George Louis Chuvalo, CM (born September 12, 1937 as Jure Čuvalo) is a Canadian former

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

who was a five-time Canadian

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the W ...

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 Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure f ...

, and

George Foreman George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and author. In boxing, he was nicknamed "Big George" and competed between 1967 and 1997. He is a two-time world heavyweight champi ...

. Chuvalo unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship in 1966. Chuvalo was inducted into the

Ontario Sports Hall of Fame The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honouring athletes and personalities with outstanding achievement in sports in Ontario, Canada. The hall of fame was established in 1994 by Bruce Prentice, following his 15-year tenure ...

in 1995.

Early life and career

Chuvalo was born on September 12, 1937 to

Croat The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, Ge ...

immigrants Stipan and Katica from Ljubuški in the

Herzegovina Herzegovina ( or ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Hercegovina, separator=" / ", Херцеговина, ) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It has never had strictly defined geogra ...

region of what is today

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

. Chuvalo became the Canadian

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, self-taught, user-generated, DIY, and hobbyist. History ...

champion in May 1955, defeating

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

's Peter Piper with a first-round

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving strikin ...

(KO) in a tournament final in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city populatio ...

. Chuvalo finished his amateur career with a 16–0 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 champion

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

in Toronto on April 26, 1956. 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.

Against Ali

Chuvalo is best known for his two fights against

. 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."Great catcher poor pitcher, that's George", Jim Proudfoot, ''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...

'', March 30, 1966

Other notable contests

George also had some losses against famous fighters other than his two losses to Ali. In 1957, George lost to Bob Baker, who was ranked as high as number two contender in 1955. This was his thirteenth fight and second professional loss. He also lost to Zora Folley, who was once ranked as the top contender. Among his victories was a win against Doug Jones, who gave Muhammad Ali a closely contested bout in 1963.

Tributes and other appearances

His 1966 match against Ali was the subject of

Joseph Blasioli Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

's 2003 documentary film '' The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali''. Geoff Pevere, "Chuvalo's finest hour packs a punch". ''

'', October 31, 2003. 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, Chuvalo was a special guest at the BC Golden Gloves tournament held at the Eagle Ridge Community Centre in Langford, British Columbia. On December 17, 2011, he travelled to

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

to attend the unveiling of a statue in his honor in Ljubuški on December 18, 2011. On May 11, 2019, the George Chuvalo Community Centre in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, opened which provide a variety of recreational programs for children as well as

LGBTQ ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is ...

youth.

Professional boxing record

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center , - ! !Result !Record !Opponent !Type !Round !Date !Location !Notes , - align=center , 93 , Win , 73–18–2 , align=left, George Jerome , TKO , 3 (12) , Dec 11, 1978 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 92 , Win , 72–18–2 , align=left, Earl McLeay , TKO , 1 (12) , Dec 8, 1977 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 91 , Win , 71–18–2 , align=left, Bob Felstein , KO , 9 (12) , Mar 7, 1977 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 90 , Win , 70–18–2 , align=left, Mike Boswell , KO , 7 (10) , Oct 30, 1973 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 89 , Win , 69–18–2 , align=left, Tony Ventura , TKO , 3 (10) , Sep 25, 1973 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 88 , Win , 68–18–2 , align=left, Charlie Boston , KO , 2 , Sep 5, 1972 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 87 , Win , 67–18–2 , align=left, Tommy Burns , KO , 1 (12) , Aug 10, 1972 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 86 , Loss , 66–18–2 , align=left,

, UD , 12 , May 1, 1972 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 85 , Win , 66–17–2 , align=left, Jim Christopher , KO , 2 (10) , Feb 21, 1972 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 84 , Win , 65–17–2 , align=left, Charley Chase , TKO , 6 (12) , Jan 28, 1972 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 83 , Win , 64–17–2 , align=left, Cleveland Williams , UD , 10 , Nov 17, 1971 , align=left, , , - align=center , 82 , Loss , 63–17–2 , align=left,

Jimmy Ellis Jimmy Ellis may refer to: * Jimmy Ellis (boxer) (1940–2014), American boxer * Jimmy "Orion" Ellis (1945–1998), American singer * Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis (born 1935), American musician * Jimmy Ellis (1938–2012), lead singer of The Trammps * Jim ...

