A successful boxer with an interesting on-screen career died on Sept. 12.
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George Chuvalo, the multi-time boxing champion, passed away on his 89th birthday, according to Toronto establishment Sully’s Boxing Gym.
“Today, Sully’s lost a piece of its history. George left us today, on the same day he entered the world, 89 years ago,” the death announcement read. “George Chuvalo wasn’t just a Canadian boxing legend; he was part of this gym. His photos have hung on our walls for decades. His stories have been passed down from one generation of fighters to the next. Everyone knows he was never knocked down in 93 professional fights. But George’s toughest fights happened after he hung up the gloves.
“He carried more loss than most people could imagine, and instead of letting it break him, he spent years speaking to young people about addiction, choices, and consequences, hoping his pain could spare another family the same heartbreak. That’s the real measure of the man.”
The former Canadian heavyweight champion competed in numerous bouts from the ’50s to the ’70s, including big showcases in Madison Square Garden. Some of Chuvalo’s most high-profile fights came against Muhhamed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Jerry Quarry, Manuel Ramos and Cleveland “Big Cat” Williams.
Outside the boxing ring, he worked on several entertainment productions, including the 1986 remake of The Fly and the 1990 Prom Night sequel, Prom Night III: The Last Kiss. In the former, he arm-wrestles Jeff Goldblum in a memorable scene.
His other credits include the 2014 Robocop remake, Norm MacDonald’s Dirty Work and the ’70s TV show The New Avengers.
As Sully’s Boxing Gym alluded to in its statement, Chuvalo persevered through numerous personal tragedies, including the tragic deaths of multiple children and his wife. In his later years, he was also stricken with dementia, per The Toronto Sun.
The Sully’s tribute concluded with a message of gratitude to the late athlete: “Thank you, George, for everything you gave to boxing, to this city, and to Sully’s. You’ll always be part of these walls. Rest easy, Champ.”