Chuck Bodak
{{Short description|American boxing trainer, cutman (1916–2009)}}
Vasil "Chuck" Bodak (June 3, 1916 – February 6, 2009) was an American boxing cutman and trainer who worked with over 50 world champions including Muhammad Ali, Rocky Marciano, Tommy Hearns, Julio César Chávez, Evander Holyfield and Oscar De La Hoya.[http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/chuck-bodak-passes-3314 Chuck Bodak passes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711001328/http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/chuck-bodak-passes-3314 |date=2011-07-11 }}
Fightnews.com, February 6, 2009 He was known for his trademark headbands with photos of his fighters as well as his handmade jewelry and collages that he liked to give away as gifts.[http://www.doghouseboxing.com/DHB/Gerbasi_020609.htm Chuck Bodak 1916–2009] By Thomas Gerbasi, MaxBoxing.com (February 6, 2009)[http://boxinggreats.multiply.com/journal/item/47/Chuck-Bodak-Loses-His-Final-Battle-by-Michele-Chong?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Fjournal%2Fitem Chuck Bodak Loses His Final Battle - Legendary cutman passes away at 92] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232825/http://boxinggreats.multiply.com/journal/item/47/Chuck-Bodak-Loses-His-Final-Battle-by-Michele-Chong?&show_interstitial=1&u=%2Fjournal%2Fitem |date=2016-03-03 }} By Michele Chong, http://boxinggreats.multiply.com {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625081556/http://boxinggreats.multiply.com/ |date=2012-06-25 }}
Life and career
Bodak was born June 3, 1916, in Gary, Indiana where his involvement in boxing began circa 1929 at Schonfield's Athletic Club. In 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He survived the Battle of The Bulge after being shot twice and was awarded two Purple Hearts. An amateur fighter himself, Bodak coached the National Golden Gloves team in the late 1950s and began working with young teenager named Cassius Clay who changed his name to Muhammad Ali.[http://ringtalk.com/boxing-loses-true-hero-in-chuck-bodak Boxing Loses True Hero in Chuck Bodak] February 7th, 2009 By Pedro Fernandez, ringtalk.com Bodak trained Ali for the last four years of his 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.[http://ringtalk.com.lhost9.atlantic.net/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=1553 "GODFATHER" OF CUTMEN-CHUCK BODAK SUFFERS STROKE] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414160235/http://ringtalk.com.lhost9.atlantic.net/index.php?action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=1553 |date=April 14, 2015 }} 02 September, 2007 by Pedro Fernandez, ringtalk.com
Bodak moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1958 where he was a boxing coach for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) for many years before moving to California.[http://www.myboxingfans.com/2009/03/tribute-event-for-chuck-bodak/ Tribute Event for Chuck Bodak] by Michele Chong (March 12, 2009), myboxingfans.com Even though advancing in age, he 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.[http://www.myboxingfans.com/2008/09/cutman-chuck-bodak-update/ Cutman Chuck Bodak Update] September 1, 2008 He died in a motor vehicle accident on February 6, 2009, at the age of 92 in Orange County, California.
Awards and recognition
Bodak was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, "Expanded Category" (Managers & Trainers).[http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Chuck_Bodak Chuck Bodak], boxrec.com
In October 2008, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in person at a WBC Legends of Boxing Museum ceremony.[http://www.myboxingfans.com/2009/01/cutman-chuck-bodak-2009-update Cutman Chuck Bodak 2009 Update] by Michele Chong (January 10, 2009), myboxingfans.com
In 1993, he was honored by the Cauliflower Alley Club.
Bibliography
Bodak co-authored Boxing Basics, a book published in 1979 that outlines the fundamentals of boxing including psychological preparation, physical conditioning, offensive and defensive strategies, and ring psychology.[https://archive.org/details/boxingbasics00boda Boxing Basics by Chuck Bodak and Neil Milbert] {{ISBN|9780809272105}}
Acting roles
Bodak played the role of Cesar's cutman in the 1999 film Play It to the Bone and portrayed himself in two documentaries, More Than Famous in 2003 and The Distance in 2006.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0090760/ IMDb profile of Vasil Chuck Bodak]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://boxing-ring.blogspot.com/2009/03/chuck-bodak-honored-by-boxing-world.html Chuck Bodak honored by the boxing world]
- [http://ringtalk.com/boxing-loses-true-hero-in-chuck-bodak Boxing Loses True Hero in Chuck Bodak]
- [http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box2-98.htm#gerbasi2 Chuck Bodak Interview conducted by Thomas Gerbasi]
- [http://www.oocities.org/~bodakboxing/index.html Chuck Bodak's Bio]
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Category:American boxing trainers
Category:Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana
Category:Martial artists from California
Category:Road incident deaths in California
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II