José Legrá
Encyclopedia
Jose Legrá is a former professional boxer
in the Featherweight
division.
Legrá is a former two time WBC
World Featherweight Champion.
and Cuba before departing for Spain
in 1963 with a record of 27-5-2.
Lazaro ben Layachi, which he won by KO in the sixth of eight rounds. Legrá then went on a run of over sixty wins between 1963 and 1967 with just one defeat on points against Welshman Howard Winstone
at the Winter Gardens
, Blackpool
in England
.
, in December 1967 with a third round knockout win over France
's Yves Desmarets
. Legrá subsequently relinquished the title without a defence.
again, this time for his WBC
Featherweight title. Legrá floored Winstone twice in the first round of the fight. The bout was subsequently halted because Winstone had a badly swollen left eye.
Legra lost his WBC Featherweight championship on 21 January 1969 after being defeated by French-Australian
Johnny Famechon
on points at the Albert Hall
in London
.
. Seven matches later Legrá would regain the EBU Featherweight title after beating Tommaso Galli on points. Legra would defend it five times before vacating it in 1972.
for the vacant Featherweight title, Sanchez was stripped of the title before the fight but the title was still on the line for Legrá. Legrá would TKO Sanchez in the tenth round to win.
Legrá lost the title in his very next fight to Brazilian Eder Jofre
by Majority Decision.
Legrá would fight 3 matches after losing, beating Jimmy Bell by points, losing to the great Alexis Arguello
by KO and beating Daniel Valdez by points.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
in the Featherweight
Featherweight
Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:...
division.
Legrá is a former two time WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
World Featherweight Champion.
Professional career
In June 1960, Legrá turned professional in Cuba winning his first fight against Pedro Pinera which he won with a points decision over four rounds. Legrá drew his next fight and lost two after that and fought a total of 34 fights in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Cuba before departing for Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 1963 with a record of 27-5-2.
Move to Spain
His first fight in Spain was in October 1963 against MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Lazaro ben Layachi, which he won by KO in the sixth of eight rounds. Legrá then went on a run of over sixty wins between 1963 and 1967 with just one defeat on points against Welshman Howard Winstone
Howard Winstone
Howard Winstone, MBE was a Welsh world champion boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. As an amateur, Winstone won the Amateur Boxing Association bantamweight title in 1958, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff-Boxing style:In his early...
at the Winter Gardens
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
, Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
European title
Legrá won his first title belt, the vacant European Featherweight titleEuropean Boxing Union
The European Boxing Union is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.-History:The EBU started life as the International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910...
, in December 1967 with a third round knockout win over France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Yves Desmarets
Yves Desmarets
Yves Hadley Desmarets is a French footballer of Haitian descent who currently is a free agent. He is a left midfielder.-Football career:...
. Legrá subsequently relinquished the title without a defence.
WBC World title
Legrá first opportunity to fight for a recognised world title belt came in July 1968 when he challenged Howard WinstoneHoward Winstone
Howard Winstone, MBE was a Welsh world champion boxer, born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. As an amateur, Winstone won the Amateur Boxing Association bantamweight title in 1958, and a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff-Boxing style:In his early...
again, this time for his WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
Featherweight title. Legrá floored Winstone twice in the first round of the fight. The bout was subsequently halted because Winstone had a badly swollen left eye.
Legra lost his WBC Featherweight championship on 21 January 1969 after being defeated by French-Australian
French Australian
French Australians are residents of Australia who are of French ancestry.According to the 2006 Australian census 19,186 Australian residents were born in France while 98,332 claimed French ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry.-Demography:...
Johnny Famechon
Johnny Famechon
Johnny Famechon, born 28 March 1945, is a former Australian featherweight boxer, who was born as Jean-Pierre Famechon in Paris, France.He moved to Australia in 1950 at the age of five. Over his twenty-year career he developed a reputation for being a skilled boxer whose strength was his defence...
on points at the Albert Hall
Albert Hall
Albert P. Hall is an American actor.Born in Brighton, Alabama, Hall graduated from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 1971. That same year he appeared Off-Broadway in The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and on Broadway in the Melvin Van Peebles musical Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
After Famechon
Legrá won two matchs before losing by UD to Vicente SaldivarVicente Saldivar
Vicente Samuel Saldivar García was a Mexican boxer in the Featherweight division and was a part of the 1960 Mexican Olympic team. He was a former WBC and a two-time WBA Featherweight Champion...
. Seven matches later Legrá would regain the EBU Featherweight title after beating Tommaso Galli on points. Legra would defend it five times before vacating it in 1972.
Regaining the WBC title and retirement
On December 16, 1972. Legrá fought Clemente SanchezClemente Sánchez
Clemente "Xicoténcatl" Sánchez was a Mexican boxer.- Pro career :Sánchez turned pro in 1963 and captured the WBC featherweight title with a 3rd round KO over Kuniaki Shibata in 1972...
for the vacant Featherweight title, Sanchez was stripped of the title before the fight but the title was still on the line for Legrá. Legrá would TKO Sanchez in the tenth round to win.
Legrá lost the title in his very next fight to Brazilian Eder Jofre
Eder Jofre
Éder Jofre is a retired Brazilian boxer and former bantamweight and featherweight champion .-Amateur career:Jofre represented his native country at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.-Olympic Results:*1st round bye...
by Majority Decision.
Legrá would fight 3 matches after losing, beating Jimmy Bell by points, losing to the great Alexis Arguello
Alexis Argüello
Alexis Argüello , also known by the stage name El Flaco Explosivo , was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician...
by KO and beating Daniel Valdez by points.