George Chuvalo
George Chuvalo CM | |
---|---|
![]() Chuvalo in April 2010 | |
Born | Jure Čuvalo September 12, 1937 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
Reach | 71 in (180 cm) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 93 |
Wins | 73 |
Wins by KO | 63 |
Losses | 18 |
Draws | 2 |
George Louis Chuvalo CM OOnt (born September 12, 1937, as Jure Čuvalo) is a Canadian former professional boxer who was a five-time Canadian heavyweight champion and two-time world heavyweight title challenger. He is known for having never been knocked down in his 93 bout professional career including fights against Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman.[1][2] Chuvalo unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship in 1966. Chuvalo was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.[3]
Early life and career
[edit]Chuvalo was born on September 12, 1937, to Croat immigrants Stipan and Katica from Ljubuški in the Herzegovina region of what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chuvalo became the Canadian amateur heavyweight champion in May 1955, defeating Winnipeg's Peter Piper with a first-round knockout (KO) in a tournament final in Regina, Saskatchewan. Chuvalo finished his amateur career with a 16–0 record, all by KO within four rounds. Originally nicknamed "Boom Boom", Chuvalo turned professional in 1956, knocking out four opponents in one night to win a heavyweight tournament held by former world champion Jack Dempsey at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on April 26, 1956.[4]
George Chuvalo's rankings as a heavyweight were: number 9 in 1963, number 5 in 1964, number 3 in 1965, number 8 in 1966, number 4 in 1968 and number 7 in 1970.[5]
Against Ali
[edit]Chuvalo is best known for his two fights against Muhammad Ali. He went the distance both times, in each case, losing the decision by a wide margin on the scorecards. The first fight, on March 29, 1966, at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, was for Ali's world heavyweight title. "He's the toughest guy I ever fought", said Ali of Chuvalo after the fight.[6]
Other notable contests
[edit]Chuvalo defeated many heavyweights who were top ten contenders, including Johnny Arthur, Julio Mederos, Howard King, Alex Miteff, James J. Parker, Yvon Durelle, Bob Cleroux, Willie Besmanoff, Mike DeJohn, Doug Jones, Bill Nielsen, Dante Cane, Joe Bygraves, Manuel Ramos, Jerry Quarry and Cleveland Williams. Some of his controversial losses on decision were to Bob Cleroux (twice), Floyd Patterson (Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year), Ernie Terrell and Oscar Bonavena. His two draws against Alex Miteff and Tony Alongi were also controversial. In his defeats, Chuvalo failed to go the distance only in 1967 with Joe Frazier, and in 1970 with George Foreman. In both cases the referee stopped the fight while Chuvalo was still on his feet. He was also disqualified in 1961 against Joe Erskine (for headbutting - after complaining repeatedly about being fouled). Chuvalo holds the distinction of never being knocked down in his 93 professional bouts.
Tributes and other appearances
[edit]Chuvalo also appeared in films, with acting roles in I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), Stone Cold Dead (1979), The Fly (1986), Last Man Standing (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1989), The Return of Eliot Ness (1991), Lee's Offering (2005) and Sicilian Vampire (2015).
His 1966 match against Ali was the subject of Joseph Blasioli's 2003 documentary film The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali.[7]
On December 17, 2011, he travelled to Sarajevo to attend the unveiling of a statue in his honour in Ljubuški, his parents' birthplace, on December 18, 2011.[8]
On May 11, 2019, the George Chuvalo Neighborhood Centre in Toronto, Ontario, opened which provides a variety of recreational programs for children as well as LGBTQ youth.[9]
Personal life
[edit]When Chuvalo was 21, he married 15 year old Lynne, with whom he had five children. Three of Chuvalo's sons, Jesse, Steven, and George Lee, were heroin addicts, which was introduced to the family by Jesse in 1984 after a severe motorbike accident led him to seek pain relief.[10][11] The trio would often rob local pharmacies of prescription medication, for which they frequently served jail time.[10] In February 1985, Jesse committed suicide, and over the next two months, Steven overdosed on heroin 15 times.[10][11] In November 1993, less than a week after being released from prison for robbery, George Lee, who had survived a suicide attempt in prison and been threatening to intentionally overdose to reunite with Jesse, died of a heroin overdose.[10] Four days after George's death, Chuvalo's grief-stricken wife Lynne committed suicide on November 4.[12] In August 1996, despite recent attempts at improving his life, including nearing completion on a degree in Russian Literature from Queen's University, Steven was found dead of a heroin overdose.[10][13] Following his children's deaths, Chuvalo went into a deep depression.[10][14] By the time of Steven's death, Chuvalo had also found himself in financial distress; the mortgage on his home had been foreclosed, and the contents of his house were being removed by creditors, although his economic situation improved over the following decades, due primarily to his giving speeches about his family's travails.[15] Chuvalo's son Mitchell is a high school teacher, while daughter Vanessa manages a food market.[11][16]
