CHUVALO'S IN THE HOUSE

Fighters aren't known for their keen memories. Canadian boxing legend
George Chuvalo is different.

Ask him about his 1957 fight versus Joe Olson at Fort William Gardens
- -- his only pro bout in Thunder Bay -- and he'll prove his mind is
still as sharp as his jab.

It was the 13th fight of his career and no where as historic as his
battles with Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Floyd Patterson or Joe
Frazier. Yet Chuvalo can recall many details of the bout from 47 years
ago.

"I still remember. I stayed at the Adanac Hotel. The following week,
Sonny James -- the guy who sung Young Love -- was going to play in
town," said Chuvalo.

The 67-year-old was in Thunder Bay on Wednesday. In the afternoon, he
was speaking to students at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School and
in the evening, he was signing autographs at the official grand
opening of the Underground Gym on Simpson Street.

From the late during the 1960s and '70s, Chuvalo was consistently a
top 10-ranked fighter in the world. He was the Canadian heavyweight
champ for two decades but never won a world title. He retired from the
ring in 1979 with a record of 73-18-2 (64 knockouts).

One of those KOs was at Fort William Gardens. The fight was June 6 (he
remembers the date because his second wife was exactly one-year-old at
the time.) Chuvalo, who entered the fight with a 11-1-0 record, got
cut under his eye early and was worried the ref would stop the fight.
Olson saw the blood and became aggressive.

"He pulled back with his right hand and before he could hit me, I hit
him with my right hand and knocked him out," said Chuvalo about the
fourth-round KO.

Despite retiring, Chuvalo hasn't stopped fighting. His new opponent is
drugs -- substance abuse killed three of Chuvalo's sons and his wife.

He is now a public speaker and tells his family's tragic story to make
sure kids don't go down the wrong road.

"Most kids aren't aware of what happens when you are on drugs. They
think you can carry on business as usual and I describe some of the
situations with my sons. It's pretty scary stuff," said Chuvalo.

"You waste your life, waste your future, disconnect with your family.
The false messages by the entertainment industry -- they maintain you
can do drugs and be normal. It's all bulls--t. I'm trying to unglorify
drug use."

Chuvalo speaks roughly 100 times a year and it's always emotional for
him.

"You are opening old wounds. When I speak, it's like going to a
funeral parlour," he said.