Fights included in this set:
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vs. Muhammad Ali I
vs. George Foreman
vs. Buster Mathis
vs. Jerry Quarry
vs. Ernie Terrell
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George Chuvalo Career DVDs
$24.95
George Louis Chuvalo, CM (born September 12, 1937) is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who
was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979. He is often
considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing. He was Canadian heavyweight
champion as both an amateur and a professional, and twice fought for versions of the professional
world's heavyweight title.
Professional career
Born in Ontario to Croatian parents, Stipan and Katica (born Kordić) Čuvalo, father from Proboj and
mother from Grljevići near Ljubuški. Chuvalo grew up in The Junction district of west Toronto, and had
one sibling, Zora. While a student at Humberside Collegiate Institute, he became one of the best-known
amateur boxers in Toronto, fighting out of the Earlscourt Athletic Club. Chuvalo became Canadian
amateur heavyweight champion in May 1955, defeating Winnipeg's Peter Piper with a first-round KO in
a tournament final in Regina, Saskatchewan. Chuvalo finished his amateur career with a 16-0-0 record,
all by KO within four rounds. Nicknamed "Boom Boom", Chuvalo turned professional in 1956, knocking
out four opponents in one night to win a heavyweight tournament held by former world's champion Jack
Dempsey at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on April 26, 1956.
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 would
have been for Ali's world title but boxing politics caused it to be staged as "a heavyweight showdown"
instead, although it was scheduled for and went the fifteen round championship distance. "He's the
toughest guy I ever fought", said Ali of Chuvalo after the fight.[1] Ali's cornerman, Angelo Dundee, said,
"He never stopped coming on ... you've got to admire a man like that."[1] The second Ali fight was in
1972 and went twelve rounds, with Ali—between his world championship reigns—winning an easy
decision. It was the last major fight of Chuvalo's career.
Future world champions Joe Frazier and George Foreman, despite being big punchers, were unable to
knock Chuvalo down, but they were the only fighters to stop him, scoring technical knockout (TKO)
victories. Foreman, regarded as one of the hardest hitters in boxing history, mauled Chuvalo bombing
him with punch after punch. Yet, in his typical display of toughness, when the referee stopped the fight
in the third round, Chuvalo said to him, "What are you, nuts?".
Chuvalo's biggest victories were a seventh-round knockout of contender Jerry Quarry on December 12,
1969, and an eleventh-round knockout of contender Doug Jones on October 2, 1964. Chuvalo also
defeated notable fighters such as Howard King, Bob Cleroux, Yvon Durelle, Willi Besmanoff, Mike
DeJohn, Cleveland Williams, and Manuel Ramos. Chuvalo was the number one contender for the British
Empire heavyweight title for many years but champion Henry Cooper did not fight him.
In addition to his losses to Ali, Frazier, and Foreman, Chuvalo also lost to former champion Floyd
Patterson in a bout that The Ring named fight of the year for 1965. He lost to WBA heavyweight
champion Ernie Terrell in 1965 and to former WBA champion Jimmy Ellis in 1971, with both of those
fights taking place at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Personal life
Chuvalo lost three sons, Jesse Chuvalo in 1985 to suicide, Georgie Lee Chuvalo in 1993 to a drug
overdose and Steven Louis Chuvalo in 1996 to drug overdose. He lost his wife to suicide after the
second son died. His remaining son, Mitch, became a teacher at University of Toronto Schools and
married his wife from El Salvador, Ivania, with whom he is raising two boys, Aaron and Elijah. His
daughter Vanessa has two girls, Adelayde and Michaella.
George is happily married to his second wife, Joanne Chuvalo, and is stepfather to her two children,
Jesse and Ruby. George and his wife tour high schools speaking about the devastation of drug use to
teens. They have a summer home in Midland, Ontario.
Tributes and other appearances
Chuvalo was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the World Boxing Hall of
Fame in 1997. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was awarded a star on
Canada's Walk of Fame in 2005.
Former Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery has a picture of Chuvalo painted on his goalie mask.
Chuvalo appeared as the ill-fated arm-wrestler in the 1986 re-make of The Fly.
To mark the 40th anniversary of his July 19, 1967 fight against Joe Frazier, he and Frazier held a gala
in Toronto, raising money for different charities.
On August 14, 2008, Chuvalo's kitchen was the featured renovation project on the Canadian TV series
Holmes on Homes in an episode titled "Kitchen Knockout."
During April 2010, George was a special guest at the BC Golden Gloves tournament held at the Eagle
Ridge Community Centre in Langford,BC. [2] The event was co-hosted by Boxing BC and the Capital
City Boxing Club