This Friday, September 11, the funeral services for the legendary Panamanian world champion, Ismael “El Tigre” Laguna, were held at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Panama City.
Laguna was the second world champion after Panama Al Brown, the first in 1929. It took 36 years for him to achieve the feat on April 10, 1965, with his victory over the also legendary Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz to win the WBC and WBA lightweight world championships. This was the first world championship fight held in Panama, at the Juan Demóstenes Arosemena Baseball Stadium, and perhaps the first major sporting celebration in the streets of Panama, which included a parade and festivities.
Laguna had a record of 65 wins, 37 by knockout, nine losses, and one draw, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota in 2001.
“Hands of Stone” Durán, present at the farewell, cherished the memories of that April night in 1965 when the Laguna-Ortiz fight began his dream of becoming a world champion. He maintained his admiration and friendship for the man he always referred to as his inspiration and hero.
History united them forever when, in September 1971, the Scot Ken Buchanan defeated Laguna, taking the WBA lightweight world championship from him at Madison Square Garden in New York. Just months later, on June 26, 1972, “Hands of Stone” Durán defeated the Scot in that same arena to become the WBA lightweight world champion.
Panama bids farewell to an exemplary boxer and world champion who toured the rings of Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, France, Mexico, the United States, Argentina, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Jamaica and Ecuador and earned the affection and gratitude of his country and the world of boxing.
