George Chuvalo: the boxer nobody could knock down

W5: Boom Boom Chuvalo Sandie Rinaldo looks back at the hard-hitting life of Canadian boxing great George Chuvalo, one of the toughest fighters in boxing history.

He went toe-to-toe with Muhammad Ali for 15 rounds. Ali couldn’t knock him down. Joe Frazier didn’t knock him down. George Foreman didn’t knock him down.

In fact, nobody ever knocked down Canadian boxing legend, George Chuvalo. At least not in his 93 professional fights.

But he’s been knocked down like nobody outside that ring.

Chuvalo lost three sons and his wife inside 11 years to drugs, overdoses and suicide. Blows that would bring almost anyone to the canvas.

W5 has featured Chuvalo several times over the years. He always spoke candidly and openly. Thoughtfully and honestly.

This time, we need to rely on those old stories to hear his voice. Because that is something that he’s now also lost. At 86-years-old, Chuvalo lives with dementia in a nursing home and is unable to speak.

This week, Sandie Rinaldo speaks to Chuvalo’s surviving children, who share the highs and tragic lows of life with their dad, Boom Boom Chuvalo.

They considered him a fearless protector, but also a loving and wonderful dad. They talk about the thousands of concussions he suffered. “Death by a thousand blows,” says his son Mitch. And they talk about the coping mechanisms that they had to employ to survive the tragedy of losing their siblings and mother.

This is also a personal story for Sandie Rinaldo. Sandie met George almost 30 years ago. After 50 years in broadcasting, Chuvalo is one of the standout interviews of her career. Back then, he told her how his tough demeanor was a bit of a façade.

“I think, outwardly, I appear strong,” he told Sandie in 1996. “I guess I am to some degree, but I know I hurt privately. I don’t think I’m strong privately.”

The tragedy is only one part of Boom Boom’s story. Chuvalo turned his personal trauma into a teaching opportunity. He toured high schools sharing his first-hand knowledge of the scourge of drugs. His children speak lovingly about their dad.

And this is a story of a winner, who won even when he lost. When the legendary giants can’t knock you down, you earn their respect forever.

After his bout with Chuvalo, Muhammad Ali -- known for his bravado and opponent-put-downs -- simply said, “He’s the toughest guy I ever fought.”