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George Chuvalo

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George Chuvalo
CM
Chuvalo in April 2010
Born
Jure Čuvalo

(1937-09-12) September 12, 1937 (age 87)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Reach82 in (208 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights93
Wins73
Wins by KO63
Losses18
Draws2

George Louis Chuvalo CM OOnt (born September 12, 1937, as Jure Čuvalo) is a Canadian former professional boxer who was a five-time Canadian heavyweight champion and two-time world heavyweight title challenger. He is known for having never been knocked down in his 93 bout professional career including fights against Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman.[1][2] Chuvalo unsuccessfully challenged Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship in 1966. Chuvalo was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.[3]

Early life and career

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Chuvalo was born on September 12, 1937, to Croat immigrants Stipan and Katica from Ljubuški in the Herzegovina region of what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chuvalo became the Canadian amateur heavyweight champion in May 1955, defeating Winnipeg's Peter Piper with a first-round knockout (KO) in a tournament final in Regina, Saskatchewan. Chuvalo finished his amateur career with a 16–0 record, all by KO within four rounds. Originally nicknamed "Boom Boom", Chuvalo turned professional in 1956, knocking out four opponents in one night to win a heavyweight tournament held by former world champion Jack Dempsey at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on April 26, 1956.[4]

George Chuvalo's rankings as a heavyweight were: number 9 in 1963, number 5 in 1964, number 3 in 1965, number 8 in 1966, number 4 in 1968 and number 7 in 1970.[5]

Against Ali

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Chuvalo is best known for his two fights against Muhammad Ali. He went the distance both times, in each case, losing the decision by a wide margin on the scorecards. The first fight, on March 29, 1967, at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, was for Ali's world heavyweight title. "He's the toughest guy I ever fought", said Ali of Chuvalo after the fight.[6]

Other notable contests

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Chuvalo defeated many heavyweights who were top ten contenders, including Johnny Arthur, Julio Mederos, Howard King, Alex Miteff, James J. Parker, Yvon Durelle, Bob Cleroux, Willie Besmanoff, Mike DeJohn, Doug Jones, Bill Nielsen, Dante Cane, Joe Bygraves, Manuel Ramos, Jerry Quarry and Cleveland Williams. Some of his controversial losses on decision were to Bob Cleroux (twice), Floyd Patterson (Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year), Ernie Terrell and Oscar Bonavena. His two draws against Alex Miteff and Tony Alongi were also controversial. In his defeats, Chuvalo failed to go the distance only in 1967 with Joe Frazier, and in 1970 with George Foreman. In both cases the referee stopped the fight while Chuvalo was still on his feet. He was also disqualified in 1961 against Joe Erskine (for headbutting - after complaining repeatedly about being fouled). Chuvalo holds the distinction of never being knocked down in his 93 professional bouts.

Tributes and other appearances

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Chuvalo also appeared in films, with acting roles in I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (1978), Stone Cold Dead (1979), The Fly (1986), Last Man Standing (1987), Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1989), The Return of Eliot Ness (1991), Lee's Offering (2005) and Sicilian Vampire (2015).

His 1966 match against Ali was the subject of Joseph Blasioli's 2003 documentary film The Last Round: Chuvalo vs. Ali.[7]

On December 17, 2011, he travelled to Sarajevo to attend the unveiling of a statue in his honour in Ljubuški, his parents' birthplace, on December 18, 2011.[8]

On May 11, 2019, the George Chuvalo Neighborhood Centre in Toronto, Ontario, opened which provides a variety of recreational programs for children as well as LGBTQ youth.[9]

