Could Chuvalo Have Upset The Bear In 1964?

The female writer's name is Barbara La Fontaine. The article was published in Sports Illustrated on April 26, 1965, before the Lewiston rematch with Ali. See if you can dig it up.

 

Here it is:
https://vault.si.com/vault/1965/04/26/hes-just-got-that-look

 

Excellent article which I had read before but reread it again just now. Thanks. I’ll get to the other articles shortly. I might’ve read those before also but it usually takes a few paragraphs before it triggers the memory.

 

I don’t see Chuvalo beating The Bear in 1964. For that matter, I don’t see Sonny Liston doing it.

Paul W. “Bear” Bryant coached Alabama to a national championship and undefeated season that year behind a quarterback named Joe Namath.

True enough, Alabama did lost to Texas in its bowl game — but that was on Jan. 1, 1965, and national titles were based on the regular season at that time (bowl games being seen more akin to exhibitions).

So I think The Bear could have taken on any team of Chuvalo (who probably played three-down Canadian football anyway) and Sonny plus nine of their friends and beaten them soundly on the gridiron.