WBC and WBHF member celebrates with fighters and family
They say you are judged by the company you keep; if this axiom is true then Dr. Joe Noriega is a most fortunate man indeed. During this past Easter weekend, the former President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF) celebrated his 83rd birthday with a slew of fighters, promoters, friends and family. Surrounded by this large crowd of supporters, it was a birthday blowout not to be forgotten.
The boxing aficionado is currently on the Advisory Committee for the World Boxing Council (WBC) and is planning to travel to Cancun in June for the organization’s next convention. The California resident continues to stay active in the fight game while overseeing several chiropractic wellness and health centers in the San Gabriel Valley.
I ask his secret to his longevity. “My doctor told me I had to give up three things: wine, women and song,” replies Dr. Joe. “So I stopped singing!” He then bursts into laughter. The octogenarian is also a popular fixture at many local fights and don’t let his age fool you–his enthusiasm for the sport can’t be beat.
Noriega was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006 and this past November also took part in the WBC’s 46th Annual World Convention held in Chengdu, China.
His birthday party, hosted by his wife, Nelly, featured entertainment from a talented live band as guests enjoyed a delicious dinner on the outdoor patio while the sun began to set.
Dr. Joe was greeted by a steady stream of well-wishers including fight promoter and good friend, Ken Thompson (Thompson Boxing Promotions), former Lightweight Champ Rodolfo “Gato” Gonzalez, former Olympian and the “uncrowned welterweight champion” Mando Muñiz (and current WBHF President), California Boxing Hall of Fame President Larry Montalvo, announcer Danny Valdivia, several WBHF Board of Directors, including former President Adolfo Perez, Vice President Julian Eget, Treasurer Josie Arrey-Mejia, Steve Harpst, Raul Esquivel, Frank Pineira, Hassan Chitsaz, Bert Murrieta, boxing historian David Martinez, and WBC LIfetime Achievement Awardee Carlos Avilas.
Thompson, who is co-promoter of Timothy Ray Bradley, was congratulated by all of the party-goers in regards to the junior welterweight’s recent victory over Kendall Holt. “After the first round when he got up, he went on to dominate the next 11 rounds. Everyone got the opportunity to see what he’s made of,” said Thompson. The promoter and his ebullient wife, Vera, told me of the great hospitality 
they received in Montreal, Canada, where the fight took place, “Tim went up a week early and had a wonderful time. The people just fell in love with him.”
The Noriegas and the Thompsons have been close friends for over a decade; Dr. Joe and Nelly are front-row fixtures at all the Thompson events. Ken, also a former President of the WBHF, is one of the top fight promoters in the Southland. You will find the friendly foursome at Thompson Boxing’s next fight night this Friday in Ontario.
And it’s probably a safe bet to say that most of the attendees at this party are huge boxing fans. So while dessert was being served, the diehards (including myself) begin to make their way, following Dr. Joe–one by one–into the Noriega home where four gleaming TVs were airing the HBO fights from the Mandalay Bay.
If you love boxing like Noriega does, there’s no better way to celebrate your special day than by watching a fight with longtime pals.
Catching the Chris Arreola-Jameel McCline heavyweight bout and then the Winky Wright-Paul Williams matchup was the icing on the cake! Many of the attendees knew the unbeaten Arreola (from nearby Riverside) and his cutman “Indian” Willie Schunke (a WBHF member). So what started with a 
few people “sneaking” into the house to watch the action grew to three rooms of fight fans anxious to see how “The Nightmare” would fare.
The group erupted when Arreola won. Dr. Joe’s wife quickly realized we were all glued to the TV and wouldn’t be going outside again any time soon–pure boxing fanatics that we are! So the resourceful Nelly gathered everybody who was still outside and moved the party inside including the cake. We all sang “Happy Birthday” to her husband before the main event began. Wife his beloved wife, children and grandchildren by his side, the popular Dr. Joe ushered in another prosperous year.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Joe Noriega–one of L.A.’s biggest boxing supporters!
Photos by Michele Chong