Venroy “So Special” July and George Hanson, Jr. both came from the island of Jamaica. Both became lawyers while July is a professional from MD, Hanson is a writer from Philadelphia but works out daily and trains people at the Marion Anderson Gym in South Philly.
July was born in St. Catherine and lives in Suitland, MD, now. He turned professional in 2009 and fought in Philadelphia in 2011. His current record is 16-1-2 (6) and reversed one of those draws. He will turn 31 this month. He is a southpaw in the cruiserweight division and currently No. 5 in the USBA and No. 16 in the NABF rankings.
July has wins over Joell Godfrey who appeared on “The Contender” and 2000 Olympian Dante Craig among others. In February of 2011 I did an interview with July titled: “From Corporate Attorney to Boxing Prospect”!
July arrived in the Bronx, NY, at age 11 from Jamaica. He received a scholarship to the Taft School in Watertown, CT. He gained honors and captained the track & field, wrestling and football team. He received an Academic scholarship from the University of North Carolina. He was on the Dean’s List and the wrestling team winning the ACC championships. He graduated in 2004 and attended the Law School at Duke University. In 2005 he was introduced to boxing and in his 9th fight won the Novice DC GG’s.
“I was introduced to George via telephone when a matchmaker put us in contact with each other as a result of our shared backgrounds. We instantly were able to connect because of our shared experiences and cultural background which ultimately lead to him writing an article about me. George is really a good guy, one of the good guys in the sport,” said July.
Hanson was born in Kingston, Jamaica and lives in Philadelphia. He is a 4-time Amateur Boxing champion. His column “Mouthpiece” appears on both Fightkings.com and cboxinginfo.com He is a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Business and Howard University School of Law.
“My love of boxing is instinctive. Since I have spent the majority of my life in a boxing gym, I have never contemplated why I am so passionate about the sport. Asking me why I box is like asking a fish why it swims,” said Hanson.
Hanson and this writer have a picture together that I tagged “Ebony & Ivory”. For some reason he calls me “a man of controversy”. He is one of the most well liked writers among the writers themselves including this one. For this writer it’s a “joy” to sit next to him at a fight and listen to him do a blow by blow if he isn’t at ringside commentating.
“I live every day like it is my last day on earth. I walked into a gym at age 13 and never left. It has been rewarding being an advisor for business executives, entertainers and professional athletes – especially boxers. It never ceases to amaze the amount of money that is left on the table. You either pay for your ignorance or you pay for your education. I always paid for my education,” said Hanson.
George Hanson is Ranked as the #7 boxing Aficionado in the World by Matt Hamilton of www.esnewsreporting.com, Hanson writes an internationally acclaimed boxing column entitled, “The Mouthpiece” and is the 2012 & 2013 “Philadelphia Boxing Writer of the Year.” He has over 25 years of experience in all facets of amateur and professional boxing having provided advice and counsel to some of America’s most renowned professional boxers, managers and promoters. A former amateur boxing champion, Hanson competed and excelled in over 102 amateur bouts winning several titles. He has been described as one of the most prolific and gifted sports writers of his generation. Hanson has been the boxing expert on numerous radio and television shows including Fox Sports, “The Art Fennell Report” and Comcast Sports Net. He trains young Fighters at the Marion Anderson Recreation Center in South Philadelphia. This was said by Hamilton about Hanson. Hanson was trained at the Rec Center by Charles “Cornbread” Raney at 17.
In addition to his work in sports, Hanson has also worked in consulting, mergers and acquisitions, and as auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. A licensed attorney and a member of the New York State Bar, Hanson is also a Certified Public Accountant in PA. He earned his B.S. in Accounting from Drexel University in Philadelphia, a J.D. from Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. and an MBA from the Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