Personal life

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When Chuvalo was 21, he married 15 year old Lynne, with whom he had five children. Three of Chuvalo's sons, Jesse, Steven, and George Lee, were heroin addicts, which was introduced to the family by Jesse in 1984 after a severe motorbike accident led him to seek pain relief.[10][11] The trio would often rob local pharmacies of prescription medication, for which they frequently served jail time.[10] In February 1985, Jesse committed suicide, and over the next two months, Steven overdosed on heroin 15 times.[10][11] In November 1993, less than a week after being released from prison for robbery, George Lee, who had survived a suicide attempt in prison and been threatening to intentionally overdose to reunite with Jesse, died of a heroin overdose.[10] Four days after George's death, Chuvalo's grief-stricken wife Lynne committed suicide on November 4.[12] In August 1996, despite recent attempts at improving his life, including nearing completion on a degree in Russian Literature from Queen's University, Steven was found dead of a heroin overdose.[10][13] Following his children's deaths, Chuvalo went into a deep depression.[10][14] By the time of Steven's death, Chuvalo had also found himself in financial distress; the mortgage on his home had been foreclosed, and the contents of his house were being removed by creditors, although his economic situation improved over the following decades, due primarily to his giving speeches about his family's travails.[15] Chuvalo's son Mitchell is a high school teacher, while daughter Vanessa manages a food market.[11][16]

Three months after Lynne's death, Chuvalo married his second wife, Joanne O'Hara, 20 years his junior, in January 1994. She already had two children from two previous relationships.[17]

Chuvalo's life, including the blows he had received in his boxing career, had taken a toll on his cognitive abilities.[18] In 2018, a judge ruled that Chuvalo did not have the mental capacity to determine if he wished to reconcile with his wife after living apart for multiple years, and by 2022, he was suffering from advanced dementia.[19][18]

In 1998, Chuvalo was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada and in 2005 received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. For his career success and anti-drug speaking campaigns, Chuvalo was awarded the key to the city of Toronto by mayor Rob Ford on March 26, 2013.[15][20]

