EARLSCOURT ATHLETIC CLUB

George Chuvalo trained here at age 14.

Preston Villa, which served as the Earlscourt Community Club, and also housed Sonny Thomson’s Earlscourt Boxing Club where George Chuvalo trained. Earlscourt Boxing Club was opened by Sonny Thompson. He opened Earlscourt in about 1949 and was a manager and trainer until 1962.

In 1951, he discovered twelve-year-old George Chuvalo, a kid whom Thomson rightly predicted had incredible boxing potential. Through Thomson’s attentive coaching, Chuvalo blossomed as a fighter and eventually became Canadian Heavyweight Champion