Boxing champ George Chuvalo’s funeral set for Monday

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The Canadian boxing community and loved ones of the boxing legend George Chuvalo will be gathering for his final sendoff in Toronto on Monday.

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The five-time Canadian heavyweight champ, who once fought Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Joe Frazier, died on Sept. 12, on his 89th birthday.

Visitation for the boxing legend was scheduled at Cardinal Funeral Home in the city’s west end on Sunday, between 4 and 8 p.m., and Monday between 10 a.m. and noon.

A procession will take his body down the street for his funeral at St. Cecilia’s Church at 1 p.m.

Though Chuvalo was famously never knocked down in the ring during his 93-bout career, he struggled in later years during his battle with dementia.

Chuvalo fondly remembered

Following news of his death, many in the boxing community took to social media to mourn the boxing titan, including Sully’s Boxing Gym, where Chuvalo used to train.

“George Chuvalo wasn’t just a Canadian boxing legend, he was part of this gym,” Sully’s Boxing Gym wrote in a Facebook post. “His photos have hung on our walls for decades. His stories have been passed down from one generation of fighters to the next.

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“Everyone knows he was never knocked down in 93 professional fights. But George’s toughest fights happened after he hung up the gloves,” it added.

“He carried more loss than most people could imagine, and instead of letting it break him, he spent years speaking to young people about addiction, choices, and consequences, hoping his pain could spare another family the same heartbreak.”

Former boxer Charles “Spider” Jones, also paid tribute to his friend, whom he credited for helping him launch his journalism career.

“RIP my friend you opened so many doors for me during my early broadcasting career,” Jones wrote in a Facebook post. “I will always carry a special place in my heart and cherish you. RIP Champ you will be sadly missed.”

Premier Doug Ford also shared his condolences on X, writing, “George Chuvalo was a heavyweight boxing legend, a family friend and a Canadian icon. My thoughts are with all of George’s family and loved ones as we mourn his passing.”

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