Professional boxing record

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94 fights 74 wins 18 losses
By knockout 64 2
By decision 10 15
By disqualification 0 1
Draws 2
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
93 Win 73–18–2 Canada George Jerome TKO 3 (12) Dec 11, 1978 Canada St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Canada Retained Canadian heavyweight title
92 Win 72–18–2 Canada Earl McLeay TKO 1 (12) Dec 8, 1977 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Retained Canadian heavyweight title
91 Win 71–18–2 Canada Bob Felstein KO 9 (12) Mar 7, 1977 Canada North York Centennial Centre, Toronto, Canada Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title
90 Win 70–18–2 United States Mike Boswell KO 7 (10) Oct 30, 1973 United States Twin Rinks, Cheektowaga, New York, U.S.
89 Win 69–18–2 United States Tony Ventura TKO 3 (10) Sep 25, 1973 United States Twin Rinks, Cheektowaga, New York, U.S.
88 Win 68–18–2 United States Charlie Boston KO 2 Sep 5, 1972 Haiti Port-au-Prince, Haiti
87 Win 67–18–2 Canada Tommy Burns KO 1 (12) Aug 10, 1972 Canada Nelson, British Columbia, Canada Retained Canadian heavyweight title
86 Loss 66–18–2 United States Muhammad Ali UD 12 May 1, 1972 Canada Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada For NABF heavyweight title
85 Win 66–17–2 United States Jim Christopher KO 2 (10) Feb 21, 1972 Canada Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
84 Win 65–17–2 Canada Charley Chase TKO 6 (12) Jan 28, 1972 Canada Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Retained Canadian heavyweight title
83 Win 64–17–2 United States Cleveland Williams UD 10 Nov 17, 1971 United States Astrodome, Houston, Texas, U.S.
82 Loss 63–17–2 United States Jimmy Ellis UD 10 May 10, 1971 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
81 Win 63–16–2 France Charles Couture KO 2 (10) Dec 11, 1970 United States Austintown Fitch High School Gym, Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
80 Win 62–16–2 United States Tony Ventura TKO 4 (10) Nov 5, 1970 Canada Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
79 Win 61–16–2 Canada Tommy Burns KO 1 (12) Oct 24, 1970 Canada Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
78 Win 60–16–2 United States Mike Bruce KO 2 (10) Aug 15, 1970 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Kosevo Stadium, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
77 Loss 59–16–2 United States George Foreman TKO 3 (10) Aug 4, 1970 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
76 Win 59–15–2 United States Charlie Reno KO 3 (10) Jun 30, 1970 United States Seattle, Washington, D.C., U.S.
75 Win 58–15–2 Canada Gino Ricci TKO 1 (10) May 10, 1970 Canada Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
74 Win 57–15–2 United States Willie Tiger KO 10 (10) May 1, 1970 United States Fairgrounds, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
73 Win 56–15–2 United States Jerry Quarry KO 7 (10) Dec 12, 1969 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
72 Win 55–15–2 Canada Leslie Borden TKO 3 (10) Nov 16, 1969 Canada Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
71 Win 54–15–2 United States Stamford Harris TKO 3 (12) Sep 8, 1969 Canada Exhibition Pavilion, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
70 Loss 53–15–2 United States Buster Mathis UD 12 Feb 3, 1969 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
69 Win 53–14–2 Italy Dante Cane TKO 7 (10) Nov 12, 1968 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
68 Win 52–14–2 Mexico Manuel Ramos TKO 5 (10) Sep 26, 1968 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
67 Win 51–14–2 United States Vic Brown TKO 3 (10) Sep 17, 1968 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
66 Win 50–14–2 United States Levi Forte TKO 2 (10) Sep 3, 1968 United States Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
65 Win 49–14–2 United States Johnny Featherman KO 1 (12) Jun 30, 1968 Canada Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
64 Win 48–14–2 Canada Jean-Claude Roy UD 12 Jun 5, 1968 Canada Exhibition Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Won Canadian heavyweight title
63 Loss 47–14–2 United States Joe Frazier TKO 4 (10) Jul 19, 1967 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
62 Win 47–13–2 United States Archie Ray TKO 2 (10) Jun 22, 1967 United States Adams Field House, Missoula, Montana, U.S.
61 Win 46–13–2 Germany Willi Besmanoff TKO 3 (10) May 27, 1967 United States Cocoa, Florida, U.S.
60 Win 45–13–2 Germany Willi Besmanoff TKO 3 (10) Apr 4, 1967 United States Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
59 Win 44–13–2 United States Buddy Moore KO 2 (10) Mar 20, 1967 United States Four Seasons Arena, Walpole, Massachusetts, U.S.
58 Win 43–13–2 United States Dick Wipperman TKO 3 (10) Feb 22, 1967 United States Armory, Akron, Ohio, U.S.
57 Win 42–13–2 United States Vic Brown KO 4 (10) Jan 16, 1967 United States Four Seasons Arena, Walpole, Massachusetts, U.S.
56 Win 41–13–2 Canada Willie McCormick KO 3 (10) Dec 16, 1966 United States Labrador City, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
55 Win 40–13–2 United States Dave Russell TKO 2 (10) Nov 28, 1966 Canada Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
54 Win 39–13–2 United States Boston Jacobs TKO 3 (10) Nov 21, 1966 United States Cobo Arena, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
53 Win 38–13–2 United States Dick Wipperman TKO 5 (10) Oct 12, 1966 Canada Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
52 Win 37–13–2 United States Bob Avery TKO 2 (15) Sep 15, 1966 Canada Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
51 Win 36–13–2 United States Mel Turnbow KO 7 (10) Aug 16, 1966 Canada Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
50 Loss 35–13–2 Argentina Oscar Bonavena MD 12 Jun 23, 1966 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
49 Win 35–12–2 United States Levi Forte TKO 2 (10) May 15, 1966 Canada Miner's Forum, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
