RE "Fighter's eyes" by Earl McRae (June 12, 2005): Earl, your column was a veritable tour de force. I recall following the 15-round George Chuvalo-Muhammad Ali fight on Kirkland Lake radio in 1966.

At times, it seemed that Chuvalo's stamina would be the decisive factor; we waited for the last round when we suspected Chuvalo would unleash a flurry of punches and bring Ali down. Although it didn't happen, the fact that Ali (who routinely K.O.-ed opponents in early rounds) had to settle for a decision was a moral victory for Chuvalo.

Chuvalo's suffering in his private life has been epic: A lesser man would have withered away, much less rebounded as a force for good decisions among youth.

Orest Slepokura
Strathmore, Alta.

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(He's a hard man to knock down)