Claude Noel obit

Claude Noel has died

 He was not on the list.

Former Trinidad and Tobago professional boxer, Claude Noel, has died.

His relatives confirmed that Noel, aged 74, passed away at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Sunday.

The cause of death is not immediately known.

Last month, a video of the country’s first world title boxing champion dragging on the floor and screaming for help was posted to social media.

In the two-minute, 54-second video, Noel, who is an amputee was heard calling for his stick.

His relatives responded, however, saying the video was taken by Noel’s caregiver one year ago at his Malabar home, to send to his wife and family abroad.

The Ministry of Social Development and Family Services intervened stating that Noel was a beneficiary of its Special Achievers’ Grant and had been one for a number of years. The ministry said Noel was also a recipient of the Senior Citizens’ Pension.

The ministry also reached out to Noel’s relatives to further assist him.

In 1982 Noel received the Chaconia Gold Medal and the Claude Noel Highway in Tobago was named after him. Noel became the country’s first lightweight world titleholder when he defeated Mexican Rodolfo Gonzalez in 1981.

Noel began his professional career on 13 November 1973, fighting in Port-of-Spain, he beat Art de Freitas by second round knockout. 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 Lennox Blackmoore via tenth round technical knockout. Noel and his opponent, the Venezuelan Ernesto Espana, were fighting for the WBA title recently vacated by Roberto Durán. 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.