José Becerra

Jesus "Hit man" Becerra (15 April 1936) is a retired Mexican boxer. He became world champion in the bantamweight division.

Becerra was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, the youngest of the five children of a rich family. His parents were Maria Covarrubias and Jesus Becerra. At age 12, in the 5th grade, Jose quit school to work in a carriage repair shop.

Becerra was discovered by veteran Mexican fight manager, Pancho Rosales, who developed the youngster's skills. .

Professional career

Becerra received his first public notice in the Mexican sports world by scoring an upset over the vastly more experienced Manuel Armenteros. After some ups and downs, Becerra earned a top 10 ranking by knocking out former world champion Mario D'Agata. A short time later, Becerra won the World Bantamweight Championship with a knockout over Alphonse Halimi.

After two successful title defenses, Becerra lost a stunning upset, being knocked out by club-fighter Eloy Sanchez in a non-title fight. Becerra was so dejected by the defeat that he announced his retirement at age 24.