The Croatian Candidate

One evening last month, George (The New) Chuvalo (see cover), who fights Floyd Patterson on Monday night, Feb. 1, called his wife from his training camp, a golf club on the snowy edge of Toronto, to say he was coming home for a couple of hours. Mitchell, who is 5, and the oldest of Chuvalo's four sons, answered the phone.

"Let me speak to your mother," Chuvalo said.

"You can't," Mitchell said. "She went out to marry someone else."

Driving home, Chuvalo said, "Thai's the worst thing about boxing—being away."

When he got home, a small, brick house on Avon Avenue, he said to Mitchell, "Where was she when I called?"

"She was at court telling the judge you ripped her skirt," Mitchell said.

Chuvalo's wife, Lynne, was bathing Jesse, the baby, in the kitchen sink. "They've watched Divorce Court," she said.

"I can beat you up," Mitchell said to his father. "I've been in training all year." He dropped to the carpet and did five or six push-ups on his knees. Steven, 4, and George Jr., 2, climbed over Chuvalo.

"Look, no hands," said Steven, teetering.

"When he's home he's very lax," said Lynne. "He's away so much."