Chuvalo, Ali & the Opioids: George Chuvalo "The toughest man on the planet"

George Chuvalo - an introduction In 1972, George Foreman, after his controversial and devastating bout with George Chuvalo, called Chuvalo "the toughest man on the planet." Chuvalo went on to become the all-time iron man of boxing. The only heavyweight in the recorded history of the sport never to be knocked out, never knocked down, never even knocked off his feet. Not once in ninety-seven pro bouts. An astonishing statistic.

Chuvalo's career became defined not by Foreman, or Joe Frazier, or any of the other champions of the era that he faced, but by his obsession to face down the great Muhammad Ali in the ring and fulfill his own destiny to become the heavyweight champion of the world. He and Ali were to have two epic bouts, a total of twenty-seven punishing rounds, and from those they formed a special bond forged in the crucible of the bloody heavyweight ring. A friendship that was to endure until Ali's death in 2017.

When retirement came, opioids began to plague and infest his family and his battles became ones of another kind: deadly, heartbreaking, life-and-death battles against `the poison,' which is the only word Chuvalo would ever use for opioids. Within a few years, four family members had been taken by opioid related causes: first his youngest son, Jesse Miles; then his middle son, Georgie Lee, and his wife, Lynne, only three days apart. Finally, his second son, Steven, just three years later. What Chuvalo was to call "a personal holocaust." The man they said couldn't be knocked down, finally, was down.

But his old ring rival, Muhammad Ali, was there for Chuvalo in those terrible times when Chuvalo was in a state of dangerous depression, and in dire need of emotional and financial support. Ali came to the rescue not once but twice personally donating more than $100,000 as well as helping to raise hundreds of thousands more by serving as the star attraction at two major fundraising banquets held in Chuvalo's honor. Helping to lift an old foe-turned-friend get back on his feet. Their friendship was also kept alive through meetings over the years at other awards dinners, banquets, media functions, and personal appearances where they were able to reminisce about front-page battles fought long before.
Today, at 80, Chuvalo is long retired and the pugilistic dementia that had plagued his old foe and friend, Muhammad Ali, now afflicts Chuvalo. He is under the daily care of his family.

Dettagli