José Legrá, two-time world featherweight champion, passed away at the age of 83 in Madrid. The Puma of Baracoa forged an indelible bond with the islands, where he trained, fought, and found lifelong friends.
José Legrá, the legendary Hispanic-Cuban boxer who won the world featherweight title twice, died in the early hours of Wednesday in Madrid at the age of 83. His death has rekindled memories of his close relationship with the Canary Islands, especially with Tenerife and La Gomera, where he spent long periods and forged key friendships for his career.
The romance with Tenerife: nine unbeaten fights in the Bullring
Legrá's connection with Tenerife began on March 31, 1964, just days after turning 21, when he faced the Gran Canarian Kid Tano in a fight that ended in a draw. That was the first of his many visits to the island. In total, the Puma of Baracoa fought nine times in the Santa Cruz Bullring, now abandoned, and emerged victorious in all of them. His last fight in the Tenerife arena was in 1970, and he never knew defeat there.
On the island, Legrá not only achieved sporting triumphs but also cultivated deep friendships. One of the most significant was with Juan Albornoz, Sombrita, a contemporary boxer. However, perhaps the most crucial relationship was with Álvaro Rodríguez López, the older brother of Heliodoro Rodríguez López, former president of CD Tenerife, after whom the stadium is named. Álvaro became a sort of patron for the Cuban.
La Gomera, the refuge where a world champion was forged
Thanks to the Rodríguez López family, Legrá found an idyllic training place in La Gomera. In the town of Tecina (Alajeró), Álvaro owned large plots of land and built a gym for the boxer on his main estate. There, the Puma of Baracoa held several training camps, including one that prepared him to challenge for the world featherweight title.
On July 24, 1968, in Porthcawl (Wales), Legrá defeated local fighter Howard Wistone by technical knockout in the fifth round, becoming the world champion. As a token of gratitude for the support received in La Gomera, the boxer wore a bunch of bananas sent from the island in the ring. A gesture that symbolised his bond with the archipelago.
Failed businesses and a scam in Santa Cruz
Outside the ring, Legrá did not have the same fortune. His ventures into business, both in real estate and in selling sports items under his brand Legrá Sport, ended in failure. In Tenerife, in the early 80s, he partnered with an acquaintance to open a bar on the Rambla de Santa Cruz, halfway between a pub and a whisky bar. Legrá invested five million pesetas, but his partner scammed him. "My partner didn't even pay for a coffee maker," he lamented later.
Despite the setbacks, the Hispanic-Cuban never lost his affection for the islands. After retiring, he returned several times to participate in exhibitions and even sponsored a boxing school in El Hierro, leaving a mark across the archipelago.
The legacy of José Legrá, the Puma of Baracoa, will remain alive in the memory of boxing fans in the Canary Islands, who will always remember his tenacity in the ring and his generous heart outside of it.
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