George Chuvalo - Surviving Tragedy

By Bill Ross

OUTSIDE THE ROPES

On August 18, 1994, the author attended 'A Tribute To George Chuvalo' sponsored by The Rochester Boxing Hall Of Fame.  The event was intended to pay homage to the former heavyweight contender who had recently lost both his wife Lynne and son Georgie Lee.  George sat at the head table that night flanked by his two most famous opponents Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier who came to honour and support a fallen colleague.  Frazier gave a short speech that night followed by an even shorter less audible one by Ali.  When it was Chuvalo's turn to take the microphone, he gripped those in attendance with a compelling and emotional speech that had many audience members in tears. 

When it was over, the crowd rose in unison and gave George a long standing ovation.  George returned to his seat and hugged both Ali and Frazier.  I looked at the three men together at that moment in an outpouring of affection.  Collectively, they fought each other 6 times for a total of 72 punishing and mostly brutal rounds.  Three men forever linked in boxing history, reunited for one night by tragedy.      

To see George Chuvalo today, it's unbelievable that he is one year shy of turning 70 years of age.  The muscular neck, broad shoulders, thick arms and barrel chest remain while the washboard stomach and lean jaw line of a hungry heavyweight contender do not.  One look at the face however and he is still unmistakably the man who competed against the greatest era of heavyweights ever.  The likeable and articulate Chuvalo likes to joke that the marks on his face are a roadmap to his professional career.  A look at Chuvalo's face up close however debunks the myth that he was a face first fighter, the only noticeable scar being a small mark on his right eye from his fight against Joe Frazier in 1966. 

When young boxing fans ask George if it's true he went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali, he will reply, "No, he went 15 rounds with me."  Ask him if he was ever hurt by Ali, and George will smirk and reply, "After the fight he went to St. Michael's hospital while I went out dancing with my wife."  George would rather talk of his 10 round decision win over Mike Dejohn than his fights with Frazier, Ali or George Foreman,  as he still feels the sting, as any true competitor would, of having come out on the losing end of those fights.  In reference to his KO's of 4th ranked contenders Doug Jones, Manuel Ramos and Jerry Quarry, George will tell you, he never had trouble with the 4th ranked fighters, " just the ones ranked one, two and three." 

George talks of his famous counterparts not as a fan but as peers and contemporaries which in fact is what they were when they competed against one and other. Chuvalo's life after boxing is a story of one man's determined perseverance of the human spirit.

When George retired from the ring in 1978 he began a seamless transition into normal life.  George, an intelligent, witty and articulate speaker was a much sought after guest on Canadian television and radio.  He also tried his hand at acting eventually landing a role in the movie The Fly, his character Marky losing an arm wrestling match to the main character played by Jeff Goldblum.  George stayed active in the Toronto boxing scene, working with young fighters in his old stomping grounds of Lansdowne gym.  George was also involved in promoting and managing.  Six years before his famous fights with Mike Tyson, Razor Ruddock had been Chuvalo's fighter.  George trained, worked the corner and guided Ruddock in his breakout victory against the former WBA heavyweight champion Mike Weaver.

Jesse Chuvalo born April 7, 1964 was the youngest of Chuvalo's three sons.  As a toddler he suffered a bad electrical burn to his mouth the same week George challenged Ernie Terrell for the WBA heavyweight championship. During his adolescent years Jesse spent some time in reform school and in 1984 he was involved in a motorcycle accident suffering a shattered kneecap.  To ease the pain of his injury, Jesse was prescribed first Demerol for a week then Tylenol 3. 

Jesse began to develop an addiction to the painkillers.  Upon being released from hospital, Jesse attended an east end Toronto house party where he complained  to a friend about his leg discomfort.  Jesse was offered heroin to ease the pain and tried it for the first time.  Afterwards Jesse began using heroin until becoming a full blown addict.  Unbeknownst to George, his son would often shoot up in the basement of his home.  On February 18, 1985 nine months after his motorcycle accident, distraught and depressed over his addiction, Jesse laid in his bed with a .22 caliber rifle, placed the muzzle in his mouth and pulled the trigger.  Jesse Chuvalo was 20 years old.