Three months after Lynne's death, Chuvalo married his second wife, Joanne O'Hara, 20 years his junior, in January 1994. She already had two children from two previous relationships.[17]
Chuvalo's life, including the blows he had received in his boxing career, had taken a toll on his cognitive abilities.[18] In 2018, a judge ruled that Chuvalo did not have the mental capacity to determine if he wished to reconcile with his wife after living apart for multiple years, and by 2022, he was suffering from advanced dementia.[19][18]
In 1998, Chuvalo was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada and in 2005 received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. For his career success and anti-drug speaking campaigns, Chuvalo was awarded the key to the city of Toronto by mayor Rob Ford on March 26, 2013.[15][20]
Professional boxing record
[edit]94 fights | 74 wins | 18 losses |
---|---|---|
By knockout | 64 | 2 |
By decision | 10 | 15 |
By disqualification | 0 | 1 |
Draws | 2 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
93 | Win | 73–18–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (12) | Dec 11, 1978 | ![]() |
Retained Canadian heavyweight title |
92 | Win | 72–18–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (12) | Dec 8, 1977 | ![]() |
Retained Canadian heavyweight title |
91 | Win | 71–18–2 | ![]() |
KO | 9 (12) | Mar 7, 1977 | ![]() |
Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title |
90 | Win | 70–18–2 | ![]() |
KO | 7 (10) | Oct 30, 1973 | ![]() |
|
89 | Win | 69–18–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Sep 25, 1973 | ![]() |
|
88 | Win | 68–18–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 | Sep 5, 1972 | ![]() |
|
87 | Win | 67–18–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Aug 10, 1972 | ![]() |
Retained Canadian heavyweight title |
86 | Loss | 66–18–2 | ![]() |
UD | 12 | May 1, 1972 | ![]() |
For NABF heavyweight title |
85 | Win | 66–17–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Feb 21, 1972 | ![]() |
|
84 | Win | 65–17–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 (12) | Jan 28, 1972 | ![]() |
Retained Canadian heavyweight title |
83 | Win | 64–17–2 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Nov 17, 1971 | ![]() |
|
82 | Loss | 63–17–2 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | May 10, 1971 | ![]() |
|
81 | Win | 63–16–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Dec 11, 1970 | ![]() |
|
80 | Win | 62–16–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) | Nov 5, 1970 | ![]() |
|
79 | Win | 61–16–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Oct 24, 1970 | ![]() |
|
78 | Win | 60–16–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Aug 15, 1970 | ![]() |
|
77 | Loss | 59–16–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Aug 4, 1970 | ![]() |
|
76 | Win | 59–15–2 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) | Jun 30, 1970 | ![]() |
|
75 | Win | 58–15–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (10) | May 10, 1970 | ![]() |
|
74 | Win | 57–15–2 | ![]() |
KO | 10 (10) | May 1, 1970 | ![]() |
|
73 | Win | 56–15–2 | ![]() |
KO | 7 (10) | Dec 12, 1969 | ![]() |
|
72 | Win | 55–15–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Nov 16, 1969 | ![]() |
|
71 | Win | 54–15–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (12) | Sep 8, 1969 | ![]() |
|
70 | Loss | 53–15–2 | ![]() |
UD | 12 | Feb 3, 1969 | ![]() |
|
69 | Win | 53–14–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 7 (10) | Nov 12, 1968 | ![]() |
|
68 | Win | 52–14–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 (10) | Sep 26, 1968 | ![]() |
|
67 | Win | 51–14–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Sep 17, 1968 | ![]() |
|
66 | Win | 50–14–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | Sep 3, 1968 | ![]() |
|
65 | Win | 49–14–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Jun 30, 1968 | ![]() |
|
64 | Win | 48–14–2 | ![]() |
UD | 12 | Jun 5, 1968 | ![]() |
Won Canadian heavyweight title |
63 | Loss | 47–14–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) | Jul 19, 1967 | ![]() |
