De La Hoya Tkos Leija Before 16,027

Oscar De La Hoya held a Garden party Friday night and Jesse James Leija left early.

In boxing’s return to the main Garden arena for the first time since March 6, 1993, De La Hoya knocked Leija down twice and smashed him into defeat after two rounds before a roaring crowd of 16,027.

De La Hoya retained the WBO lightweight title and boosted his record to 20-0 with his 18th knockout.

The 22-year-old De La Hoya was just too big and too strong for the 29-year-old Leija, a former WBC super featherweight champion. The 5-foot-11 De La Hoya knocked down the 5-5 Leija with a right, a left hook and a right to the head with 50 seconds left in the second round. The left hook was the big punch in the combination.

Since the bell cannot save a fighter, referee Ronald Lipton kept counting after the bell rang and reached nine before Leija got up.

In an IBF junior lightweight title, Arturo Gatti scored a unanimous decision over Tracy Patterson.

Gatti outboxed Patterson the first half of the fight.