[2] While in the army he began boxing and met world flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde who was serving as a drill instructor.

[2] He had his first professional fight in 1916, and after a string of victories in 1918 he got a shot at the British light heavyweight title vacated by Dick Smith in April 1919.

He travelled to the United States where he had 15 unbeaten fights during 1919/1920, winning 11 and drawing four, his opponents including Gunboat Smith and Battling Levinsky.

In the spring of 1925 he travelled to Canada, where he drew with Jack McClelland before another series of fights in the United States; After losses to Maxie Rosenbloom and Jimmy Slattery he returned to England, where he fought Phil Scott in April 1926 for the latter's British heavyweight title; McCormick retired in the tenth round.

[1] Noel McCormick died on 22 January 1939 from heart failure, and was found dead in his car in Newton Heath, Manchester.