José Legrá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids José Legrá |
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José Legrá c. 1973
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| Statistics | |
| Real name | José Legrá |
| Nickname(s) | Pocket Cassius Clay |
| Rated at | Featherweight |
| Height | 170 cm |
| Reach | 160 cm |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Born | 19 April 1943 Baracoa, Cuba |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 144 |
| Wins | 129 |
| Wins by KO | 49 |
| Losses | 11 |
| Draws | 4 |
| No contests | 0 |
José Adolfo Legrá Utría, born on April 19, 1943, is a famous retired professional boxer from Spain. He was a two-time world champion in the Featherweight division, holding the title from the WBC. People sometimes called him "Pocket Cassius Clay" because of his exciting style!
Contents
José Legrá's Boxing Journey
José Legrá started his professional boxing career in June 1960 in Cuba. He won his very first fight! After that, he had a draw and lost two fights. Before moving to Spain in 1963, he had fought 34 times in Mexico and Cuba. His record was 27 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws.
Moving to Spain
In October 1963, Legrá had his first fight in Spain. He won against Lazaro ben Layachi by knockout (KO) in the sixth round. From 1963 to 1967, Legrá had an amazing winning streak of over sixty fights! He only lost once during this time, on points, to Welshman Howard Winstone in Blackpool, England.
Winning the European Title
Legrá won his first major title, the vacant European Featherweight title, in December 1967. He knocked out France's Yves Desmarets in the third round. However, he gave up this title without defending it.
Becoming a World Champion
Legrá got his first chance to fight for a world title in July 1968. He challenged Howard Winstone again, this time for the WBC Featherweight title. Legrá knocked Winstone down twice in the very first round! The fight was stopped because Winstone had a badly swollen eye, and Legrá became the new WBC World Featherweight Champion.
On January 21, 1969, Legrá lost his WBC featherweight title. He was defeated by French-Australian Johnny Famechon on points in London.
After Losing the Title
After losing to Famechon, Legrá won two matches. Then he lost to Vicente Saldivar. Seven fights later, Legrá won the EBU Featherweight title back by beating Tommaso Galli on points. He defended this title five times before giving it up in 1972.
Winning the WBC Title Again and Retiring
On December 16, 1972, Legrá fought Clemente Sanchez for the vacant Featherweight title. Even though Sanchez had lost his title before the fight, the championship was still on the line for Legrá. Legrá won by technical knockout (TKO) in the tenth round, becoming the WBC Featherweight Champion for the second time!
Legrá lost the title in his very next fight to Brazilian Éder Jofre. He fought three more matches after that. He beat Jimmy Bell on points, lost to Alexis Arguello by knockout, and then beat Daniel Valdez on points.
In April 2020, it was shared that José Legrá, at 77 years old, was fighting the coronavirus.
Boxing Career Summary
José Legrá had an impressive boxing career. Here's a quick look at his professional record:
| 144 fights | 129 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 49 | 3 |
| By decision | 80 | 8 |
| Draws | 4 | |
Images for kids
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José Legrá in 1973
See also
- Lineal championship
- List of WBC world champions
