George Foreman proved he belonged among boxing’s rising elite on August 4, 1970, battering George Chuvalo into a third-round stoppage before 12,526 fans at Madison Square Garden in New York. Referee Arthur Mercante halted the bout at 1:41 of the third round, giving the 21-year-old Olympic gold medalist the biggest victory of his young professional career.
The matchup paired one of boxing’s most feared young heavyweights with one of the division’s toughest veterans. Chuvalo had shared the ring with Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson and many other top figures without ever suffering a knockdown. Foreman, meanwhile, ca
