A retired former featherweight world champion with two world title wins, Legrá, known for his speed and agility in the ring, José Legrá, a 5-foot, 6-inch boxer and resident of Spain, was born José Adolfo Legrá Utría in Baracoa, Provincia de Guantánamo, Cuba, on April 19, 1943, to Adolfo Legrá and Soledad Utría Soa. José was the second of eight siblings who grew up in Matachín, Cuba.
At the age of 12, Legrá discovered his passion for boxing when he stumbled upon a local gym in his community. His natural talent for boxing was immediately recognized, and he began training diligently under the guidance of experienced coaches. This early dedication to his craft, coupled with his teenage jobs and passion for music, shaped the multifaceted individual he would become.
At the age of 17, Legrá made his debut in the professional boxing scene in 1960 beating Pedro Pinera via a four-round points decision. The following year he graduated from Pedro Esperon High School. Two years later, in 1963, at 20, Legrá traveled to Spain, where he was nicknamed “The Puma of Baracoa” for his ferocious fighting style. He won more than sixty consecutive fights between 1963 and 1967, including a memorable bout against Morocco’s Lazaro ben Layachi in Spain, which he won by KO in the sixth of eight rounds.
In 1967, Legrá won his first title belt, the vacant European Featherweight title with a third-round knockout win over France’s Yves Desmarets. He relinquished the title without a defense. At the age of 25, after 111 professional fights, Legrá reached a milestone in his career. He challenged Howard Winstone for the WBC featherweight title and emerged victorious, stopping the champion in the fifth round of the 15-round fight.
Legrá, whose pet name is ‘Pocket Cassius Clay,’ a tribute to the legendary Muhammad Ali due to his similar boxing style and agility. In 1972, Legrá fought Clemente Sanchez for the vacant Featherweight title, winning by a TKO in the tenth round. However, he lost the title in his next fight to Brazilian Éder Jofre. Two years later in 1974, Legrá’s 13-year career ended at the age of 30 with his final fight, a 1st-round TKO loss to Alexis Argüello. This fight, an anticipated match between two boxing legends, marked the end of a remarkable journey in the boxing world.
Legrá, created an impressive record in boxing. His career spanning 13 years, 4 months, and 8 days, includes 144 fights, in which he has 129 wins including 49 wins by KO, 11 losses, 4 draws or no contests. Legrá, is married to his high school sweetheart, Maria Soledad Utría, and they parent two children.