Chuck Bodak
Encyclopedia
Vasil "Chuck" Bodak was an American
boxing
cutman
who worked with over 50 world champions including Muhammad Ali
, Rocky Marciano
, Tommy Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez
, Evander Holyfield
and Oscar De La Hoya
.
Bodak trained Muhammad Ali, then named Cassius Clay, for the last four years of Clay's amateur career that culminated with the winning of a Gold Medal
for the light-heavyweight competition at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games
held in Rome, Italy.
One of the unique traits Bodak adopted was the placing of photos of his fighters on his forehead before fights.
Even though advancing in age, Bodak continued to work in the ring and was active in the boxing community until he suffered a stroke
in 2007 at the age of 90.
Bodak was born June 3, 1916 in Gary, Indiana
and died on February 6, 2009 in Orange County, California
at the age of 92.
, "Expanded Category" (Managers & Trainers).
In 1993, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club
.
and portrayed himself in two documentaries, More Than Famous
in 2003 and The Distance in 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
cutman
Cutman
A cutman is a person responsible for preventing and treating physical damage to a fighter during the breaks between rounds of a full contact match such as a boxing, kickboxing or a mixed martial arts bout. Cutmen typically handle swelling, nosebleeds and lacerations...
who worked with over 50 world champions including Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
, Tommy Hearns, Julio Cesar Chavez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
, Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
and Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
.
Bodak trained Muhammad Ali, then named Cassius Clay, for the last four years of Clay's amateur career that culminated with the winning of a Gold Medal
Gold Medal
Gold Medal is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band The Donnas, released in 2004 on Atlantic Records. It was one of the first albums released in the DualDisc format, but was recalled due to a mastering error which resulted in the final track being partially omitted from the CD...
for the light-heavyweight competition at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
held in Rome, Italy.
One of the unique traits Bodak adopted was the placing of photos of his fighters on his forehead before fights.
Even though advancing in age, Bodak continued to work in the ring and was active in the boxing community until he suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 2007 at the age of 90.
Bodak was born June 3, 1916 in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
and died on February 6, 2009 in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
at the age of 92.
Awards and Recognition
Bodak was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of FameWorld Boxing Hall of Fame
The World Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Riverside, California, United States, in Southern California. The WBHF is one of two recognized international boxing halls of fame with the other being the International Boxing Hall of Fame , with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized...
, "Expanded Category" (Managers & Trainers).
In 1993, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
.
Acting Roles
Bodak played the role of Cesar's cutman in the 1999 film Play It to the BonePlay It to the Bone
Play It to the Bone is a 1999 sports/comedy-drama film, starring Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson, written and directed by Ron Shelton....
and portrayed himself in two documentaries, More Than Famous
More Than Famous
More Than Famous is a documentary film about Salvadoran-American boxer Carlos 'Famoso' Hernández. It was produced and directed by Graham Rich. The film follows Hernández's fights in 2001 against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Angel Macias. It won the Grand Festival Award at the 2003 Berkeley Video &...
in 2003 and The Distance in 2006.