A heartbreaking day for the entire boxing world as one of the sport’s legends passed away on his birthday. On September 12, Canada’s revered boxing star George Chuvalo would have celebrated his 89th birthday. But the former heavyweight never got the chance to mark the occasion, as he reportedly took his last breath on the very same day he was born.

“Former Heavyweight contender & world title challenger George Chuvalo has passed away on his 89th Birthday,” Rick Glaser posted on X. “George fought everyone, had one of the greatest chins ever in Boxing, was Canada’s most popular fighter ever, packing arenas whenever he fought. R.I.P. George Chuvalo.”

A subsequent social media report from an X account called 20th Century Boxing: Icons, Memories & More shared that Chuvalo’s son, Mitch Chuvalo, confirmed the boxing legend’s passing. As of now, not much has been revealed about the details surrounding the Canadian legend’s death, but he was diagnosed with an advanced case of significant cognitive impairment and dementia in January 2015.

Chuvalo was born on September 12, 1937, to Croatian immigrant parents in Canada and grew up in The Junction, a neighborhood in Toronto. He started amateur boxing at the age of 17 and soon became an amateur heavyweight champion in May 1955, defeating fellow countryman Peter Piper via a vicious first-round knockout. After that victory, Chuvalo opened the door to a professional career in 1956, setting him on the path to becoming a legend.

The late Canadian legend finished his career with 93 fights, 73 wins, and 18 losses, with 64 of those victories coming by knockout. He also fought almost all of the biggest names of his era, including George Foreman and Joe Frazier. But Chuvalo is perhaps most famous for his two fights against Muhammad Ali in 1966 and 1972. Though he lost both bouts by decision, Ali famously called him the “toughest” guy he ever fought.

Besides facing the marquee names of his era, the boxing legend was also renowned for having an iron chin. Throughout his professional career as a heavyweight, no one managed to knock Chuvalo down, which is one of the reasons fans revered him. 

Following the news of his passing, they didn’t hold back in sending their condolences to the boxing icon.   

Fans mourn boxing legend George Chuvalo after his death on 89th birthday

One fan wrote, “R.I.P. to George Chuvalo. Today was also his birthday.” After that, another fan sent their thoughts and prayers, writing, “Rest easy, George Chuvalo. Hell of a boxer.”

A different fan found it particularly heartbreaking that the Canadian boxer passed away on his birthday, writing, “That’s f—d up. Dying on your BD. RIP.”

Well, passing away on his birthday definitely struck a chord with fans. However, George Chuvalo wasn’t the only notable figure to die on the day of his birth. Ark Y. Wong, better known as Master Wong, who taught Kung Fu to celebrities like Bruce Lee, also passed away on his birthday on January 11, 1987. 

The condolences kept pouring in, with another fan highlighting how the boxing legend possessed one of the best chins in the sport, writing, “Rest in Peace to the man with arguably the greatest chin in boxing history, George Chuvalo who passed today, his 89th birthday.”

Following that, another user also brought up Chuvalo’s legendary chin, highlighting what made him so different from other fighters: “RIP George Chuvalo. A man of Iron in the ring with one of the greatest chins of all time, also tested with some of the toughest battles outside of it. Today is his 89th birthday.”

The man was never knocked down in nearly 100 professional fights, and that’s nothing short of remarkable. Still, George Chuvalo vs. Mike Tyson would have been a fascinating matchup that many fans would have loved to see. Speaking of matchups, another fan also pointed out some of the classics Chuvalo was part of.

The fan wrote, “Didn’t know until reading your post. Most fans saw his 1st fight with Muhammad Ali, but their rematch is very close; Chuvalo hit him with flush, hurting shots. George Chuvalo vs. Cleveland Williams is a good one too.”

That said, it’s not only the Canadian heavyweight who recently said goodbye. Recently, two-time lightweight champion from Panama, Ismael Laguna, also passed away at 83 years old on September 8.

In the end, there’s nothing left to do but send thoughts and prayers to their families during this difficult time.