Return of the Little Terror & the New Mexican Order (diary entry)

"Learn from the Fight" had access to rare footage of two title fights held in Los Angeles on 4th February 1960. This lesson concerned the first of these and next time we will cover the second. Press at the time declared that this was the first time since 1937 where two undisputed world title bouts had been held at the same date and venue in USA. The last time was under Mike Jacob's promotion and featured four title bouts, but it was a flop. This time it was promoted at the newly opened Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena under the husband wife team of Cal and Aileen "The Redhead" Eaton. Aileen had previously been married to Dr Maurice LeBell, a chiropractor, who had moved with her from Canada to Los Angeles. Maurice had been very athletic and once held the record for the fastest mile on a bicycle as well as being an excellent swimmer. I got that information from the autobiography of their second son: the martial arts legend that was Ivan "Judo" Gene LeBell. Gene LeBell credits his mother for getting him into martial arts and for encouraging him to train in boxing and catch wrestling at an early age. During her second marriage to Cal in 1942, she went into the business of promoting boxing matches both in California and nationwide. They had both been responsible for helping to promote fighters such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Carmen Basilio and Floyd Patterson, and would go on to promote the likes of George Foreman and Joe Frazier. They were also actively involved in professional wrestling with Aileen's eldest son becoming a respected promoter and Gene a famous wrestler. Aileen and Cal were credited with helping to reinvigorate the sport of boxing with this particular card at the Sport Arena, Los Angeles now being tipped to be the nation's boxing capital over New York. The arena had been opened on 4th July 1959 by vice-president Richard Nixon and four days' later the Arena had seen Jose Becerra lift the now undisputed world bantamweight title from Alphonse "The Little Terror" Halimi. Tonight's event would see the gate take $383,060 from 31,830 fans, beating the previous highest record by $146,539. Audiences were thrilled by both title fights. Aileen would eventually take over full presidency of her company when Cal died in 1966 and go on to actively promote over 10,000 fights and 2,500 cards before her retirement in 1980. She is the first woman to inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002, 13 years after her death in 1987.

Jose Becerra versus Alphonse Halimi Undisputed World Bantamweight Championship 04.02.1960

Jesus "Jose" Becerra was born on 15th April 1936 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He was the youngest of five children, quitting school aged 12 in the fifth grade to work in a carriage repair shop. There is little on how he got into boxing or what his early career was like in amateur or professional circles. However, what we do know is that he was discovered by Mexican fight manager, Pancho Rosales, who helped develop his skills. He debuted as a professional on 30th August 1953 with a knockout victory. This was shortly followed by another knockout win a week later. His third bout, just one month later, was a loss on points. However, he closed out '53 with a point victory in October after which he took a five months off. This time was more than made up for in 1954 where he won 12 fights, eight by KO or TKO, and drew once. '55 saw him claim nine scalps, six by stoppage and one draw. He took his second points loss in Cachorro Martinez's debut fight, Becerra's second fight in 1956. Martinez would not go on to have a particularly illustrious boxing career, losing more than he won, fighting sporadically until his retirement in 1960.

Becerra stopped his next opponent on cuts in round 5. He won eight of his 10 fights that year, taking his second loss in October to German Ohm. Ohm would retire in 1958 with a record of 32-6-1. '57 saw Becerra take a step up in his career and win recognition by scoring a points upset over the much more experienced Manuel Armenteros. He fought 12 times, winning 10, drawing once and losing once. His career went out of Mexico and to the USA for the first time that year, securing a TKO over Johnny Ortega at the Cow Palace, Daly City. The aforementioned loss was his last fight of the year, his second time in the USA and his first knockout. Alabama's Dwight Hawkins, who would go up to featherweight, sent him down for the count in round 4 at Wrigley Fields, Los Angeles on 6th November. Becerra would avenge this particular loss the following year in only his third fight of '58 on 8th March. It could not have been a sweeter comeback, as he knocked Hawkins out at the Arena Progreso in Jose's hometown of Guadalajara. Becerra won all 12 of his fights that year, 10 by knockout. He also fought in the USA twice. 1959 opened with the bout that got him the break he needed. Becerra stopped the brave former world bantamweight champion, Mario D'Agata in round 10 when D'Agata's manager stepped in to save his man from more punishment. This victory put Jose in the Ring Magazine top 10 rankings. He fought two more times before qualifying to face to the reigning champion, Alphonse "The Little Terror" Halimi as the debut attraction of the new Los Angeles Arena in 1959. Both of these were straight knockout victories, including the respected Billy Peacock.

When last we saw Alphonse Halimi he had taken the title from D'Agata in 1957. Although the title had only been recognised by the NYAC in New York and Massachusetts as well as Ring for its lineal status, the NBA would also acknowledge Halimi as the the undisputed champion a little later.  He then won his next two non-title fights before successfully retaining his new belt against Paul "Raton" Macias that same year. He fought mainly in Europe from December '57 until May 1959, winning every one of these six non-title bouts, five in France and one in Italy. His defeat at the hands of Becerra was a shocking eighth round knockout where the Mexican fighter had him against the ropes and dropped him with a left hook to the jaw. Becerra became the first Mexican to win the undisputed world bantamweight title. The audience loved the fight and were on their feet cheering for Becerra. He only fought once again that year, another bout in his beloved France where he won an easy 10 round decision against Robert Meunier.

Becerra's interim was less peaceful. He fought and won three more times in '59 before his rematch with the former champion. Sadly the first of these resulted in the death of his opponent, West Virginia's Walt Ingram. The fight took place at Becerra's hometown again. Ingram was stopped in ninth round and died from his injuries. As is often the case, many say that the deeply religious Becerra was never the same and began losing his heart for boxing.

