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 April 19, 1943) is a retired professional boxer. He was a two-time WBC World Featherweight Champion. This means he held the top title in the featherweight division twice!
Contents
Becoming a Professional Boxer
José Legrá started his professional boxing career in June 1960 in Cuba. His very first fight was against Pedro Pinera, and José won by a points decision. After that, he had a draw and two losses. He fought a total of 34 matches in Mexico and Cuba. By 1963, he had a record of 27 wins, 5 losses, and 2 draws.
Moving to Spain and Big Wins
In 1963, José Legrá moved to Spain. His first fight there was in October 1963 against Lazaro ben Layachi from Morocco. José won this fight by a knockout (KO) in the sixth round.
After this, José went on an amazing winning streak! Between 1963 and 1967, he won over sixty fights. He only lost one match during this time, which was on points against Welshman Howard Winstone in Blackpool, England.
Winning the European Title
José Legrá won his first major title belt in December 1967. This was the European Featherweight title. He won it by knocking out France's Yves Desmarets in the third round. However, he later gave up this title without defending it.
Becoming a World Champion
José Legrá got his first chance to fight for a world title in July 1968. He challenged Howard Winstone again, this time for Winstone's WBC Featherweight title. José was incredible in this fight! He knocked Winstone down twice in the very first round. The fight was stopped because Winstone had a very swollen eye, and José Legrá became the new WBC Featherweight Champion!
Sadly, José lost his WBC featherweight title on January 21, 1969. He was defeated by French-Australian Johnny Famechon on points in London.
Fighting After Losing the Title
After losing his world title, José Legrá kept fighting. He won two matches before losing to Vicente Saldivar. A few fights later, José won the European Featherweight title again! He beat Tommaso Galli on points in June 1970. He successfully defended this title five times before giving it up in 1972.
Winning the World Title Again and Retiring
On December 16, 1972, José Legrá had another chance to win the vacant Featherweight title. He fought Clemente Sanchez. Even though Sanchez was stripped of the title before the fight, the title was still available for Legrá to win. José won the fight by a technical knockout (TKO) in the tenth round, becoming a two-time WBC Featherweight Champion!
However, José lost the title in his very next fight to Brazilian boxer Éder Jofre. After that, he had three more matches. He beat Jimmy Bell, lost to Alexis Arguello by knockout, and then beat Daniel Valdez.
José Legrá had an amazing career with many fights and two world titles.
Boxing Career Highlights
José Legrá's professional boxing record shows how many fights he had and how he performed:
| 144 fights | 129 wins | 11 losses |
| By knockout | 49 | 3 |
| By decision | 80 | 8 |
| Draws | 4 | |
- Total Fights: 144
- Wins: 129
- Losses: 11
- Draws: 4
- Knockouts (KO) Wins: 49
José Legrá is remembered as a very active and successful boxer in the featherweight division.
See also
In Spanish: José Legrá para niños
- Lineal championship
- List of WBC world champions
