Picture taken August 16, 2014 in Carson, California Top Picture: Mario Lopez, Deputy Chief Jesse Reyes, Oscar De La Hoya Bottom Picture: Deputy Chief Reyes judging Omar Figueroa versus Daniel Estrada

Deputy Chief Jesse Reyes is a 30-year Dallas Police Veteran and he makes sure to fit time in for his other roles in life such as husband, father and boxing judge and referee. 

Reyes has always been able to roll with the punches. His father was an amateur boxer, so boxing sparked his interest at a very young age. 

“My dad had me in the ring practically when I was in diapers,” he recalls.

After joining the police department, word spread that Reyes had a knack for boxing, and that’s when former Deputy Chief Ray Hawkins, #2400, approached him about helping with a Golden Gloves amateur boxing event. While apprehensive at first, Reyes decided to do it. He judged a few amateur fights at that event and went on to obtain his state boxing judge license. It’s been 15 years and counting, and he has yet to throw in the towel.

As time passed and Reyes got more experience under his belt, Chief Hawkins introduced him to the state boxing commissioner and encouraged Reyes to become a professional boxing judge.  He accepted the old one-two punch and completed the necessary training, making him not only a certified judge, but also a certified referee. 

Reyes judges more rounds than he referees, but he’ll never forget the most notorious bout he refereed: The 2007 match up in El Paso between Evander Holyfield and Lou Savarese. 

“It was quite an honor to be the third man in the ring for that fight,” he remembers. 

Reyes averages about a dozen fights a year, has been afforded traveling opportunities from California to Cancun, and has appeared on major networks such as HBO, Showtime and ESPN. He’s even judged a fight in Thailand! 

“I’m very fortunate that most of the events are on the weekends and I don’t have to take too much time off from work to do this,” said Reyes, as he talks about balancing his role in the professional boxing world and with the Dallas Police Department. 

Reyes is a huge fan of the Dallas Police Athletic League (PAL) and has been to several of the boxing events.

“I’ve always enjoyed the sport, always liked being around it,” said Reyes.