George Chuvalo is seen during a press conference in Toronto on Friday, March 11, 2016. Chuvalo, the former Canadian heavyweight champion, went 15 rounds at Maple Leaf Gardens but couldn’t wrest the world title from Muhammad Ali.Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press
Fifty years after losing a unanimous decision to heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, George Chuvalo remains convinced he won the storied fight.
"Well," Chuvalo said with a wry smile Friday. "I think I won every fight I fought."
Former world champion Lennox Lewis will headline a testimonial dinner March 29 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Chuvalo's first fight with Ali. Chuvalo, the former Canadian heavyweight champion, went 15 rounds at Maple Leaf Gardens but couldn't wrest the world title from the legendary fighter.
Ali and Chuvalo also fought in May, 1972 in Vancouver. Chuvalo went all 12 rounds but again Ali secured a unanimous decision.
Ali, 74, won't attend the testimonial at the Mattamy Athletics Centre, which is located at the former Maple Leaf Gardens. Ali has been in poor health since being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984.
"Boxing is a crazy way to make friends," Chuvalo said at a news conference. "Muhammad and I fought two tough fights but we forged a friendship that can't be broken.
"I feel awful for him because I know he's in difficult shape … hopefully a miracle will happen and he'll bounce back."
Chuvalo will receive a special belt at the testimonial. Bob Arum, who promoted the first Ali-Chuvalo bout, is scheduled to attend.
Lewis, who won gold for Canada at the 1988 Olympics before becoming the world undisputed heavyweight champion while fighting under the British flag, said Chuvalo defined toughness in the ring.
"It was great to know there's a man around that trained so hard, that had so much willpower and took fighting so seriously and gave the man who they called 'The Greatest' the hardest fight in his history," Lewis said. "The fact he's Canadian, we can look up to him and say, 'We want to be like him.' He [Chuvalo] took the fight with Ali in 17 days. If it had been in two days, he still would've said, 'Yes.' It just shows his character and what a great man he is."
Chuvalo admitted having just 17 days to prepare for Ali was a challenge. "Well, it really wasn't enough time but I was still in pretty good shape," he said. "I had a chance to hopefully become champion of the world so I knew I had to take it."
Although Ali won a unanimous decision, Chuvalo remained upright throughout the bout. In fact, Chuvalo was never knocked down in a career that spanned 93 pro bouts (73-18-2 with 64 knockouts).
"I knew when I fought him he was going to be the fastest fighter I ever fought," Chuvalo said. "I knew it was going to be a tough fight and it was but it was something that went down in the history books regarding fights in Canada.
"I remember after the fight was over … I had few bumps on the head but I never really got hit in the dangerous areas. Like I always say, I kissed a few girls but I never kissed the canvas. I was lucky that way."
Chuvalo is also humbled that the first Ali bout remains so highly regarded in Canadian boxing history.
"It's nice to be recognized for a fight that will forever remain in the minds of boxing fans," he said. "When I realized we were having a little tribute function here, it made me feel good that people will get a chance to see a part of Canadian boxing history."