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Return to the Mecca

Date	December 15, 1995
Venue	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, U.S.
Title(s) on the line	WBO Lightweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Oscar De La Hoya Jesse James Leija Nickname The Golden Boy The Texas Tornado Hometown East Los Angeles, California, U.S. San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Purse $1,500,000 $350,000 Pre-fight record 19–0 30–1–2 Age 22 years, 10 months 29 years, 5 months Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) Weight 135 lb (61 kg) 135 lb (61 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition WBO Lightweight champion Former WBA Super Featherweight champion
Result
De La Hoya wins via 2nd-round corner retirement

Oscar De La Hoya vs. Jesse James Leija, billed as Return to the Mecca was a professional boxing match contested on December 15, 1995 for the WBO lightweight title.

Background

Almost immediately following his victory over Genaro Hernández, Oscar De La Hoya, the reigning WBO lightweight champion, would sign a deal with Madison Square Garden president Dave Checketts, who was in attendance for the Hernández fight, that would see De La Hoya make his next title defense against an yet-to-be-named opponent in the famed arena in what would be his New York City debut. De La Hoya had previously been scheduled to make his New York City debut at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in 1993, but he pulled out of his scheduled fight against Jose Vidal Concepcion citing "personal reasons" just three days before it was to happen.

Madison Square Garden officials originally pegged De La Hoya to face 2-divison world champion and native New Yorker Tracy Harris Patterson, who then held the IBF junior lightweight title, but promoter Bob Arum deemed that Patterson was too light to face De La Hoya and replaced him with Jesse James Leija, a former WBC super featherweight champion who was moving up in weight to challenge De La Hoya. However, Patterson's agent Marc Roberts opinioned that De La Hoya had actually "decided to duck" Patterson. Patterson. Instead, Patterson was featured on the main undercard bout, defending his junior lightweight title against challenger Arturo Gatti.

Leija's trainer Richie Giachetti expressed dissatisfaction with the New York State Athletic Commission appointing Ron Lipton to referee the fight, claiming that Lipton would unfairly favor De La Hoya and vowed to protest the fight should Leija lose by a decision stating "If there's a knockout, then it doesn't matter. But if it comes to a decision, I don't want it influenced by a referee that allows one fighter to do things to another guy."

The Fight

Fighting largely tactically, De La Hoya used his superior height and reach to his advantage as Leija threw punches constantly through two rounds but struggled to get inside of De La Hoya or land many punches. With 50 seconds remaining in the second round, De La Hoya landed a left hook that dropped Leija to his knees, where he remained until getting up at the count of nine. Looking to end the fight, De La Hoya then attacked Leija relentlessly, who was on slightly wobbly legs, dropping him again with a left hook just as round ended. Leija would again get back up at the count of nine, but at the insistence of Leija's trainer Giachetti, the fight was stopped. It was not immediately known if referee Ron Lipton had counted Leija out or if he had felt Leija could not continue and stopped the fight himself. Confused, HBO commentators Jim Lampley, George Foreman Larry Merchant and Harold Lederman argued amongst themselves whether Lipton had stopped the fight or Leija had been counter out. However, Giachetti confirmed in a post-fight interview with Merchant that it had been his decision to stop the fight.

Fight card

Confirmed bouts:

^Note 1 For WBO Lightweight title
^Note 2 For IBF Super Featherweight title

Broadcasting

Country	Broadcaster
United States	HBO

References

1. New York State of Mind For De La Hoya Camp, N.Y. Times article, 1995-09-11, Retrieved on 2024-12-15
2. De La Hoya pulls out of bout, UPI article, 1993-12-07, Retrieved on 2024-11-25
3. Garden Ushers In Its New Ring Prize, N.Y. Times article, 1995-09-20, Retrieved on 2024-12-16
4. De La Hoya Looking To Win Over Fight Fans, N.Y. Times article, 1995-12-14, Retrieved on 2024-12-16
5. DE LA HOYA STICKS LEIJA, KEEPS ON MOVING, Washington Post article, 1995-12-17 Retrieved on 2024-12-18
6. "BoxRec - event".

• 1995 in boxing
• 1995 in sports in New York City
• December 1995 sports events in the United States
• Boxing matches at Madison Square Garden
• Boxing matches involving Oscar De La Hoya
• Boxing on HBO
• Lightweight championship matches