, UD , 10 , May 10, 1971 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 81 , Win , 63–16–2 , align=left, Charles Couture , KO , 2 (10) , Dec 11, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 80 , Win , 62–16–2 , align=left, Tony Ventura , TKO , 4 (10) , Nov 5, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 79 , Win , 61–16–2 , align=left, Tommy Burns , KO , 1 (12) , Oct 24, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 78 , Win , 60–16–2 , align=left, Mike Bruce , KO , 2 (10) , Aug 15, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 77 , Loss , 59–16–2 , align=left,

, TKO , 3 (10) , Aug 4, 1970 , align=left, , , - align=center , 76 , Win , 59–15–2 , align=left, Charlie Reno , KO , 3 (10) , Jun 30, 1970 , align=left, , , - align=center , 75 , Win , 58–15–2 , align=left, Gino Ricci , TKO , 1 (10) , May 10, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 74 , Win , 57–15–2 , align=left, Willie Tiger , KO , 10 (10) , May 1, 1970 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 73 , Win , 56–15–2 , align=left, Jerry Quarry , KO , 7 (10) , Dec 12, 1969 , align=left, , , - align=center , 72 , Win , 55–15–2 , align=left, Leslie Borden , TKO , 3 (10) , Nov 16, 1969 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 71 , Win , 54–15–2 , align=left, Stamford Harris , TKO , 3 (12) , Sep 8, 1969 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 70 , Loss , 53–15–2 , align=left,

Buster Mathis Buster Mathis (June 11, 1943 – September 6, 1995) was an American boxer. Career Mathis had a successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxer. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but had to withdraw due to an injury. He was r ...

, UD , 12 , Feb 3, 1969 , align=left, , , - align=center , 69 , Win , 53–14–2 , align=left, Dante Cane , TKO , 7 (10) , Nov 12, 1968 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 68 , Win , 52–14–2 , align=left, Manuel Ramos , TKO , 5 (10) , Sep 26, 1968 , align=left, , , - align=center , 67 , Win , 51–14–2 , align=left, Vic Brown , TKO , 3 (10) , Sep 17, 1968 , align=left, , , - align=center , 66 , Win , 50–14–2 , align=left, Levi Forte , TKO , 2 (10) , Sep 3, 1968 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 65 , Win , 49–14–2 , align=left, Johnny Featherman , KO , 1 (12) , Jun 30, 1968 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 64 , Win , 48–14–2 , align=left, Jean-Claude Roy , UD , 12 , Jun 5, 1968 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 63 , Loss , 47–14–2 , align=left,

, TKO , 4 (10) , Jul 19, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 62 , Win , 47–13–2 , align=left, Archie Ray , TKO , 2 (10) , Jun 22, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 61 , Win , 46–13–2 , align=left,

Willi Besmanoff William David Besmanoff (October 4, 1932 – October 20, 2010) was a German boxer who was a heavyweight contender in the 1950s. He was born in Munich, Germany. His father was Jewish American. When Willi was 11, he was imprisoned in the Buchenwa ...

, TKO , 3 (10) , May 27, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 60 , Win , 45–13–2 , align=left,