Steven Louis Chuvalo was born November 2, 1960 while brother Georgie Lee was born November 21, 1962.  For Georgie Lee, growing up as George Chuvalo Jr. had not been easy.  Especially when his father was known as the toughest man in Canada.  Georgie Lee often had to prove himself in the school yard against those who wanted to test him.  As a result Georgie Lee often went by the name Lee.

The same year that Jesse was in his motorcycle accident Georgie Lee and Steven both high school drop-outs and already experimental drug users also began using heroin.  The two brothers were constant companions brought even closer together in grief after the suicide of youngest brother Jesse.  Georgie Lee and Steven began to frequent Toronto's Parkdale region an area in the west end of the city notorious for prostitution and the availability of street level drugs, where they spent every bit of money they had.  When buying heroin from street dealers, Georgie Lee and Steven cramping up and shaking, would often defecate in their pants in anticipation of the impending high. 

Only after shooting up would they go and clean themselves.  Georgie Lee and Steven overdosed repeatedly. Steven at one point overdosed fifteen times in two months.  Georgie Lee often  spoke of overdosing and dying so he could be with brother Jesse.  George was on a personal mission to save his sons from the death grip of heroin.  He spent countless nights, chasing Georgie Lee and Steven around the city, locating them at drug dens and heroin houses before removing them, all in an effort to keep them alive.

Attempts at rehabilitation were unsuccessful.  On one occasion Steven fled a rehab centre in sub freezing temperature wearing only a shirt, shorts and a sock.  Steven walked to his home where he was discovered, overdosed this time found lying on the floor spread eagled.

In 1987 Georgie Lee and Steven robbed Armour Chemists a local  drug store in order to feed their now out of control drug habits.  As Georgie Lee and Steven were being chased by police, they continued stuffing pills into their mouths to satisfy their cravings as they ran.  When police located them they were lying on top of one another, overdosed again.

Georgie Lee received a 7 year sentence and Steven a 10 year sentence for the drug store robbery and were sent to prison.  In prison Steven was stabbed while Georgie Lee slit his wrists coming close to dying.  A photograph taken of Georgie Lee exercising in the Collins Bay Penitentiary weight room shows a muscular, smiling, clean cut and handsome young man, not at all the appearance one might think of a heroin addict.  On October 31, 1993 just four weeks after being released from prison, the body of Georgie Lee Chuvalo a syringe still stuck in his arm was found in a seedy Parkdale hotel.  He was 30 years old.

Chuvalo's beloved wife Lynne was born Lynne Sheppard on July 21, 1943.  Married and pregnant at 15 Lynne dropped out of grade nine at Toronto's Western Tech High School and gave birth to her first child Mitchell Aaron on July 25, 1959 just four days after her sixteenth birthday.  By age 20 Lynne had given birth to four boys.  While George traveled the globe fighting and training frequently in the 1960's, Lynne gave up her youth stayed at home, and raised their four sons.  When Lynne watched ringside at her husband's fights in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens she felt every punch. 

On January 19, 1968 Lynne gave birth to the couple's fifth child, daughter Vanessa.  The Chuvalos lived in the upscale Etobicoke area of west end Toronto where they raised their children through their formative years.  The four boys kept active in sports such as boxing, football and soccer while in the winter they played hockey.  In the warmer months the boys went fishing in the nearby Credit River.  For all intents and purposes, the Chuvalo children grew up in a normal loving environment.

After the death of Georgie Lee, Lynne succumbed to the overwhelming devastation of having lost two children.  Lying in Georgie Lee's bed, Lynne prepared a suicide note then took a lethal dose of prescription pills that had been stolen in Georgie Lee and Steven's previous drug store heist.  On November 4, 1993 just two days after the funeral of Georgie Lee, Lynne's body was discovered by her husband. Lynne Chuvalo was 50 years old. 

Steven Chuvalo attending his mother's funeral did so while stoned on heroin.

The death of Georgie Lee and Lynne only days apart was too much pain for George who by his own admission was now in his own personal holocaust.  He remained at home in a stupor staying in bed for a month and a half.  To this day George remembers little of this time period, not even getting up to go to the bathroom.  A daily visitor at this time was Marvin Elkind, Chuvalo's personal chauffer who put his arms around George, told him he loved him and helped him to get strong again. 

