Interview Dated December 2005

"Jesse" James Leija could be one of the best active pound-for-pound fighters in the world today. His list of opponents reads like some kind of all-star list: Ruelas, De La Hoya, Ward, Camacho, Tszuyu. He has fought Azuma Nelson four times. His record is 47-6-2 with 9 KO's. After beating Francisco Bojado in a split decision last July, Leija is in Houston training to challenge Arturo "Thunder" Gatti for the W.B.C. Light Welterweight title. I caught up with him after a recent workout at the Savannah Boxing Club. A conversation with him reveals we will likely be hearing the name "Jesse" James Leija long after his boxing career has ended.

HBS - How'd you first get started boxing?

JL - I got involved in boxing in 1985, wanted to lose some weight. My dad was a former boxer but he never let us box. So I went to the gym to lose some weight. Two-and-a-half years as a boxer and I turned pro in 1988. As an amateur I went to the 1988 Olympic trials in California.

HBS - Why do you think you've been so successful over all these years?

JL - Because I work hard and I don't cheat myself out of boxing. I train hard, I work hard, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I do the right things and I have faith. I have a hard work ethic that I work very hard in the gym. Anything I do that has to do with boxing I give 100%.

HBS - How is it now that you're 38 years old, getting a little harder?

JL - Everything's harder. Being in boxing for almost 20 years now there's wear and tear on your body. Your metabolism slows down so you've got to speed it up and it's harder to lose weight but that's all part of boxing. It can't be easy. If it's easy it's not really worth it. There's not really a goal and the end when you reach it because it was too easy.

HBS - Describe your style as a fighter.

JL - Oh, man, it's hard, I don't know, I think I'm a boxer-puncher but everyone says that so I guess you'd have to ask the trainer and people that have seen me fight. I think I'm a smart fighter, I have patience in the ring. I don't do everything great but I do everything right.

HBS - You do a lot of reading apparently.

JL - Oh, yeah I've been reading books. I read every day. I'm reading a book right now. I think what happens is when you're boxing you're getting hit in the head and punching all these years. You kill brain cells when you're fighting in the ring but when you read you create new brain cells or you use brain cells that you've never used before and I think it really helps you in the long run, being able to speak in front of people, being able to do commercials, being able to do interviews. I think if you don't use your brain you're going to lose your brain so I try to use it as much as possible.

HBS - And what are you reading now?

JL - I'm reading Joel O'Steen's book "Your Best Life Now".

HBS - You're obviously a pretty big celebrity in San Antonio. Your name and likeness is somehow being used in a video game?

JL - It's EA Sports Fight Night 2004 then I'll be on EA sports 2005 coming out in March. I'm on that game as well.

HBS - Tell us about Gatti, your thoughts on him as a fighter, his strengths and weaknesses.

JL - Gatti, everyone knows his strengths are his heart and his power and his left hook and he comes to fight every time he steps into the ring. His weaknesses are that he gets hit a lot. I don't think he takes care of himself 100% outside the ring. But nevertheless inside the ring he's successful and he does well but he does get hit a lot and he's a warrior. You can't ever take that away from Gatti. He's a warrior. He's going to go down in history as a warrior. But styles make fights and I think I have the right style to beat him.

HBS - Do you ever make predictions about what's going to happen in fights?

JL - Yeah, the prediction I always make is it's going to be a great fight. I never make predictions. I let the Lord take care of that and I just go out and do my work.

HBS - You are pretty articulate so what are your thoughts about, first of all have you given any thought as to when your career is going to end and then what you're going to do afterwards.

JL - The last five years I've been fighting on a fight by fight basis so my career could end after this fight or when I win the world title, make a defense or win the world title and retire. No one knows. I just worry about January 29th. The fighter I have in front of me is Gatti and whatever the Lord wants me to do afterwards he'll tell me. But I've got so many things going on in San Antonio. I have a golf tournament that I have every year and I give to charity. My attorney and myself are starting the miracle league, which is a baseball league for handicapped children. We're starting that in San Antonio. We're with Powerade and Coca Cola. I'm starting my own sausage line. We're starting that out hopefully be February we're going to have a sausage line like George Foreman, Earl Campbell, that type of sausage line. The same company's making my sausage and there's just so much for me to do, maybe run for politics in San Antonio one day. There's just so many things for me to do, what I want to do and I'm going to put 100% into it. The world is mine to have as long as I work hard for it.

HBS - You've done so many interviews. Has there ever been anything that you haven't been asked that maybe you'd wish someone would ask?

JL - (laughs) I've been doing this for 20 years so I think I've been asked pretty much everything. I've heard everything so unless you've got something new I don't know I'll let you know.

HBS - What's the most satisfying win you've had in your career so far?

JL - You're only as good as your last fight in every situation. So my last fight was with Bojado so that was a real inspiring fight for me, it was a great fight, coming up from the canvas to win the fight in ten rounds. I hadn't been ten rounds in years so I finished that fight strong but you know there's also Troy Dorsey, Azumah Nelson the first two times, Ivan Robinson, Mickey Ward, Camacho, Lezcano, you name it I've been there and every fight's been rewarding. Whenever I get to get off the ring, go home and see my kids and be a husband to my wife every fight's worth it.