Former Boxer George Chuvalo sits with a honoury 'People's Champion' belt presented to him at Toronto's Mattamy Centre, formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens, on Tuesday, March 29, 2016. Chuvalo's epic 15-round bout at Maple Leaf Gardens against Muhammad Ali on March 29, 1966 transformed the lightly regarded Toronto fighter into a symbol of courage and determination. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

By The Canadian Press

A look at top fights of George Chuvalo’s career

Sep 12, 2026 | 7:02 PM

George Chuvalo went 73-18-4 with 64 knockouts between 1956 and 1978. Some 50 years after his milestone fight with Muhammad Ali, here is a look at some of the top fights of the Toronto heavyweight’s career:

Sept. 9, 1958: Chuvalo knocks out James J. Parks in the first round to win the vacant Canadian heavyweight championship, a title he would hold for most of the next 20 years.

Sept. 19, 1963: Muhammad Ali watches at ringside and dismissively dubs Chuvalo “The Washerwoman” for his left-right attacks in a win by majority decision over Mike DeJohn in Louisville, Ky.

Feb. 1, 1965: The Ring magazine names this nasty bout the fight of the year after Chuvalo loses a wild, 12-round decision to Floyd Patterson at Madison Square Garden.

Nov. 1, 1965: Chuvalo loses one-sided bout with Ernie Terrell, who earns the right to face Ali for title. Illinois state officials eventually nix the fight because of Ali’s “unpatriotic” statements on the Vietnam War and the title shot goes to Chuvalo instead.

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March 29, 1966: After showing enormous courage in a one-sided, 15-round loss to Ali at Maple Leafs Gardens, Chuvalo becomes a national hero.

July 19, 1967: This brutal loss to Joe Frazier was stopped by the referee 16 seconds into the fourth round at Madison Square Garden after Chuvalo suffered a broken orbital bone.

Dec. 12, 1969: Chuvalo posted a seventh round TKO win over Jerry Quarry at Madison Square Garden. Quarry was leading on the judges’ scorecards, but was knocked down in the seventh and the fight was stopped when he took his time getting back up.

Aug. 4, 1970: The closest Chuvalo came to being knocked down in his career, this fight was stopped in Round 3 after a ferocious onslaught from Foreman.

May 1, 1972: Ali wins a 12-round unanimous decision in a rematch held at Vancouver’s Pacific Coleseum. Chuvalo says: “I’m a better fighter than I was in 1966 and he’s not as good a fighter as he was then.”

A look at top fights of George Chuvalo’s career

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