Canadian Heavyweight Champ George Chuvalo Went Distance with Ali Twice, Dies at 89
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Toronto, Canada (September 14th, 2026)– Muhammad Ali, who went the distance twice with ‘The Toronto Tank’. Later on in life reflected and said he was the toughest opponent he ever fought and that he had the toughest chin in boxing. Canadian Heavyweight champion George Chuvalo, who compiled a professional record of 73 wins, 18 losses and two draws, with 64 knockouts, between 1956 and 1978, has died in his native Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at 89, on September 12, 2026.
Although he never won the world heavyweight title, Chuvalo went the distance with Muhammad Ali twice in Canada, the first time for the undisputed world heavyweight title held by Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). On March 29, 1966, Chuvalo fought Ali for the title at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on 17 days of notice. On May 1, 1972, Chuvalo fought Ali a second time for the regional North American Boxing Federation Heavyweight title, losing a 12-round decision at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chuvalo won his last seven straight bouts, stopping George Jerome to retain the Canadian Heavyweight title at St. Lawrence Market in Toronto on December 11, 1978, in his final ring appearance.
Chuvalo did battle with Muhammad Ali, Smokin’ Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Floyd Patterson, Oscar Bonavena, Cleveland Williams, Buster Mathis, and other big names. He had signed to fight Sonny Liston in December 1970, a high-stakes bout which ultimately never took place, because the event promoters and fight managers involved did not know Liston had already been lying dead in bed at home for a week. Sonny Liston’s official cause of death was lung congestion and heart failure. Body decomposition made toxicology tests inconclusive. A staged overdose or mob hit was suspected.
Chuvalo, who received the key to Toronto in 2013 as an outstanding citizen, had better luck overall inside the ring than outside of it. Family tragedies kept Chuvalo in the tabloids in Canada for years. Chuvalo lost three sons and his first wife Lynne to drugs and suicide. A statue of Chuvalo was erected in his family’s ancestral home of Ljubuski in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011.
Chuvalo was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997. He was also named to the Order of Canada in 1998 and added to Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2005. George Chuvalo spent his final years battling advanced dementia-more appropriately termed dementia pugilistica in boxing circles-at a Toronto long-term care nursing home.
After retirement from the ring, Chuvalo fought back differently. Chuvalo became a dynamic public speaker. In his unique autobiography, entitled Chuvalo: A Fighter’s Life, he described how drugs and suicide devastated his family, taking the lives of his three sons and his first wife. To fight back, Chuvalo founded the anti-drug organization Fight Against Drugs foundation in 1996. He then spoke to young people, traveling across Canada and parts of the United States to speak to tens of thousands of students, parents, and community groups, and anybody who would listen as he shared his personal life of tragedy. He used his foundation as a speaking platform for his painful experiences to warn youth about the dangers of drug addiction.
In a post on social media, Ontario Canada Premier Doug Ford paid tribute to Chuvalo’s life and said “Chuvalo was a heavyweight boxing legend, a family friend and a Canadian icon. George Chuvalo was a heavyweight boxing legend, a family friend, and a Canadian icon. My thoughts are with all of George’s family and loved ones as we mourn his passing.”
Official Statement of the World Boxing Council and WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán
The World Boxing Council (WBC) and its President, Mauricio Sulaimán, join the international boxing community in mourning the passing of heavyweight legend, Canada’s own George Chuvalo.
Widely regarded as Canada’s greatest warrior, Chuvalo leaves an indelible legacy in the sweet science, defined by his unrelenting courage and legendary iron chin.
Born in Toronto in 1937 to Croatian parents, Chuvalo discovered boxing at an early age. At just 18, he captured the Canadian amateur heavyweight title while building an impressive 16-0 record, winning all 16 bouts by way of knockout. Turning professional in 1956, he built a historic career that saw him crowned national heavyweight champion five times.
Over a grueling 23-year career in the squared circle, Chuvalo compiled a professional record of 73 victories (64 by knockout), 18 losses, and 2 draws. He went to war against true titans during the heavyweight division’s golden era, including clashes with George Foreman and Joe Frazier, and is forever remembered for his two heroic battles against Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972. Among his most remarkable feats: Chuvalo was never once knocked down in 93 professional bouts.
Following his retirement from the ring, Chuvalo successfully transitioned into the entertainment and broadcasting industries.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaimán and the entire Green and Gold WBC family extend their deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers to George’s family and friends during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.
English