Jesse James Leija

James Leija (born July 8, 1966), best known as Jesse James Leija, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2005.

He won the San Antonio Golden Gloves in 1988.

Later that year he lost in the first rounds of the Olympic Trials to Kelcie Banks.

Jesse James Leija began his professional boxing career on October 2, 1988, beating Oscar Davis by knockout in round one, in Leija's native San Antonio.

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.

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, 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 bantamweight championship.

This fight was held in San Antonio, and it resulted in a nine-round technical decision.

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 by a knockout in six, he was matched, on March 23, 1993, with Louie Espinoza, 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.

On September 10, 1993, Leija participated at one of the Alamodome's first ever events, when he challenged Azumah Nelson for the WBC super featherweight 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.

On September 17, he defended his title against Gabriel Ruelas, once again, in Las Vegas.

Leija lost his world title when he lost to Ruelas by a twelve-round unanimous decision.

He held the WBC super featherweight title in 1994, and challenged twice each for world titles at lightweight and light welterweight.

Leija had an amateur career that spanned three years, going 23-5 during this time.

Leija rebounded with two wins, including one over Jeff Mayweather, 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 for De La Hoya's WBO lightweight title, at Madison Square Garden.

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 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).

On November 14, Leija had a shot at the IBF lightweight title when he faced Shane Mosley.

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.

Although no world championship was involved in this bout, it created general interest among Hispanic boxing fans, as Lazcano, nicknamed "The Hispanic Causing Panic," had become a popular boxer among Latinos.