[1] At sixteen years-old, Valdez won the National AAU Welterweight Championship in 1964 by upsetting Olympic bronze medalist Quincey Daniels.

Valdez also won the National AAU Light Middleweight Championship in 1970, while boxing out of the Air Force.

In 1972, Valdez, who is of Mexican-American descent, qualified for the U.S. national team by defeating future world light-heavyweight champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

At the, 1972 Munich Olympic games, Valdez was eliminated from the finals by eventual gold medalist Emilio Correa in a disputed split decision.

[4][5] Below is the record of Jesse Valdez, an American welterweight boxer who competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics: Valdez never turned pro after his impressive amateur career but remained in the Air Force as a career military man.