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The Night I Fought: Jesse James Leija
Jesse James Leija made a smooth transition to life outside the ring. He accomplished that by staying close to boxing.
Leija’s company, Leija Battah Promotions, is a staple of the Texas fight scene. As a co-founder of the company, Leija is better known for his boxing exploits. His father, Jesse Sr., was the first San Antonio amateur to make it to the National Golden Gloves. Between 1958 and 1971, he fought professionally 28 times.
Jesse Jr. began boxing as a sophomore in high school. He trained six weeks for the Texas Golden Gloves, lost, and promptly gave up the sport.
When he turned 19, he decided to give it another shot. Two years later, he qualified for the 1988 Olympic Trials with only 35 amateur bouts to his name. Leija didn’t make it to Seoul and opted to turn pro that October.
“The Texas Tornado” competed at a high level from 126 to 140 pounds, winning a world title and remaining formidable even at the end of his 16-year career. Leija shared the ring with several legends, carving out his own legacy in the process. But his four battles against Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson stood out when he retired in 2005 with a record of 47-7-2 (19 KOs).
Sporting News caught up with Leija as he recounted some of his most memorable fights.
September 10, 1993: vs. Azumah Nelson I @ Alamodome in Corpus Christi, Texas
For Nelson’s WBC super featherweight title
Result: Split draw
Azumah came down to Texas a month in advance to acclimate to the climate here. We trained at the same gym, but different hours, so we didn’t cross each other. He gets there when I get there and has one of his trainers come and ask me if I wanted to spar. These are the kind of mind games he played. Basically, telling me, ‘I’m not worried about our fight. I’m going to beat you so let’s spar.’ That’s the type of guy he was.
To fight a great world champion in Azumah at the Alamodome was amazing. It was on the undercard of Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez. The atmosphere of 60,000 people is something you can’t even describe because it was so powerful. The nerves and every emotion was running high. It’s like trying to explain how you felt when you had your first child. You just can’t.
I thought I won, but I took the last three rounds off; trying to protect the lead. That hurt me. I knew I belonged with these guys and I felt I proved myself as an elite fighter. That fight gave me more confidence. I was disappointed I didn’t win the world title, but I was happy I fought the great Azumah.
May 7, 1994: vs. Azumah Nelson II @ MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
For Nelson’s WBC super featherweight title
Result: Leija via unanimous decision
Every round with Azumah was painful. If you were to compare boxing to a sport, Azumah would be a fullback. He had a strong mind, strong body. He was in so many amazing fights and it was hard to get the best of him. Not to mention all the tricks he had in his bag. He knew when to throw, when to relax, when to hit you hard and when to play mind games.
For the rematch, I told myself that I was going to do the exact same thing I did in the first fight. Except this time, I poured it on in the last few rounds. I fought the same fight, I just didn’t coast. I dropped him in the second round, but we really didn’t change anything as far as styles and I didn’t get too excited. Beating a legend to win a world title is definitely one of my favorite memories.
September 17, 1994: vs. Gabriel Ruelas @ MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
For Leija’s WBC super featherweight title
Result: Ruelas via unanimous decision
I knew Ruelas was a great fighter. Think about that: Who fights the number one challenger right after winning a world title? I didn’t really want to do that. What happened was that promoter Don King struck a deal with Ruelas to have him step aside so I could fight Azumah in the rematch. So, they give Ruelas step-aside money.
I hadn’t stopped training since the camp for the first Azumah fight. I just stayed in the gym after that tough fight because I wanted the rematch and I wanted to be ready for it. But after the rematch, I took a break. I went to Puerto Rico, relaxed and, before I knew it, I came back and realized I had seven weeks to prepare for Ruelas.
I killed myself to make 130. We went to see [health and fitness guru] Mackie Shilstone. Shilstone said, “I can get you to 130. You won’t have anything left, but I can get you there.”
I was on an 1,100 calorie-a-day diet for six or seven weeks. I had nothing left. To make things worse, when I fought Gabe, I got dropped in the first or second round and tore the ligaments in my right ankle. I didn’t have balance or power after that. After that fight, I didn’t fight again for nine months. But it happened and I felt terrible for it.
June 1, 1996: vs Azumah Nelson III @Boulder Station Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
For Nelson’s WBC super featherweight title
Result: Nelson sixth-round TKO
I was excited to fight Azumah for a world title again. These are the kind of opportunities you live for. I was fighting at lightweight before that, but worked my way down for that opportunity. He dropped me early in the first round and, from that point on, I didn’t remember anything. I was just fighting on instinct, out of my feet.
Here’s a funny story that I was going to write about in a book about my career:
I felt great that night; in the locker room, during the ring entrance and waiting in the ring. So Azumah is walking to the ring with his entourage. And they’re playing all these Ghanaian drums and instruments, right? Like some African song. And while he was walking in the ring, I felt something come over me. Like, all my energy drained from my body. I looked in my corner and said, ‘Man, something’s not right.’ I’m not saying it was voodoo, but it felt like someone had put something on me. And then the fight happened and I got dropped so hard in the first round and remembered nothing after that.
The funniest part of it is that Azumah wrote a book. I don’t remember if he was referring to our second or fourth fight and he says the same thing – that he thinks we put a hex on him. I forgot what he called it in the book. But he said he felt something weird inside the ring … but that’s what he did to us! (Laughing.)
Aftermath
I wanted to be known as a guy who took the toughest fights he could. I dared to be great. That meant fighting the best guys out there. Most of those guys were bigger than I was, but I was going to give it my all. Aside from Ruelas, who is a great fighter, all my losses — except for Juan Lazcano because I didn’t lose that fight — were to Hall of Famers: Azumah Nelson, Arturo Gatti, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Kostya Tszyu.
But the fights aren’t really the memorable times. That’s only one night. What about the three months before that? It’s the training that you remember the most. That’s where you become who you are. At the end of the day, that is what really counts. The fans get the one night. And if they take anything away from my career, I want them to remember that I took on every challenge and gave it my all.
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/nig...162357679.html
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Originally Posted by Mark TKO
. In fairness and ironically though his next fight out cut 'w' vs Micky Ward was bs. I remember after he tore up Troy Dorsey I added his draw with Pee Wee Parker to a trade list and was informed by a then "boxing nerd" who thought he knew it all 
that Leija couldn't break eggs and wasn't going anywhere. Whoops on that! He really was a guy who maximized his gifts, never really stellar in one particularly area but very capable in all of them. I had him 1-3 with Nelson and remember him being pretty bitter after that draw. Just thinking of his superb win over Ruelas..he really was on top of his game..makes you yearn for those PPV cards again!! Absolutely stacked card, all title fights so deep that Finito Lopez was buried on it.
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