So I knew I had my work cut out for me."Ĭhuvalo then did what no other fighter had done - he finished the fight and went all 15 rounds against Ali. Ali later said Chuvalo was the toughest person he'd ever faced in the ring. "I knew he was very quick, very agile and a very intelligent fighter. "Within 24 hours, I had six sparring partners coming from Chicago, Miami and New York," explains Chuvalo. He is best known to many for his two fights against the legendary Muhammed Ali. Moving the fight to Canada meant Chuvalo had only 17 days to prepare for the fight. George Chuvalo was born on the 12th of September, 1937. There were a lot of people with strong feelings on both sides of an argument and I knew it was going to be an exciting night. There was a lot of controversy with the fight. So the fight was moved to Toronto where he faced Chuvalo. But Ali was a controversial figure and, after speaking out against the Vietnam War, critics called him unpatriotic and called for the fight to be cancelled. Originally, the fight was to take place in Chicago with Ali versus Ernie Terrell. Nor was Chuvalo the planned opponent for Ali. The fight was not originally planned for Toronto. It doesn't get any better than that in boxing," Chuvalo tells As it Happens host Carol Off. It was for the heavyweight championship of the world. George "Boom Boom" Chuvalo versus Muhammad Ali. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1998 and was awarded a star on Canadian Walk of Fame in 2005.It was 50 years ago tonight that a sold out crowd at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens witnessed the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history. all by KO within four rounds and soon acquitted the nickname Boom Boom. While a student at Humberside Collegiate, he became one of the best-known amateur boxers in Toronto, fighting out of the Earlscourt Athletic Club.Ĭhuvalo was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. George Chuvalo was and most likely always will be Canadas greatest boxer. George was born in Ontario, September 12th, 1937 and grew up in The Junction district of west Toronto. Chuvalo finished his amateur career with a 16-0-0, all by KO within four rounds. He is often considered to have had the greatest chin in the history of boxing.Ĭhuvalo became Canadian amateur heavyweight champion in May 1955, defeating Winnipeg’s Peter Piper with a first-round KO.
#George boom boom chuvalo professional#
He was never knocked down in ninety-three professional fights, including bouts with Joe Frazier and George Forman, between 19. Chuvalo was the number one contender for the British Empire heavyweight title for many years but champion Henry Cooper did not fight him. His biggest victories were a seventh-round knockout of contender Jerry Quarry December 12, 1969, and an eleventh-round knockout of contender Doug Jones on October 2, 1964. It was the last major fight of Chuvalo’s career. The Ring magazine described him as 'a barrel chested, bullet proof heavyweight with killer instinct and hitting power.
Ali’s cornerman,Angelo Dundee, said, “He never stopped coming on … you’ve got to admire a man like that.” The second Ali fight was in 1972 and went twelve rounds, with Ali winning an easy decision. George Chuvalo, who was born to Croatian parents and grew up in a tough neighborhood called 'The Junction' in Toronto, boxed professionally from 1956 to 1978. and all his Islamic guys are right there and bing-bam-boom thats it. “He’s the toughest guy I ever fought”, said Ali of Chuvalo after the fight. Canadian boxer, George Chuvalo, told a different story about the competition. The first fight, on Mawould 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 went the distance both times, in each case losing the decision by a wide margin on the scorecards. George is best known for his two fights against Muhammad Ali. George (Louis) ” Boom Boom” Chuvalo was Canadian heavyweight champion as both an amateur and a professional, and twice fought for versions of the professional world’s heavyweight title.Ĭhuvalo 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, April 26, 1956.
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