José Antonio Hernandez Torres, a six-time Spanish bodybuilding champion and the 2004 Mr. Universe winner, has died at the age of 57. Known affectionately as “Jocha,” Torres passed away in Tenerife a month before his 58th birthday. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Torres’s career in bodybuilding spanned over four decades. Following his retirement from competition, he opened the Jocha fitness gym in Tenerife. The local neighborhood association online recognized him as the most internationally decorated sportsman in the history of La Verdellada-Barrio Nuevo, citing his extensive sports experience and entrepreneurial ventures.
Fellow strongman Jose Maria Garcia paid tribute to Torres, calling him a “legend of our sport.” Garcia noted that Torres was among the first Spaniards in the 1980s to compete at a world-class level, representing Spain in various international events.
Alejandro Mena, a former bodybuilder who competed against Torres, finished as runner-up to him in the 1989 Spanish championships. Mena remembered Torres not only for his athletic achievements but also as a “wonderful person, an excellent friend and a role model.” He added that Torres’s “humility, camaraderie and passion for this sport left an indelible mark on all of us who were lucky enough to know him.”