Another frequent visitor was Joanne O'Hara.  Joanne, a registered nurse was a co-worker of Lynne's and they had worked together at the same hospital where Lynne was an electrocardiogram technician.  One year prior to Lynne's death, Joanne had lost a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  At that time, Lynne had been Joanne's support unit in helping her deal with her grief.  Now one year later it was Joanne acting as an emotional support unit, bringing balanced meals to Chuvalo keeping him healthy and helping him cope with the tragic losses of Lynne and Georgie Lee.  Eventually George began to come around, get out of bed and function.  George and Joanne would eventually begin dating December 26, 1993 appropriately enough on Boxing Day.  If fate is tied to numbers then one could note that George born in '37 and now 56 was dating a woman born in '56 and now 37.  The couple would fall in love and marry on January 27, 1995.

During this time, George continued to visit Steven who was again serving a prison sentence for robbing a drug store.  Father and son began to formulate plans to attend high schools together to warn young students of the devastating effects of drug addiction.  Steven completed his high school education while incarcerated and began taking university courses.  A Canadian documentary taped at this time shows Steven being interviewed.  Articulate like his father, Steven talks optimistically about getting clean and over coming his heroin habit.  George, the loving father is shown hugging and kissing Steven as he visits his son behind bars.  

On August 12, 1996 less than two weeks after his release from prison, sister Vanessa returned home to her Toronto apartment to find Steven dead.  He was found hanging over a table with a syringe in his arm and an unlit cigarette in his hand.  Steven Louis Chuvalo was 35 years old. Steven was survived by his then 9 year old son Jesse and 14 year old daughter Rachel.

George stuck to his plans of visiting schools and lecturing students about the dangers of drug use.  With the help of wife Joanne, George formed George Chuvalo's Fight Against Drugs and began traveling the country speaking to young people.  Prior to speaking, George plays a videotape of Steven speaking from prison about his addiction and plans to get clean. 

It is only after the video ends and George begins to speak that the audience is made aware that Steven is no longer living.  It is an intense and powerful message.  George warns young people about disrespecting their body with cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. George also preaches the importance of education, love,  caring and enjoying life. George also speaks out against the entertainment media who often glamourize the lives of well known drug addict celebrities, while inaccurately portraying heroin users in movies such as Pulp Fiction.

George Chuvalo should never be known as  just the man who went 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali.  Nor should he just be remembered as the man who was never knocked off his feet in 93 profesional fights.  George Chuvalo is a fighter and survivor beyond belief.  A man who has lived a roller coaster life often filled with an overwhelming devastation that few people could ever understand.  George has taken his own personal tragedies, and turned it around by preaching a positive message to Canada's young people.  While George Chuvalo was never the heavyweight champion of the world, his contributions to society make him a true heavyweight champion in life.

Now 10 years later George continues his war on drugs speaking at high schools, middle schools and juvenile detention centers across the country. Chuvalo's wife Joanne counsels addicts and parents over the phone and in person.

 In 1998 George received the prestigious Order of Canada and in 2005 received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, both awards recognizing his efforts in educating Canada's youth.

George is a proud grandfather of five, Rachel 23, Jesse 18, Michaella 3, Aaron 1 1/2 and baby Elijah 6 months.  He continues to live in Toronto with wife Joanne and her children Ruby and Jesse.

Chuvalo's son Mitchell now 44 years old, avoided the pitfalls of his younger brothers by first being awarded a football scholarship at Florida State before injuring his knee and graduating from Guelph University.  Mitchell currently is a high school teacher and football coach at Toronto's Western Tech High School, the same high school his mother Lynne was attending when she became pregnant with him.  As a football coach Mitchell was awarded the prestigious CFL/NFL high school coach of the year.

Daughter Vanessa now 38 years old is also a graduate of Guelph University and is a successful restaurant owner in Toronto.

George can be contacted for speaking engagements via his website .

The author can be contacted at wross1@cogeco.ca .