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About George Hanson Jr. Contact: ghanson3@hotmail.com
The
Mouthpiece, a boxing column written by George Hanson Jr., is arguably
the most intriguing and engaging commentary dedicated to the sweet
science. Many of its readers exclaim, “The Mouthpiece makes me feel as
though I’m in the ring with the fighters!” Hanson has made boxing
coverage an art form and has been sedulous in his effort to report on
established and neophyte fighters in creative stories. In the Lion’s
Den, a riveting piece on the bout between Miguel Cotto and Joshua
Clottey, reveals the inner workings of boxing, unbeknownst to the common
viewer. Hanson’s story, Orlando Tilelli, features the last interview
granted by former middleweight champion Joey Giardello, and shares new
dimensions of the great warrior with readers who only knew of Giardello
from his defense against Rubin Carter in the1999 movie The Hurricane.
In addition to composing boxing articles, for the past two years Hanson has also been a color commentator in Philadelphia for Power Productions Inc.’s Boxing Ringside Series where he has provided commentary for some of the most memorable, action-packed fights in the City of Brotherly Love.
Hailing from New Forest, Jamaica, Hanson started boxing as a teenager in Philadelphia under the tutelage of former welterweight contender, Dick Turner. He excelled, capturing four Pennsylvania State Amateur Championships—his last while a junior at Drexel University studying Accounting. According to most who have seen Hanson fight, “He is the best fighter never to have turned professional.”
Hanson chose to attend Harvard Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA, over a professional boxing career. While at Harvard, he joined the Harvard Boxing Club where he spent many afternoons simultaneously honing his boxing skills while managing rigorous business coursework. A renaissance man, Hanson also holds a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law.
He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the New York State Bar with a proven track record in business. Hanson’s professional career began at the Big Four public accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Over the years he has also worked in consulting, real estate development, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, strategic planning and financial services, both in the United States and the Caribbean.
In his spare time, Hanson volunteers as a boxing coach training young fighters about the art of boxing while sharing his life experiences and helping kids focus on their education.
PREVIOUS JABS
The Mouthpiece
Madam Matchmaker—Renee“The Boxing Diva” Aiken
By: George Hanson Jr., Esq. - January 21, 2010
“My mommy is a very busy lady, leave a message and she will call you back,” states eight-year-old Christion on his mother’s answering service. The precocious young man should be commended for his accurate and precise statement. Since the passing of The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, nobody has been as busy as Christion’s mother, 2009 Salute to Philly
By George H. Hanson Jr., Esq.
Life is full of ironies and the unexpected. Case in point— Jack Johnson a documentary directed by Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton about the life and times of the greatest heavyweight boxer was nominated for the 1970 Academy Award for Best Documentary, but lost to Woodstock. Jacobs and Cayton are famous for managing the career of former heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson—the plot thickens.
Why Talk about Freedom?—Jack Johnson
By: George Hanson Jr., Esq - February 15, 2010
Before Muhammad Ali, there was Jack Johnson—black, brash, bold, uncompromising. He was a rich celebrity athlete looming larger than life, breaking social taboos and oftentimes causing men to question their manhood. In the process, he became the most notorious African-American on the planet. Facing the world unafraid, Johnson won the heavyweight championship, made a fortune, drove fast cars, wore expensive suits, appeared regularly in the press, and later in radio and in
The Mouthpiece
Remembering My Brother—Francisco “El Nino Azteca” Rodriguez - By: George Hanson Jr., Esq. - December 1, 2009
Besides my father’s eulogy, this is
probably the most difficult composition I have crafted because it
entails embarking upon a painful journey in an attempt to help others
empathize with how you feel about a fallen member of your family. It is
a tad less heart rendering when an elderly member makes the transition
to the squared circle in the sky, but when a young vibrant star that
shone so brightly for twenty-five years is extinguished before its time
your head swells with sorrow and you can only think about the loved ones
left behind. I belong to an esteemed, sizeable family with countless
brothers and sisters I have never met.
The Mouthpiece
The Train is Coming!—Introducing Maurice Byarm
By: George Hanson Jr., Esq
- November 7, 2009
On his 1995 album Boombastic, Jamaican recording artist Shaggy collaborated with legendary crooner Ken Boothe on the chart-topping hit, The Train is Coming, the theme for the movie Money Train starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. The song is a remix of the hit penned in 1966 by the then 18-year-old prodigy, Boothe, who was backed on the original by The Wailers, Bob Marley’s band.