|
62 | Win | 47–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | Jun 22, 1967 | ![]() |
|
61 | Win | 46–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | May 27, 1967 | ![]() |
|
60 | Win | 45–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Apr 4, 1967 | ![]() |
|
59 | Win | 44–13–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Mar 20, 1967 | ![]() |
|
58 | Win | 43–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Feb 22, 1967 | ![]() |
|
57 | Win | 42–13–2 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) | Jan 16, 1967 | ![]() |
|
56 | Win | 41–13–2 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) | Dec 16, 1966 | ![]() |
|
55 | Win | 40–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | Nov 28, 1966 | ![]() |
|
54 | Win | 39–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Nov 21, 1966 | ![]() |
|
53 | Win | 38–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 5 (10) | Oct 12, 1966 | ![]() |
|
52 | Win | 37–13–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (15) | Sep 15, 1966 | ![]() |
|
51 | Win | 36–13–2 | ![]() |
KO | 7 (10) | Aug 16, 1966 | ![]() |
|
50 | Loss | 35–13–2 | ![]() |
MD | 12 | Jun 23, 1966 | ![]() |
|
49 | Win | 35–12–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | May 15, 1966 | ![]() |
|
48 | Loss | 34–12–2 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | Mar 29, 1966 | ![]() |
For WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles |
47 | Loss | 34–11–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Jan 25, 1966 | ![]() |
|
46 | Win | 34–10–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Dec 7, 1965 | ![]() |
|
45 | Loss | 33–10–2 | ![]() |
UD | 15 | Nov 1, 1965 | ![]() |
For WBA heavyweight title |
44 | Win | 33–9–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Aug 17, 1965 | ![]() |
|
43 | Win | 32–9–2 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) | Jun 30, 1965 | ![]() |
|
42 | Win | 31–9–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 1 (10) | Jun 7, 1965 | ![]() |
|
41 | Win | 30–9–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 8 (10) | Apr 19, 1965 | ![]() |
|
40 | Loss | 29–9–2 | ![]() |
UD | 12 | Feb 1, 1965 | ![]() |
|
39 | Win | 29–8–2 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (10) | Nov 10, 1964 | ![]() |
|
38 | Win | 28–8–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 11 (12) | Oct 2, 1964 | ![]() |
|
37 | Win | 27–8–2 | ![]() |
TKO | 3 (10) | Jul 27, 1964 | ![]() |
|
36 | Win | 26–8–2 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Mar 18, 1964 | ![]() |
Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title |
35 | Loss | 25–8–2 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Jan 17, 1964 | ![]() |
|
34 | Draw | 25–7–2 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Nov 8, 1963 | ![]() |
Originally a decision win for Algoni, result was changed to a draw after an error with the scoring |
33 | Win | 25–7–1 | ![]() |
MD | 10 | Sep 27, 1963 | ![]() |
|
32 | Win | 24–7–1 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | May 18, 1963 | ![]() |
|
31 | Win | 23–7–1 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) | Apr 29, 1963 | ![]() |
|
30 | Win | 22–7–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 6 (10) | Apr 22, 1963 | ![]() |
|
29 | Win | 21–7–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | Mar 15, 1963 | ![]() |
|
28 | Loss | 20–7–1 | ![]() |
DQ | 5 (12) | Oct 2, 1961 | ![]() |
Chuvalo was disqualified for headbutting |
27 | Loss | 20–6–1 | ![]() |
SD | 12 | Aug 8, 1961 | ![]() |
Lost Canadian heavyweight title |
26 | Win | 20–5–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 4 (10) | Jun 27, 1961 | ![]() |
|
25 | Win | 19–5–1 | ![]() |
SD | 10 | Mar 27, 1961 | ![]() |
|
24 | Win | 18–5–1 | ![]() |
UD | 12 | Nov 23, 1960 | ![]() |
Won Canadian heavyweight title |
23 | Loss | 17–5–1 | ![]() |
SD | 12 | Aug 17, 1960 | ![]() |
Lost Canadian heavyweight title |
22 | Loss | 17–4–1 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Jul 19, 1960 | ![]() |
|
21 | Win | 17–3–1 | ![]() |
KO | 12 (12) | Nov 17, 1959 | ![]() |
Retained Canadian heavyweight title |
20 | Win | 16–3–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 7 (10) | Sep 14, 1959 | ![]() |
|
19 | Loss | 15–3–1 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Oct 17, 1958 | ![]() |
|
18 | Win | 15–2–1 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (12) | Sep 15, 1959 | ![]() |
Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title |
17 | Draw | 14–2–1 | ![]() |
PTS | 10 | Jun 16, 1958 | ![]() |
|
16 | Win | 14–2 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (10) | Apr 21, 1958 | ![]() |
|
15 | Win | 13–2 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Jan 27, 1958 | ![]() |
|
14 | Loss | 12–2 | ![]() |
UD | 10 | Sep 9, 1957 | ![]() |
|
13 | Win | 12–1 | ![]() |
