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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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The punishment George Chuvalo absorbed in the boxing ring made him famous.
It was nothing compared to the battles he fought outside the ring.
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His son Jesse died by suicide in 1985; another son, Georgie Lee, died of a drug overdose in 1993, followed days later by the death of Chuvalo’s first wife, Lynne. His son Steven died in 1996.
Chuvalo, the Canadian who battled the greatest heavyweights of his era, died Saturday, Sept. 12 on his 89th birthday.
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Chuvalo remained closely associated with fighting Muhammad Ali twice during the heavyweight champion's peak. But he understood his career as something broader.
“I’ll be remembered as a guy who fought the best of his time, beat a lot of them and lost to some others,” he wrote in his 2013 autobiography.
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Born in Toronto on Sept. 12, 1937, Chuvalo was the son of Croatian immigrants. He took up boxing as a boy after discovering The Ring magazine and had his first organized bout at 10.
By 17, he was the Canadian amateur heavyweight champion. He was selected for Canada’s 1956 Olympic team but turned professional instead.
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In a 22-year pro career (1956-77), Chuvalo finished with a record of 73-18-2, including 64 knockouts. He won the Canadian heavyweight championship five times. He was famous for having never been knocked down in any of his 93 professional bouts.
Chuvalo was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world, although he never won a world title. He lost a championship bout to Ernie Terrell in 1965 and later defeated contenders including Jerry Quarry.
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Chuvalo fought the leading heavyweights of his era: Joe Frazier in 1967 and George Foreman in 1970, losing both by stoppage. His 1965 fight with Floyd Patterson was named Fight of the Year by The Ring, and his two fights with Ali (1966 in Toronto and 1972 in Vancouver) saw him go the distance against the greatest boxer of all-time.
In retirement, Chuvalo became a vocal advocate for anti-drug education and mental health awareness. He is survived by his eldest son Mitch, daughter Vanessa, grandchildren, and second wife Joanne.
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