This month George Chuvalo heard the Great Referee count to 10.

That means, in the strange language of boxing, the former Canadian heavyweight champion died. He was 89. George was the best Canadian heavyweight of all-time. In his last days he suffered from dementia but for most of his life he was “sharp as a tack” and not many in his boxing profession can claim that. Through most of his retirement Chuvalo had been an articulate spokesperson for boxing and, through speaking engagements, spoke long and hard about the perils surrounding the world of drugs and what it had cost him and his family.

Boxing is a sport of tragedy and George Chuvalo had lots of that in his life. Out of the ring he lost three sons and a wife through drug addiction and suicide. He tried to help people. That is where I met him. He came to our NTV studios to talk about his work outside of boxing. I met him because I wanted to meet him. It was not me scheduled to interview him, but when I saw him in the studios I went up to him and introduced myself and shook hands with him. His hands were the size of 20 pound Easter hams. He was a big man.

I told George I had been a fan of his during his career and I told him I thought he had been a really good fighter. I meant it. George Chuvalo fought all the best in the heavyweight division. At one point he was ranked number two in the world and beat many of the best heavyweights.

Chuvalo was known as a “durable” fighter. He was never knocked off his feet in his career because he could take a punch. He was, however, much more than that. He fought Ali twice and Joe Frazier and George Foreman once. While he lost to them all they were actually the best of an entire generation. George did beat some good fighters like Jerry Quarry and Doug Jones. He also lost a decision to former champion Floyd Patterson, but I think George won that fight and politics gave the nod to Patterson.

I also think Chuvalo lost points on the scorecards of judges sometimes during his career because he wore his hair long. When he was hit with a punch hIs hair flew around. That didn’t happen with short haired boxers Foreman or Ali or even Marciano. George “looked” like he had been hit. I think that cost him.

Anyway, I liked Chuvalo as a fighter and I have been a boxing fan for some time. He was “ill done by” in fights on some scoring cards but this is boxing after all. It is sometimes called ‘the red-light district” of sports. If you look for justice and fairness in boxing, you look in vain. George Chuvalo survived there and he thrived. That is why when I told George Chuvalo in our studios that I thought he had been a very good fighter I meant it. When he looked at me and replied with a quiet smile and the words “thank you very much” I think he meant it. It was a moving reply.

George Chuvalo gave much to the sport and in the world of boxing George “always answered the bell.” I hope he rests in peace.

You can contact Jim Furlong at jfurlong@ntv.ca