Jose Becerra was 5'5" tall and an orthodox fighter. He was an exciting and aggressive knockout merchant but also noted for showing some good defensive skill. Halimi was now the 3-1 underdog.

Halimi came out the aggressor in the first two rounds, winning them on the judge's score cards. In round 2 he even knocked Becerra down for an 8-count. The next round saw Becerra gradually make a comeback but it was still Halimi maintaining the momentum that kept him in the lead.

Becerra returned to form in the fourth and took it from Halimi who would never fully recover his lead. The champion was just too strong. Halimi did his best to work his efficient jab but this was often rushed by Becerra who forced the fight into a toe-to-toe war. The challenger did better than he had done in their previous encounter.

Although he had been behind on the score cards since round six, he made it past the eighth round that had seen crumble last year. However, this turned out to be a one-round stay of execution. Once again, Halimi found himself against the ropes and a victim of Becerra's infamous left hook. There was debate as to whether it was a follow up from a liver shot or the sequel to a right punch to the stomach, as described by referee Tommy Hart, but the left was an undeniably huge swing that caught the challenger on the mouth and chin. Halimi staggered but could not remain upright. He slumped to the canvas for a full count out.

 After successfully defeating Halimi in their rematch and retaining the bantamweight title, Becerra fought five more times in 1960 before officially retiring. The first fight was a unanimous decision non-title victory in the USA. This was followed by another non-title win by technical knockout back in Mexico. He then put his title on the line in Japan and won a split decision over the new Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation bantamweight champion Kenji Yonekura. His penultimate fight that year was another non-title victory in Mexico where he won via TKO. However, his last fight was a non-title defeat at the hands of Mexican club fighter Eloy Sanchez where Becerra was knocked out in round 8. So disgusted was he with his performance and still haunted by the death he caused in the ring that he retired and vacated his title, refusing a lucrative offer to face future world champion, Edger Jofre. However, he would make one last return to the ring in 1962. When Mexican club fighter Rudy Coronado was seriously injured in a fight, a benefit tour was arranged to support him and his family. Becerra, a Mexican icon, was persuaded come out of retirement for a six-round exhibition match to raise funds for Coronado. He dedicated his entire fight purse after winning a points decision over fellow Mexican Alberto Martinez.

Becerra fathered seven children and tried to support them investments in apartments and restaurants. Sadly, as was often the case of golden era boxers, he was advised badly in his business ventures and lost them all. Although he did not suffer any mental health problems he did suffer a mixture of other physical problems. A national treasure, the Telmex-Tercel Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, helped support him through the rest of his days. He died on 6th August 2016 just two days after it was announced he had slipped into a coma.

Jose Becerra fought a total of 75 times, winning 67 (42 by KO), losing five times and drawing twice. Becerra was noted at the time of his victories of Halimi and in retrospect as one of the emerging Mexican stars who broke through the glass ceiling of the lower weight divisions and became a star through the Los Angeles boxing scene.

Alphonse Halimi went back to Europe and never fought outside of the continent again. He also fought four more times in 1960, twice in Paris, France and twice in the Algiers. He opened 1961 at Wembley, England with a late high in his career. He relieved Irishman Freddie Gilroy of the European bantamweight title in a controversial 15-round decision. Despite the crowd's protests of the loss of their British and European champion, Halimi had scored the only real knockdown in the fight with a short right hook in the 13th round where Gilroy took a four-count. Halimi had fallen but it had been ruled a slip in the seventh. He then won his next three non-title fights, including a knockout victory over Jean Renaud in their immediate rematch in Tunisia. Halimi sent Renaud to the canvas five times before he was counted out in the fourth round. Their previous fight had been a points victory to Halimi. Halimi then returned to Wembley that same year to lose the European title to Johnny Caldwell. This would be Caldwell's twenty-second straight win and he sent Halimi down for an eight-count in the fifteenth round. Halimi failed to regain the title in their rematch a few months later. He rounded out the dramatic ups and down of that year with a TKO victory in Tunisia. After two more wins in Tunisia in '62, Halimi made another attempt for the European bantamweight title. This would be an historic event: Israel's first professional boxing bout. To screaming cheers of support from a 15,000 strong crowd, Halimi, wearing a star of David on his shorts, took the title from Piero Rollo. He cut Rollo in the first round and put him on the defensive in all but the final two rounds. Halmi lost the European title for a second time that year in his rematch against Rollo to a points decision in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. Halimi fought on until 1964, winning three of his five last fights, drawing once and losing his last two. He settled in Vincennes, France and opened a cafe in Avenue de Chateau. He also became a swimming teacher in Vichy and Meudon. He died from pneumonia on 12th November 2006 having suffered from Alzheimer's disease during the last years of his life where he lived in Saint-Ouen. He was interred at the Parisian cemetery in Pantin on 14th November that year. Halimi’s professional record of 50 bouts: won 41 (21 KOs), lost 8 and drew once. Halimi was awarded the Legion d'honneur by Charles de Gaulle and inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.

Next week we will look the second fight of the night where Carlos Ortiz and Battling Torres put on arguably as good, if not better, fight for their respective championship. Ortiz was defending his NYSAC and NBA world junior welterweight title for the first time. This particular division had lost recognition from all of the three world authorities in the 1930s with their own individual stopping points.  The beginning of its rise back to respectability had begun with Ortiz in the previous year when he had won the vacant title in a bout with Kenny Lane. More of this and the Ortiz/Torres clash next lesson.

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