GGOATRANK
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Boxing · Lightweight · Panama

Ismael Laguna

1961–1971 · Two-time world lightweight champion and Panama's first boxing great.

Retired
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
85.3
Cultural & brand footprint 58/100 · total legacy 77.6
World title reigns
2
Career wins
65
Knockouts
37
Title fights
9
Career bouts
74

Category profile

Dominance
84
Peak
94
Longevity
76
Honours
84
Statistics
90

Career timeline · Form index per season

SeasonForm index per seasonShare of career
196145
196255
196366
196476
196587
196697
196784
196870
196957
197043
197130

Data sources

  • International Boxing Hall of Fame
  • BoxRec records
  • Ring Magazine archives

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Ismael Laguna ranks #123 in Boxing

Ismael Laguna ranks 123rd among Boxing athletes on GOAT Rank and 932nd of 4013 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 85.3 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 84, Peak 94, Longevity 76, Honours 84, Statistics 90. Those categories are normalised against the full Boxing reference universe of 231 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 1961–1971 with 11 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 1966, which sets the Peak component at 94. Peak is the defining strength of the profile at 94 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes world title reigns 2, career wins 65, knockouts 37, title fights 9.

Immediately ahead sits Layla McCarter on 85.3, a gap of 0.0 points. Directly behind is Pernell Whitaker on 85.2. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Ismael Laguna GOAT Score explained

Dominance84/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Laguna stood above the field while competing. Scored 84/100 against the full Boxing cohort.
Peak94/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 1966. Scored 94/100.
Longevity76/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 10 years of competition and 11 recorded seasons. Scored 76/100.
Honours84/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 84/100.
Statistics90/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 90/100.

Ismael Laguna — frequently asked

Is Ismael Laguna the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Ismael Laguna ranks 123rd in Boxing with a GOAT Score of 85.3, behind Sugar Ray Robinson on 94.3.
What is Ismael Laguna's GOAT Score?
85.3 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 84 (25%), Peak 94 (20%), Longevity 76 (20%), Honours 84 (20%), Statistics 90 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Ismael Laguna rank all time?
932nd of 4013 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 123rd within Boxing.
Ismael Laguna vs Layla McCarter: who ranks higher?
Ismael Laguna, on 85.3 against Layla McCarter's 85.3 — a margin of 0.0 points.
Compare with Robinson