KO | 4 (10) | Jun 6, 1957 | ![]() |
|
12 | Win | 11–1 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 (10) | Apr 22, 1957 | ![]() |
|
11 | Win | 10–1 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (8) | Mar 25, 1957 | ![]() |
|
10 | Win | 9–1 | ![]() |
KO | 3 (8) | Mar 4, 1957 | ![]() |
|
9 | Win | 8–1 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (8) | Jan 14, 1957 | ![]() |
|
8 | Win | 7–1 | ![]() |
UD | 8 | Nov 19, 1956 | ![]() |
|
7 | Loss | 6–1 | ![]() |
SD | 8 | Oct 22, 1956 | ![]() |
|
6 | Win | 6–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (8) | Sep 10, 1956 | ![]() |
|
5 | Win | 5–0 | ![]() |
UD | 8 | Jun 11, 1956 | ![]() |
|
4 | Win | 4–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (3) | Apr 23, 1956 | ![]() |
Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament |
3 | Win | 3–0 | ![]() |
KO | 1 (3) | Apr 23, 1956 | ![]() |
Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament |
2 | Win | 2–0 | ![]() |
KO | 2 (3) | Apr 23, 1956 | ![]() |
Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament |
1 | Win | 1–0 | ![]() |
TKO | 2 | Apr 23, 1956 | ![]() |
Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament |
References
[edit]- ^ "The tragic tale of George Chuvalo – Muhammad Ali's toughest opponent". The Irish Times.
- ^ "Chuvalo says boxing lacks excitement of yesteryear". Associated Press. September 11, 2014.
- ^ "George Chuvalo". oshof.ca. Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ^ Zawadzki, Edward (2001). The Ultimate Canadian Sports Trivia Book, Volume 1. Canada: Dundurn Press Ltd. p. 216. ISBN 9780888822376.
- ^ "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1963". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ "Great catcher poor pitcher, that's George", Jim Proudfoot, Toronto Star, March 30, 1966
- ^ Geoff Pevere, "Chuvalo's finest hour packs a punch". Toronto Star, October 31, 2003.
- ^ "Jure Čuvalo (Georg Chuvalo) jučer u Sarajevu, danas u Ljubuškom". www.hercegovina.info (in Croatian). December 18, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
- ^ Gupta, Rahul (May 17, 2019). "George Chuvalo Community Centre finally opens in the Junction". Toronto.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Chuvalo, George (November 7, 2013). "Memoir: boxing champ George Chuvalo describes his family's heartbreaking battle with heroin". Toronto Life. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ a b c Anderson, Dave (November 11, 1993). "Sports of The Times; Chuvalo's Life After Boxing". New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Lynn Chuvalo, wife of boxer George, commits suicide". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 4, 1993. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Steven Chuvalo, son of boxer George, dies of an overdose". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 18, 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (November 3, 2017). "The fight over boxing legend George Chuvalo". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Hannigan, Dave (December 13, 2017). "The tragic tale of George Chuvalo – Muhammad Ali's toughest opponent". The Irish Times. The Irish Times DCA. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (July 13, 2018). "George Chuvalo's volunteer army keeps fighting for the champ". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- ^ Mandel, Michele (June 15, 2019). "Boxing legend George Chuvalo's wife wins first round in ugly family battle". Toronto Sun. Post Media. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ a b Mandel, Michele (September 22, 2022). "George Chuvalo's embattled wife down but not out". Toronto Sun. Post Media. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ Ormsby, Mary (January 13, 2018). "George Chuvalo lacks capacity to decide on his marriage, judge rules". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "Key to city unlocks George Chuvalo's boxing memories". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. March 26, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
- Chuvalo, George (November 2013). "Lost Boys". Toronto Life Magazine.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Džordž (Jure) Čuvalo, najbolji kanadski bokser svih vremena: Nikad na kolenima – Tačno.net
- George Chuvalo's Official Fight Against Drugs Website Archived October 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- Boxing record for George Chuvalo from BoxRec (registration required)
- CBC Digital Archives – Still Standing: The People's Champion George Chuvalo
- Historica.ca – Footprints – George Chuvalo
- Ian Palmer's TigerBoxing article on Chuvalo
- The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia
- CBC Digital Archives. The Biggest Fight of George Chuvalo's Life
- George Chuvalo at IMDb
- George Chuvalo discography at Discogs