Muhammad Ali vs George Chuvalo 23rd of 61 - March 1966 - HD Version

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• published: 12 Apr 2016
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23rd bout of Muhammad Ali The WBC World Heavyweight Championship (Age 24 Fights 22 Won 22 Lost 0 Drawn 0 ) vs. George Chuvalo from - Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Age 28 Fights 47 Won 34 Lost 11 Drawn 2 ) March 29 1966 Toronto, Ontario, Canada UD 15 The bout starts at 6:14 Ali (WBC) and Ernie Terrel (WBA Champion) had agreed to meet for a bout in Chicago on March 29, 1966. The original match was supposed to be a unification fight. It was all signed and sealed and sanctioned by the Illinois State Boxing Commission. However the Muhammad Ali-Ernie Terrell heavyweight title unification fight never happened in Chicago because Muhammad Ali’s unpopular statements regarding the Viet Nam war led to the Illinois State Attorney General canceling the fight. War veterans from the Korean War and WWII also implored Governor Kerner and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to cancel the fight, and not allow it to take place in the state of Illinois. American Legion members threatened violence on any venue that proposed to show the fight on closed circuit television anywhere in the United States. George Chuvalo agreed wholeheartedly with Muhammad Ali’s anti war statements and supported Ali’s stance and his anti war beliefs. George was smart to not mix his political beliefs with his painful profession. Ali had something that George desperately wanted – the heavyweight title, and he was prepared to put political agreements aside to take on the champion. Mike Malitz suggested (who was one of 7 directors of Ali’s promotional company Main Bouts Inc.) that since Terrell was now out, and Canadian heavyweight champion George Chuvalo was going to be the official opponent to face Ali, why not have the fight in Chuvalo’s hometown of Toronto. It was all set. Now George Chuvalo was going to get a chance to fight Muhammad Ali in his own backyard. Unfortunately, the promotion was not out of the woods just yet. Ali’s camp happily and quickly agreed to face Chuvalo in Toronto. Ali’s camp was happy to get a fight anywhere at that point in time. They knew there was a real possibility that Ali may never get another chance to defend his world title again in the United States. There was one major drawback for the Canadian champion to consider before signing his name on a contract to fight Ali for the title. A fight of this magnitude needed to be held in a large arena. Everyone agreed that Maple Leaf Gardens was the only place this fight could be held. The problem was that the only open date available at Maple Leaf Gardens was on March 29th, 1966, barely three weeks away. This meant that George Chuvalo would only have three weeks to prepare to fight the world heavyweight champion, who was universally considered to be the fastest fighter on the planet. However, an opportunity to fight for a world title doesn’t come along every day. The boxing history books are littered with many great fighters like Sam Langford and Charley Burley, who fought their whole careers without ever attaining a title shot. George Chuvalo felt he had to roll the dice and take his chances. George knew that he might never get this chance again in his career. While referee Jackie Silvers tried to give instructions to both fighters, Ali taunted Chuvalo, showing the rugged Canadian heavyweight king no respect of any kind. That was about to change and in a very big way. Muhammad Ali, the world heavyweight champion, truly believed that this fight, like his other title defenses, was going to be short, sweet and spectacularly easy. George was going to negate Ali’s legendary foot speed by attacking his body with cold stone fury. However, early in the fight, George fooled Muhammad Ali by out-jabbing him and winning the early rounds. When Ali decided to dance, George cut off the ring and went to work on his body In fact, at one point early in the fight, the taller Ali, in an act of bravado, put his hand around the back of Chuvalo’s neck and implored the Canadian champion to punch his left flank. George responded in kind and pounded Ali’s flank with a multitude of bruising right hands to the extent that the champ had to be hospitalized after the fight. George pressed on relentlessly every round, pounding Ali’s body with both fists while the champ danced and moved and used his quick hands to score points and win rounds. It was the toughest and fiercest title battle ever seen in Canada to this very day. The fight was a war. Like all wars, both sides sustained battle scars. George Chuvalo had proved wrong all those who had doubted his boxing ability, his resolute toughness and his pride. He had certainly made a believer out of Muhammad Ali, who said, “He took everything I had and laughed at me. I don’t think I hurt him once. He’s the toughest man on the planet. And no, I don’t want to fight him again.” 24th bout of Ali : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo0Eu...