, TKO , 3 (10) , Apr 4, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 59 , Win , 44–13–2 , align=left, Buddy Moore , KO , 2 (10) , Mar 20, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 58 , Win , 43–13–2 , align=left, Dick Wipperman , TKO , 3 (10) , Feb 22, 1967 , align=left, , , - align=center , 57 , Win , 42–13–2 , align=left, Vic Brown , KO , 4 (10) , Jan 16, 1967 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 56 , Win , 41–13–2 , align=left, Willie McCormick , KO , 3 (10) , Dec 16, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 55 , Win , 40–13–2 , align=left, Dave Russell , TKO , 2 (10) , Nov 28, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 54 , Win , 39–13–2 , align=left, Boston Jacobs , TKO , 3 (10) , Nov 21, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 53 , Win , 38–13–2 , align=left, Dick Wipperman , TKO , 5 (10) , Oct 12, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 52 , Win , 37–13–2 , align=left, Bob Avery , TKO , 2 (15) , Sep 15, 1966 , align=left, , , - align=center , 51 , Win , 36–13–2 , align=left, Mel Turnbow , KO , 7 (10) , Aug 16, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 50 , Loss , 35–13–2 , align=left,

Oscar Bonavena Oscar Natalio "Ringo" Bonavena (September 25, 1942 – May 22, 1976) was an Argentine heavyweight professional boxer with a career record of 58 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw. A rugged, wild-swinging puncher, he was nicknamed "Ringo" because of his Be ...

, MD , 12 , Jun 23, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 49 , Win , 35–12–2 , align=left, Levi Forte , TKO , 2 (10) , May 15, 1966 , align=left, , , - align=center , 48 , Loss , 34–12–2 , align=left,

, UD , 15 , Mar 29, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 47 , Loss , 34–11–2 , align=left,

Eduardo Corletti Héctor Eduardo Corletti (born 14 August 1941) is a retired Argentinian heavyweight boxer. As an amateur he won a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games and finished ninth at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Next year he turned professional and in ...

, PTS , 10 , Jan 25, 1966 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 46 , Win , 34–10–2 , align=left, Joe Bygraves , , 10 , Dec 7, 1965 , align=left, , , - align=center , 45 , Loss , 33–10–2 , align=left, Ernie Terrell , UD , 15 , Nov 1, 1965 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 44 , Win , 33–9–2 , align=left, Orvin Veazey , KO , 2 (10) , Aug 17, 1965 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 43 , Win , 32–9–2 , align=left, Dave Bailey , KO , 3 (10) , Jun 30, 1965 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 42 , Win , 31–9–2 , align=left, Ed Sonny Andrews , TKO , 1 (10) , Jun 7, 1965 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 41 , Win , 30–9–2 , align=left, Bill Nielsen , TKO , 8 (10) , Apr 19, 1965 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 40 , Loss , 29–9–2 , align=left,

Floyd Patterson Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1952 to 1972, and twice reigned as the world heavyweight champion between 1956 and 1962. At the age of 21, he became the youngest boxer in hi ...

, UD , 12 , Feb 1, 1965 , align=left, , , - align=center , 39 , Win , 29–8–2 , align=left, Calvin Butler , KO , 3 (10) , Nov 10, 1964 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 38 , Win , 28–8–2 , align=left, Doug Jones , TKO , 11 (12) , Oct 2, 1964 , align=left, , , - align=center , 37 , Win , 27–8–2 , align=left, Don Prout , TKO , 3 (10) , Jul 27, 1964 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 36 , Win , 26–8–2 , align=left, Hugh Mercier , KO , 1 (12) , Mar 18, 1964 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 35 , Loss , 25–8–2 , align=left, Zora Folley , UD , 10 , Jan 17, 1964 , align=left, , , - align=center , 34 , style="background:#abcdef;", Draw , 25–7–2 , align=left, Tony Alongi , PTS , 10 , Nov 8, 1963 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 33 , Win , 25–7–1 , align=left, Mike DeJohn , , 10 , Sep 27, 1963 , align=left, , , - align=center , 32 , Win , 24–7–1 , align=left, Lloyd Washington , KO , 2 (10) , May 18, 1963 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 31 , Win , 23–7–1 , align=left, Chico Gardner , KO , 4 (10) , Apr 29, 1963 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 30 , Win , 22–7–1 , align=left, James Wakefield , TKO , 6 (10) , Apr 22, 1963 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 29 , Win , 21–7–1 , align=left, Rico Brooks , TKO , 2 (10) , Mar 15, 1963 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 28 , Loss , 20–7–1 , align=left, Joe Erskine , , 5 (12) , Oct 2, 1961 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 27 , Loss , 20–6–1 , align=left, Bob Cleroux , SD , 12 , Aug 8, 1961 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 26 , Win , 20–5–1 , align=left,

