George Chuvalo - how good was he?

If it had been Frazier in there with Ali on this night, instead of Chuvalo, Ali might have been beaten (1966).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qQFGk2w6fU&feature=related+

 

He was alright.

 

Jim Brown said Ali was skipping training leading up to the Chuvalo fight. He came in at his heaviest weight ever in that 1966 fight. He underestimated him and learnt his lesson. Saying that he easily won 12 or more rounds outta 15. Some people think that was close and ali was struggling. Go figure. I suppose Ali was so great if he didn't win every round it was a bad performance. Like Mildenburger was close. KO'd. Cooper was tough. Ko'd in 5 as he predicted. It really is pathetic. Ali before exile had a KO most high percentage as any heavy in history.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2KRcH1N-xY

 

Good clips LH,

This crap about Chuvalo not having any skill isn't really being backed up here. One poster has already referred to him as a crude slugger with no knowledge of range fighting at any level. What I have always seen, is a fighter who is constantly protecting himself with a fairly well polished defense and who utilizes a good jab and strait right. He can also work the body pretty well too, and doesn't waste opportunities. Was the man the second coming of Sugar Ray Robinson? Hell no. But he holds the record for being the longest ranked heavyweight contender in history and no man can do that by just taking shots on the chin alone......

 

You gotta check:
1) consistency (of showing certain skill)
2) effectiveness
Anybody can move their head once in a while or attempt to throw a jab. But if he's a punching bag that is missing wild slow swings from a distance 90% of time, to praise such fighter for skill is like praising Paris Hilton that she has her good moments, albeit very rare, in some movies and thus she's a fairly good actress.

 

Maybe you missed this............

 

What's being meant by that, anyway, longest ranked? The time between first being ranked and last being ranked? Then George Foreman beat that by a mile. Being ranked for non-breaking period of time? But Chuvalo was ranked only from 1963 to 1966, and then on separate occasions in 68 and in 70, that's all. Just because somebody has made up some bull**** argument that doesn't hold any truth, doesn't mean I have to reply to each such claim.

 

I love it when someone who refers to hall of fame contenders as journeyman calls me full of ****.......Classic.

 

So which contender was ranked longer Senya? George Foreman was a two time world champion, so I don't place him in the contender column. And what bull**** arguments have I made up?

 

Maybe where you're from they train fighters to take on all types, but you can't be so critical. Rather, you should try to consider every available option. Chuvalo fought to his strengths. He was tough, so it makes sense to be a inside brawler. Most inside brawlers look rather crude, unless they have had some sort of technical pedigree in their training (kind of like Eddie Futch and Joe Frazier). Which I remember reading that Chuvalo was more of a self trained type of fighter that received more guidance from his experience rather then relying on a trainer.

You can be as critical as you want and sit from 'up on high' and say what made him so bad, but you're avoiding what you don't want to say. That he was somewhat effective in what he did. Ali used to call him "The Washerwoman" and Ali (then Cassius Clay) didn't want to take the risk in a fighter like Chuvalo*.

Maybe you should stop basing fighters on a perfect template. Look at styles rather then basing them on a theoretical template of what you think is a perfect boxer.

Also, as an added note, Chuvalo went on as a decent trainer for Canadian fighters in his area. The only 'popular' fighter I can think of (right now) that he trained was Razor Ruddock (who was almost as one dimentional as Chuvalo).

One more note; doesn't it make sense that since he is an inside brawler that he wouldn't have much knowledge of mid-range to long range fighting styles outside of his skill set? Where's your logic? That just leads me back to thinking you're always comparing a fighter to some perfect template that doesn't really exist OR it's based on a fighter you like so much that you think he's perfect.

*Later on he did take on Chuvalo.

Edit: Senya, nothing against you man. I'm starting to see a negative trend in your arguments. You're not considering outside options (or at least giving them respect), and the arguments spiral into silly battles of who's right and who's wrong (who cares? you're on the internet talking to who-the-****-knows). Of course you think you're right, and of course some of the posters you argue with aren't willing to give up ground in their position. You shouldn't get argumentative just because some people disagree with you.

 

Stayed in top 10 longer than Chuvalo, without getting out of it? John Ruiz had been in top 10 for at least 314 weeks straight, probably longer, I'm missing some ratings. That's over 6 years.
Or between earliest and latest being in top 10 without being a champ? Wladimir Klitschko first got into top ten about 10 years ago if I recall correctly, but never was the Ring's champion. Chuvalo was first ranked around 1963, last ranked some time in 1971, I believe.

Singular for 'argument' - argument.
Plural for 'argument' - arguments.

So what is your question again?

 

Tim Witherspoon - first ranked 1982, last ranked 1996 (#10 on Feb 1 ratings). Never the Ring's champion.