Ismael Laguna-Tiger of Colon

[BoztheMadman]

Ismael Laguna was and is one of the best Panamanian boxers ever. He was a clever technician that also had power and captured the world lightweight title twice. At 5'9 he was also quite tall for a lightweight. His career wasn't that long however and he retired at the age of 31, after losing in attempt to get his world titles back from Ken Buchanan. This is the story of El Tigre Colonense-Ismael Laguna.

 

He was born in a fishing village near Colon City, Panama, in a family of nine, on 28 June 1943. As a boy he scraped a living shining shoes and selling newspapers. He soon learned to fight for his pitch and at 12 or 13 started boxing after he met the national champion Carlos Watson on the beach, who offered to spar with anyone. He stepped up and opened a cut on Watson that still hadn't healed from his previous fight. And so, as they say, a star was born. Watson's trainer Chino Amon then offered to train him and persuaded his parents to accept, telling them it was better for him to earn a living fighting in the ring than having to fight on the streets. Laguna had only a dozen fights as amateur before turning professional under manager Isaac Kretch, aged 17. It was 21 August '60 when he knocked out Antonio Morgan in 2 to make his debut. He won his first 27 fights, scoring 19 knockouts, before experiencing his first loss on 7 June '63 against Colombian Antonio Herrera, fighting in Herrera's hometown of Bogota, Colombia and losing on a 10-round decision. They had a rematch on 15 September, this time in Panama City and this time Laguna was victorious by TKO 6. He then decisioned Rafiu King of Nigeria, who had just fought against Sugar Ramos for the world lightweight title and lost on points. On 9 March next year he also decisioned Angel Robinson Garcia of Cuba in Paris, despite getting knocked down twice briefly in 10 rounds. On 1 June he faced Vicente Saldivar, the featherweight legend from Mexico who would go on to beat Sugar Ramos for the world title right after this fight. Saldivar had a massive support behind him as the fight was in Mexico and Laguna appeared intimidated by the 12,000 Mexicans shouting and bellowing in the bullring of Tijuana while the referee kept warning Laguna for nothing throughout the fight. In the end, it just had to go down Saldivar's way after 10 rounds when he was awarded the decision. Manager of Don Johnson, whom Laguna had previously stopped in 3 rounds, said that he'd never allow his fighter to fight Saldivar in Mexico.

 

Laguna then beat another Mexican, Kid Anahuac, by TKO 8 after soundly dominating the fight. He also decisioned the contender Vicente Milan Derado and stopped former world 140-pound title challenger Percy Hayles of Jamaica by TKO 7. On 10 April '65 he faced world lightweight champion Carlos Ortiz in a title fight. Laguna had become a lightweight first against Derado. The fight was held in Panama City and after 15 even rounds, Laguna was awarded a majority decision. Later on, Ortiz would say:"Ismael was the sweetest kid I've ever met. He was like a kid. But the son of a bitch, once he stepped into the ring, he was different!" Some say Laguna earned his nickname Tiger of Colon because he drank the blood of cows which he had skinned while working in the butcher shop. Laguna's speed offset Ortiz's attack, at least enough to earn him a majority decision. Laguna then stopped contender Raul Soriano by TKO 8 in a non-title fight, in a one-sided fight. He also had a fight against defensive maestro Nicholino Locche and fought him to a draw on 17 July '65. He then defended his titles for the first time in a rematch with Ortiz, which he lost by an uneven UD15. This time Laguna had to go to Ortiz's home turf in San Juan, Puerto Rico and it seems he was a victim of hometown judging, even though Ortiz likely deserved the decision, but not by 150-138, as one judge scored it. Rocky Marciano was the scoring referee and he had it 148-143 for Ortiz while the third judge had the closest score, 145-143, likely the most correct one.

 

Laguna then beat down the reigning super lightweight champion Carlos Hernandez of Venezuela when he punished him for 7 rounds before the fight was stopped early in round 8, in Panama City on 19 February '66. But then, on 19 March, he experienced another setback against reigning world super featherweight champion Flash Elorde, who put him down twice and coasted to a UD10 at home in Quezon City, Philippines. Elorde caught Laguna with a left hook and a right cross that sent him down in round 4 and then again with the same combination in round 9. Before that, Laguna was aggressive but the first knockdown seemed to take some of his zeal away. He did come back in rounds 6 and 7 but that wasn't enough. He once again stopped Percy Hayles, this time in 6 rounds, before fighting the Puerto Rican Frankie Narvaez on 10 March '67 and beating him by UD12. As was the case when Elorde beat Narvaez, the Puerto Rican fans present in Madison Square Garden started a riot by throwing bottles in the ring after the decision was announced. Laguna was however the better man and controlled the pace of the fight for most of the time. He also cut Narvaez over the right eye in round 8. "I wasn't scared going into the ring, but I was mighty scared going out", Laguna said after the riot. After knocking out Vicente Rivas in 5 and decisioning Alfredo Urbina, he was given another chance at recapturing his title against Ortiz. This time, the fight was on neutral grounds, if one can call Queens in New York that. It was 16 August '67 when Ortiz again defended his title successfully by unanimous decision. This time, all scorecards were decisively in his favor.

 

Laguna then again beat Narvaez by UD, this time in Puerto Rico, but a riot was avoided. On 24 May '69, he was a victim of hometown robbery against Ecuadorian Eugenio Espinoza, fighting in Quito, but avenged the loss at home in Panama City by a clear UD. On 3 March next year he finally succeeded in recapturing the world title(s) against Mando Ramos, a tough scrapper from California; the fight was in Los Angeles and Laguna's jab opened a cut on Ramos already in the first round. Ramos' corner was able to control the cut and Ramos came back in the middle rounds but Laguna again cut him in the ninth round before the fight had to be stopped in that round because of excessive bleeding. Despite talks of a rematch, Laguna faced the Japanese Guts Ishimatsu in his first defense, in Panama City on 6 June. Once again, Laguna opened a cut early which eventually led to the stoppage, this time in round 13. On 26 September in San Juan he defended his title again against the Scottish Ken Buchanan, a capable boxer and brawler. Buchanan was ordered by the British Board of Control not to fight Laguna, but he ignored it. Laguna was also stripped by WBC for not fighting Mando Ramos instead. Buchanan was then supposed to fight Ramos for the WBC belt but Ramos withdrew from the fight only two days before it was supposed to take place. Anyway, the fight was close before Buchanan took charge in round 12 and took the remaining rounds to snatch a split decision and thus become the first Scot to capture a world lightweight title.

 

For Laguna, this was the beginning of the end. After decisioning Lloyd Marshall (not to be confused with the light heavyweight contender of the 40's and 50's) and tough brawler Chango Carmona, he once again faced Buchanan for the WBA title on 13 September '71, at Madison Square Garden. Despite swelling up his left eye badly and opening cuts bellow both of Buchanan's eyes, Laguna was pounded into submission eventually and nearly stopped in round 14 with a two-fisted barrage by the tough Scotsman, who then took home the victory by UD, 9-6, 10-5 and 8-6 were the scores. Sensing that his best days were over, despite being 28, Laguna retired. He left behind a record of 65 wins, 37 by ko, 9 losses and 1 draw. He was never stopped and he beat men like Carlos Ortiz, Carlos Hernandez, Mando Ramos, Guts Ishimatsu, Angel Robinson Garcia and Frankie Narvaez and drew against supreme technician Nicholino Locche. Despite some contemporaries not considering him a hard hitter, he did have power but more of the accumulative sort perhaps. Laguna still lives in his hometown Colon City today, aged 74. He was inducted into the IBHOF in 2001.