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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3] Leija was expected to be De La Hoya's final opponent as a lightweight. De La Hoya already had agreed to move up to the super lightweight division to face an opponent the following February in what was to be a tune-up fight prior to facing Julio César Chávez for the WBC super lightweight title.[4]
Madison Square Garden officials originally pegged De La Hoya to face 2-division 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.[5] Patterson's stepfather and former manager, two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson served as the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission and was an integral part of bringing the event to Madison Square Garden but opted not to attend the press conference announcing the event as a result of a rift with his stepson. The Return to the Mecca card was the first major boxing event to take place in Madison Square Garden since the Buddy McGirt vs. Pernell Whitaker fight in March 1993 and was part of a concerted effort betwee the arena and HBO to bring boxing back the venue more frequently.[6]
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."[7]
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.
Aftermath
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 ForemanLarry 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.[8]