, TKO , 4 (10) , Jun 27, 1961 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 25 , Win , 19–5–1 , align=left, Alex Miteff , SD , 10 , Mar 27, 1961 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 24 , Win , 18–5–1 , align=left, Bob Cleroux , UD , 12 , Nov 23, 1960 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 23 , Loss , 17–5–1 , align=left, Bob Cleroux , SD , 12 , Aug 17, 1960 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 22 , Loss , 17–4–1 , align=left,

Pete Rademacher Thomas Peter Rademacher (November 20, 1928 – June 4, 2020) was an American heavyweight boxer. A gold medalist at the 1956 Olympics, he became the only person to challenge for the world heavyweight championship in his first professional b ...

, UD , 10 , Jul 19, 1960 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 21 , Win , 17–3–1 , align=left, Yvon Durelle , KO , 12 (12) , Nov 17, 1959 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 20 , Win , 16–3–1 , align=left, Frankie Daniels , TKO , 7 (10) , Sep 14, 1959 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 19 , Loss , 15–3–1 , align=left, Pat McMurtry , UD , 10 , Oct 17, 1958 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 18 , Win , 15–2–1 , align=left, James J. Parker , KO , 1 (12) , Sep 15, 1959 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 17 , Draw , 14–2–1 , align=left, Alex Miteff , , 10 , Jun 16, 1958 , align=left, , , - align=center , 16 , Win , 14–2 , align=left, Howard King , KO , 2 (10) , Apr 21, 1958 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 15 , Win , 13–2 , align=left, Julio Mederos , UD , 10 , Jan 27, 1958 , align=left, , , - align=center , 14 , Loss , 12–2 , align=left, Bob Baker , UD , 10 , Sep 9, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 13 , Win , 12–1 , align=left, Joe Schmolze , KO , 4 (10) , Jun 6, 1957 , align=left, , , - align=center , 12 , Win , 11–1 , align=left, Emil Brtko , TKO , 2 (10) , Apr 22, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 11 , Win , 10–1 , align=left, Moses Graham , KO , 2 (8) , Mar 25, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 10 , Win , 9–1 , align=left, Walter Hafer , KO , 3 (8) , Mar 4, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 9 , Win , 8–1 , align=left, Sid Russell , KO , 1 (8) , Jan 14, 1957 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 8 , Win , 7–1 , align=left, Bob Biehler , UD , 8 , Nov 19, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 7 , Loss , 6–1 , align=left, Howard King , , 8 , Oct 22, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 6 , Win , 6–0 , align=left, Joe Evans , KO , 1 (8) , Sep 10, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 5 , Win , 5–0 , align=left, John Arthur , , 8 , Jun 11, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 4 , Win , 4–0 , align=left, Ed McGee , KO , 1 (3) , Apr 23, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 3 , Win , 3–0 , align=left, Ross Gregory , KO , 1 (3) , Apr 23, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 2 , Win , 2–0 , align=left, Jim Leonard , , 2 (3) , Apr 23, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center , 1 , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Gordon Baldwin , , 2 , Apr 23, 1956 , align=left, , align=left, , - align=center

References

* Chuvalo, George (November 2013). "Lost Boys". Toronto Life Magazine.

External links

Džordž (Jure) Čuvalo, najbolji kanadski bokser svih vremena: Nikad na kolenima – Tačno.netGeorge Chuvalo's Official Fight Against Drugs Website
*

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070311183102/http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=14226 Historica.ca – Footprints – George Chuvalobr>Ian Palmer's TigerBoxing article on ChuvaloThe Canadian Encyclopedia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chuvalo, George 1937 births Living people Canadian male boxers Canadian people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent Canadian people of Croatian descent Heavyweight boxers Members of the Order of Canada Boxers from Toronto