48 Loss 34–12–2 United States Muhammad Ali UD 15 Mar 29, 1966 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada For WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles
47 Loss 34–11–2 Argentina Eduardo Corletti PTS 10 Jan 25, 1966 United Kingdom Olympia, London, England
46 Win 34–10–2 United Kingdom Joe Bygraves PTS 10 Dec 7, 1965 United Kingdom Royal Albert Hall, London, England
45 Loss 33–10–2 United States Ernie Terrell UD 15 Nov 1, 1965 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada For WBA heavyweight title
44 Win 33–9–2 United States Orvin Veazey KO 2 (10) Aug 17, 1965 Canada Exhibition Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
43 Win 32–9–2 United States Dave Bailey KO 3 (10) Jun 30, 1965 Canada Exhibition Stadium, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
42 Win 31–9–2 United States Ed Sonny Andrews TKO 1 (10) Jun 7, 1965 Canada Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
41 Win 30–9–2 United States Bill Nielsen TKO 8 (10) Apr 19, 1965 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
40 Loss 29–9–2 United States Floyd Patterson UD 12 Feb 1, 1965 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
39 Win 29–8–2 United States Calvin Butler KO 3 (10) Nov 10, 1964 Canada Hull, Quebec, Canada
38 Win 28–8–2 United States Doug Jones TKO 11 (12) Oct 2, 1964 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
37 Win 27–8–2 United States Don Prout TKO 3 (10) Jul 27, 1964 United States Sargent Field, New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
36 Win 26–8–2 Canada Hugh Mercier KO 1 (12) Mar 18, 1964 Canada Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title
35 Loss 25–8–2 United States Zora Folley UD 10 Jan 17, 1964 United States Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
34 Draw 25–7–2 United States Tony Alongi PTS 10 Nov 8, 1963 United States Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. Originally a decision win for Algoni, result was changed to a draw after an error with the scoring
33 Win 25–7–1 United States Mike DeJohn MD 10 Sep 27, 1963 United States Louisville Gardens, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
32 Win 24–7–1 United States Lloyd Washington KO 2 (10) May 18, 1963 United States Central High Field House, Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.
31 Win 23–7–1 United States Chico Gardner KO 4 (10) Apr 29, 1963 Canada London, Ontario, Canada
30 Win 22–7–1 United States James Wakefield TKO 6 (10) Apr 22, 1963 Canada Windsor Arena, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
29 Win 21–7–1 United States Rico Brooks TKO 2 (10) Mar 15, 1963 United States Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
28 Loss 20–7–1 United Kingdom Joe Erskine DQ 5 (12) Oct 2, 1961 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Chuvalo was disqualified for headbutting
27 Loss 20–6–1 Canada Bob Cleroux SD 12 Aug 8, 1961 Canada Delormier Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Lost Canadian heavyweight title
26 Win 20–5–1 Germany Willi Besmanoff TKO 4 (10) Jun 27, 1961 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
25 Win 19–5–1 Argentina Alex Miteff SD 10 Mar 27, 1961 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
24 Win 18–5–1 Canada Bob Cleroux UD 12 Nov 23, 1960 Canada Forum, Quebec, Canada Won Canadian heavyweight title
23 Loss 17–5–1 Canada Bob Cleroux SD 12 Aug 17, 1960 Canada Delormier Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Lost Canadian heavyweight title
22 Loss 17–4–1 United States Pete Rademacher UD 10 Jul 19, 1960 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
21 Win 17–3–1 Canada Yvon Durelle KO 12 (12) Nov 17, 1959 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada Retained Canadian heavyweight title
20 Win 16–3–1 United States Frankie Daniels TKO 7 (10) Sep 14, 1959 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
19 Loss 15–3–1 United States Pat McMurtry UD 10 Oct 17, 1958 United States Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
18 Win 15–2–1 United States James J. Parker KO 1 (12) Sep 15, 1959 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada Won vacant Canadian heavyweight title
17 Draw 14–2–1 Argentina Alex Miteff PTS 10 Jun 16, 1958 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
16 Win 14–2 United States Howard King KO 2 (10) Apr 21, 1958 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
15 Win 13–2 Cuba Julio Mederos UD 10 Jan 27, 1958 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
14 Loss 12–2 United States Bob Baker UD 10 Sep 9, 1957 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
13 Win 12–1 United States Joe Schmolze KO 4 (10) Jun 6, 1957 Canada Fort William, Ontario, Canada
12 Win 11–1 United States Emil Brtko TKO 2 (10) Apr 22, 1957 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
11 Win 10–1 United States Moses Graham KO 2 (8) Mar 25, 1957 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
10 Win 9–1 United States Walter Hafer KO 3 (8) Mar 4, 1957 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
9 Win 8–1 United States Sid Russell KO 1 (8) Jan 14, 1957 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
8 Win 7–1 United States Bob Biehler UD 8 Nov 19, 1956 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
7 Loss 6–1 United States Howard King SD 8 Oct 22, 1956 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6 Win 6–0 United States Joe Evans KO 1 (8) Sep 10, 1956 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
5 Win 5–0 South Africa John Arthur UD 8 Jun 11, 1956 Canada Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
4 Win 4–0 Canada Ed McGee KO 1 (3) Apr 23, 1956 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament
3 Win 3–0 Canada Ross Gregory KO 1 (3) Apr 23, 1956 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament
2 Win 2–0 United States Jim Leonard KO 2 (3) Apr 23, 1956 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament
1 Win 1–0 Canada Gordon Baldwin TKO 2 Apr 23, 1956 Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada Jack Dempsey Heavyweight Novice Tournament

