Claude Noel CM (25 July 1948 – 21 May 2023) was a Tobagonian professional boxer. During his career, which spanned from 1973 to 1984, Noel held the WBA lightweight title and the Commonwealth Lightweight title.

Early life

Born on 25 July 1948 in Roxborough, Tobago to Thelma Fraser and Gabriel "Alfred" Noel. In his early teenage life, Noel began selling mangoes and other tropical fruits before branching off to boxing in 1973.

Professional career

Noel began his professional career on 13 November 1973, fighting in

Port-of-Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

, he beat Art de Freitas by second round

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

. After a run of four victories Noel successfully challenged for his first title, the Trinidad & Tobago Lightweight title. The fight, scheduled for fifteen rounds, was stopped in the tenth with Noel's opponent, Fitzroy Guisseppi, unable to continue. On 16 June 1979, Noel challenged for a version of the world title for the first time. Prior to this fight Noel had built up a record of nineteen wins and just two losses, both against

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via tenth round technical knockout. Noel and his opponent, the Venezuelan Ernesto Espana, were fighting for the WBA title recently vacated by

Roberto Durán Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held quadruple champion, world championships in four weight classes: Lightweight, welterweight, light middleweigh ...

. The fight started badly for Noel as Espana scored a first round knock down. Although he was able to recover, he was knocked down once again in the ninth round and he was unable to beat the referee's count for the third knockdown, which ended the fight in the thirteenth. Two years later on 12 September 1981, Noel once again challenged for the WBA title, this time successfully. The opponent for the fight, which took place in

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, was the Mexican boxer Rodolfo González. Noel started the fight well but had to withstand a strong finish by the Mexican. The bout went the distance and the scores were read out as: 145-140, 145-141 and 144-141, all in favour of Noel. Noel's first defence of his title was on 5 December 1981 against the American challenger, and late replacement, Arturo Frias. Frias dominated the fight, which took place in

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, before knocking Noel out in the eighth round. Although Noel never fought for a world title again, he was able to win the Commonwealth Lightweight title and defend it twice. Noel fought ten more times after his final world title fight, losing six, most notably to the renowned

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Alexis Arguello Alexis may refer to: People Mononym * Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet * Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC * Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer * Alexis (comics) (1946– ...

, when he suffered a horrid body injury during round three due to a body punch. Noel's final fight took place on 2 November 1984, and he lost the fight, and his Commonwealth title, to Graeme Brooke by a unanimous decision.

Professional boxing record

Death and legacy

Noel died on 21 May 2023, at the age of 74. The

Claude Noel Highway The Claude Noel Highway, sometimes referred to as CNH, is one of the major west–east highways in Trinidad and Tobago, named after Claude Noel, it is the only highway in Tobago. It runs from Canaan to Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may re ...

in Tobago was named for him, in recognition of his sporting achievements.

References

External links