RUELAS BOUNCES BACK WITH WIN.

Byline: Associated Press 

Area fighter Gabriel Ruelas stopped Troy Dorsey at 1:25 of the sixth round Saturday night in San Antonio to win the IBA junior lightweight title.

Ruelas claimed the junior lightweight championship after referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight because Dorsey's right eye was too swollen for the fighter to continue.

Ruelas was fighting for the first time since losing to Arturo Gatti in October.

On the same card, ``Jesse'' James Leija claimed the IBA's vacant junior lightweight title with a unanimous decision over Azumah Nelson, and Goyo Vargas stopped Tracy Patterson at 1:02 of the sixth round of a non-title junior lightweight fight.

``Dorsey is a great friend,'' said Ruelas, who improved to 45-4 with 23 knockouts. ``I take my hat off to him. I would hit him with great shots and he would hit me back and I'd smile.''

Both fighters traded heavy blows throughout the bout and most of the damage was done on the inside. But as Dorsey came out for the sixth round, it was obvious that his right eye was too swollen for him to continue.

A crowd of only 7,681 showed up at the Alamodome to watch hometown favorite Leija (36-3-2, 14 KOs) outpoint Nelson (39-5-2) in the 12-round main event. Leija led on all three judges' scorecards - 119-110, 116-112 and 116-112.

``My conditioning was the key,'' Leija said. ``For me to win this fight, I had to be strong in every round.''

Although the two had met three times before with each gaining a victory and one draw, both were very cautious over the first three rounds of their fourth fight.

Leija was the more aggressive, throwing more punches and pressing the attack, while Nelson appeared tight and uneasy.

But in the fourth round, Nelson asserted himself on the inside as Leija was forced to counter. As Nelson attacked, he left himself open to Leija's left hook to the face and body.

And Leija didn't hesitate to throw it, often doubling up. Each boxer landed flurries in rounds five through seven. However, neither could get the upper hand despite Nelson breaking his left hand in the fifth round.

But at the end of the eighth round, Leija stunned Nelson with a left hook. Sensing Nelson was hurt, Leija threw 15 straight punches before the bell sounded.

Leija had Nelson hurt again late in the ninth round. He caught Nelson with a stiff right and later landed a left-right combination. The two bumped heads midway through round 11 and a small gash opened above Leija's eyes.

But with blood trickling into his eyes, Leija rallied and won the round with a late flurry.

Nelson needed a knockout in the 12th round but Leija was too strong, holding off every attack.

``I used a lot of head movement,'' Leija said. ``I circled and I countered his counters.''

In his bout, Patterson could not continue because of a swollen left eye. Referee Rueben Carrion stopped the fight at the urging of Patterson's corner.