References

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  1. ^ "The tragic tale of George Chuvalo – Muhammad Ali's toughest opponent". The Irish Times.
  2. ^ "Chuvalo says boxing lacks excitement of yesteryear". Associated Press. September 11, 2014.
  3. ^ "George Chuvalo". oshof.ca. Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  4. ^ Zawadzki, Edward (2001). The Ultimate Canadian Sports Trivia Book, Volume 1. Canada: Dundurn Press Ltd. p. 216. ISBN 9780888822376.
  5. ^ "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1963". boxrec.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "Great catcher poor pitcher, that's George", Jim Proudfoot, Toronto Star, March 30, 1966
  7. ^ Geoff Pevere, "Chuvalo's finest hour packs a punch". Toronto Star, October 31, 2003.
  8. ^ "Jure Čuvalo (Georg Chuvalo) jučer u Sarajevu, danas u Ljubuškom". www.hercegovina.info (in Croatian). December 18, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Gupta, Rahul (May 17, 2019). "George Chuvalo Community Centre finally opens in the Junction". Toronto.com. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Chuvalo, George (November 7, 2013). "Memoir: boxing champ George Chuvalo describes his family's heartbreaking battle with heroin". Toronto Life. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Anderson, Dave (November 11, 1993). "Sports of The Times; Chuvalo's Life After Boxing". New York Times. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  12. ^ "Lynn Chuvalo, wife of boxer George, commits suicide". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 4, 1993. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Steven Chuvalo, son of boxer George, dies of an overdose". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 18, 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Ormsby, Mary (November 3, 2017). "The fight over boxing legend George Chuvalo". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  15. ^ a b Hannigan, Dave (December 13, 2017). "The tragic tale of George Chuvalo – Muhammad Ali's toughest opponent". The Irish Times. The Irish Times DCA. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Ormsby, Mary (July 13, 2018). "George Chuvalo's volunteer army keeps fighting for the champ". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  17. ^ Mandel, Michele (June 15, 2019). "Boxing legend George Chuvalo's wife wins first round in ugly family battle". Toronto Sun. Post Media. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  18. ^ a b Mandel, Michele (September 22, 2022). "George Chuvalo's embattled wife down but not out". Toronto Sun. Post Media. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  19. ^ Ormsby, Mary (January 13, 2018). "George Chuvalo lacks capacity to decide on his marriage, judge rules". Toronto Star. Torstar. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  20. ^ "Key to city unlocks George Chuvalo's boxing memories". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. March 26, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  • Chuvalo, George (November 2013). "Lost Boys". Toronto Life Magazine.
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