Joe Hand Sr., the esteemed founder and chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, the most important distributor of premium sports activities and leisure programming to business institutions, handed away on Thursday, August 1, on the age of 87. Senior, as he was identified all through the business, had been hospitalized since July 25 after contracting COVID-19.
Joe Hand Sr., is a member of the Philadelphia Sports activities Corridor of Fame and was inducted final yr into the Atlantic Metropolis Boxing Corridor of Fame for his roles as a boxing promoter and a pioneer within the pay-per-view enterprise.
Senior led a unprecedented life and profession, starting as a devoted police officer for the town of Philadelphia. Within the late Sixties, he turned concerned with a bunch of businessmen in Philadelphia who have been forming Cloverlay, a company devoted to managing the boxing profession of younger heavyweight and Olympic gold medalist Joe Frazier. As a founding member of Cloverlay, Senior performed a vital function in guiding Frazier to the head of his profession, together with his historic victory over Muhammad Ali at Madison Sq. Backyard on March 8, 1971, a combat nonetheless celebrated as one of many best in boxing historical past.
In his late 30s, whereas persevering with his duties as a police officer, Senior managed Cloverlay and invested in Joe Frazier’s profession. Leveraging his expertise within the boxing enterprise, he went on to determine Joe Hand Promotions. First via closed-circuit and afterward cable, satellite tv for pc, and streaming, the corporate grew to change into the most important business distributor of pay-per-view programming globally. Underneath his management, Joe Hand Promotions has distributed practically each boxing match of significance during the last 50 years and has been the unique associate of Final Preventing Championship (UFC) for practically 25 years.
Joe Hand Promotions, headquartered simply outdoors of Philadelphia in Feasterville, Pa., has been in enterprise for 54 years and employs greater than 50 folks. Senior remained actively concerned within the firm till about three weeks in the past when his well being declined as a consequence of COVID-19.
Memorial service particulars and different preparations are pending and shall be introduced quickly. Senior is survived by his son, Joe Hand Jr., the President of Joe Hand Promotions, his daughter, Margaret Hand Cicalese, and his sister and co-founder, Patricia Hand.
