninth-round knockout win.
Leija's next significant bout came on August 5, 2000, when he fought
Juan Lazcano
Juan Lazcano (born March 23, 1975) is a Mexican-born American professional boxer currently based in Sacramento, California. He fights at light welterweight and is a former World Boxing Foundation (WBF), NABF and IBA lightweight champion, as we ...
. Although no world championship was involved in this bout, it created general interest among
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
boxing fans, as Lazcano, nicknamed "The Hispanic Causing Panic," had become a popular boxer among Latinos. Leija lost an unpopular dec. in a ten-round split decision (scores of 94–96, 93-97 and a favorable 96-94) to Lazcano in
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...
.
Next followed another HBO televised fight, when Leija fought
Ivan Robinson
Ivan "Mighty" Robinson (born February 27, 1971 in Philadelphia) is a boxer who has compiled a record of 36-12-2 (12 KOs) since becoming a professional in 1992. He challenged once for the IBF lightweight title in 1996.
Background
Born and raise ...
, who had twice beaten
Arturo Gatti
Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 – July 11, 2009) was an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. A world champion in two weight classes, Gatti held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the WBC super ...
, on November 11 at Las Vegas. Leija beat Robinson by a ten-round unanimous decision.
After a victory over
Fred Ladd
Fred Laderman (February 19, 1927 – August 3, 2021),[''Tol ...](_blank)
, Leija faced
Hector Camacho Jr. in
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, July 7, 2001. This would prove to be a very controversial fight: after an accidental headbutt, Camacho Jr. was injured and he could not fight on. Camacho Jr. was initially announced as the winner by a technical decision, but the Leija team formally protested the result with the
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, is a division of the New York State Department of State which regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, ...
. The athletic commission decided to declare the fight a five-round
no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neith ...
.
Micky Ward
George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname, "Irish" Micky Ward, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2003. He challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 1997, and held t ...
was being considered for a fight with WBC,
WBA and
IBF
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Counci ...
world
light welterweight
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional boxing
In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...
champion
Kostya Tszyu
Konstantin Borisovich "Kostya" Tszyu (; rus, Константин Борисович «Костя» Цзю, , kənstɐnʲˈtʲin bɐˈrisəvʲɪtɕ ˈkosʲtʲə ˈdzːʲu; born 19 September 1969) is a Russian Australian former professional b ...
. On January 5, 2002, Leija and Ward faced off at San Antonio. Once again, the fight was stopped as a consequence of a headbutt, but this time, it was Leija who was injured. Leija won the fight by a five-round technical decision, and became the number-one challenger to Tszyu.
Leija then proceeded to move to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
for six months, to get acquainted with the country and its climate before his challenge of Tszyu, scheduled for January 19, 2003. Tszyu retained the title when he beat Leija by a six-round knockout.
After three wins, Leija faced young prospect
Francisco Bojado
Francisco Bojado (born 11 May 1983) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2007. As an amateur, he competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Francisco is also the brother of amateur boxer, Angel Bojado.
Amateur career
He co ...
. Leija and Bojado fought on July 24, 2004, in Atlantic City. Leija produced what some viewed as a minor upset by beating his much younger rival by a ten-round split decision.
Final bout
On January 29, 2005, Leija fought Arturo Gatti for Gatti's WBC light welterweight title. Fighting once again in Atlantic City, Leija lost to Gatti by a fifth-round knockout. Leija retired after the loss.
Professional boxing record
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leija, Jesse James
American boxers of Mexican descent
Sportspeople from San Antonio
Harlandale High School alumni
1966 births
Living people
World super-featherweight boxing champions
American male boxers
World Boxing Council champions