Joe Hand Sr. (born September 10, 1936) is the founder and chairman of Joe Hand Promotions, Inc. Hand is a promoter of Pay-Per-View and Closed Circuit broadcasts of sporting events since 1971.

Early life and career

Hand was born in 1936 and raised in the Lawncrest section of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Early choices he made were the start of a lifetime of service to others. Hand's service to the community began with his acceptance into the

Philadelphia Police Department The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD or Philly PD) is the law enforcement agency, police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police a ...

in 1959. During his time in the police department, Hand received many commendations for his heroic efforts, and was promoted to Detective in the department's prestigious Intelligence Unit. Despite a successful career with the Philadelphia Police Department, a serious heart attack in 1975 cut short any thoughts of continuing in this field. Fortunately for Hand, he had begun paving another path in 1967 when he became a charter shareholder of Cloverlay Corporation, the organization that helped guide

Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...

to the heavyweight champion of the world. With the advent of closed-circuit TV, Hand became intrigued by the prospect of forming his own company specializing in sports promotions.

Joe Hand Promotions

Hand's association with Cloverlay gave insight, guidance, and opportunity as he formed his own business, Joe Hand Promotions, Inc., in 1971. Today, the company has grown into a top TV distributor of

pay-per-view Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast. Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...

boxing,

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

and special events in the country. Its customer base includes over 5,000 sports-oriented commercial establishments, such as sports bars, restaurants, military bases, universities, cruise ships and oil rigs. The company has been involved in many major championship fights nationwide including Joe Frazier vs.

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professiona ...

vs.

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowed ...

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2005. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "The Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson is cons ...

vs.

Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis (born 2 September 1965) is a former professional boxer and boxing commentator who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and the last heavyweight to hold ...

Bernard Hopkins Bernard Hopkins Jr. (born January 15, 1965) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight class ...

vs.

Felix Trinidad Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...

, Oscar DeLaHoya vs.

Floyd Mayweather Floyd may refer to: As a name * Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters Places in the United States * Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Floyd, Iow ...

and

Miguel Cotto Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez (born October 29, 1980) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2017. He is a multiple-time world champion, and the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight classes, ...

vs.

Canelo Alvarez __NOTOC__ Canelo may refer to: Geography * Canelo, Arizona, a ghost town ** Canelo Ranger Station ** Canelo School * Canelo Hills in Arizona ** Canelo Hills Cienega Reserve, a protected area People * Canelo Álvarez (born 1990; birth name Santos ...

. Joe Hand Promotions has also been able to exhibit the monthly pay-per-view UFC events to its huge network of bars and restaurants nationwide including large chains such as

Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wild Wings (originally Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, hence the nickname BDubs, or BW3) is an American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Unit ...

Hooters Hooters is the registered trademark used by two American restaurant chains: Hooters, Inc., based in Clearwater, Florida, and Hooters of America, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia, and owned by the private investment firm Nord Bay Capital (with ...

, and

Tilted Kilt Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery is a modern Scottish-Irish-themed sports pub and franchisor-type restaurant chain in the United States. History The first Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery was opened in the Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino in 2003, "wearing C ...

. The company has also promoted the World Cup, Woodstock '94, David Bowie, the Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding Championship, Kenny Rogers, The Beach Boys, Frankie Valli, WWE, The Grateful Dead, and The Harlem Globetrotters. They also work with

DirecTV DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is an American multichannel video programming distributor based in El Segundo, California. Originally launched on June 17, 1994, its primary service is a digital satellite service serving the United States. It ...

in bringing the NFL Sunday Ticket to hundreds of commercial establishments throughout the country.. In January 2021, the company began offering a commercial subscription of

ESPN Plus ESPN+ is an American over-the-top subscription video streaming service available in the United States, owned by Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, in partnership with ESPN Inc., which is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Compa ...

for Business which delivers limited live sports content via

to commercial establishments. As of October, 2021, close to 4500 bars, restaurants and other commercial establishments nationwide have subscribed to ESPN Plus through Joe Hand Promotions.

Joe Hand Boxing Gym and Computer Lab

As his company evolved into one of the top sports promotion companies in the United States, Hand continued to give back to the community. Opened in 1995, the Joe Hand Boxing Gym and Computer Lab helped turn a desolate area of the city into a vibrant hub of activity. The first of its kind in the U.S., it not only trains children's bodies, but their minds as well. The Joe Hand Boxing Gym offers regulation boxing rings, brand new equipment and a modern computer center where children can participate in the education process, whether or not they're interested in learning how to box. To date, this gym had reached over 1,000 children. When speaking about his facility, Joe Hand Sr. sums it up best: "When a child or teen arrives at the gym with a gym bag on one shoulder and a school bag on the other, we know we are doing something right!"

Personal life

Hand married Margaret Joyce on June 29, 1957. Together, they have two children: Joe Hand Jr. and Margaret Hand-Cicalese.

Awards and recognition

Pennsylvania Sports Hall Of Fame The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (PSHF) is a nonprofit organization established in 1962.Home page
Pennsylvania Sports Hall o ...

(1992) *

World Boxing Association The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...

"Closed Circuit Promoter of the Year" (1996) * "Man of the Year" in the King One Veterans Boxers Association(1999) *

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

Hall of Fame (2000) * Advisory Board, National Penn Bank (2000) * Middle Atlantic Amateur Boxing Association's Hall of Fame (2001) * Philadelphia Sports Congress "Wanamaker Award" (2002) *

Northeast Catholic High School Northeast Catholic High School opened in 1926 as Northeast Catholic High School for Boys, and was located at 1842 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was under the administration of the high school system of the Roman Catholic Arch ...

's Alumni Hall of Fame (2005) * Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame (2012) * Pennsylvania Sports Experience, Board of Trustees (2012) *

Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame The Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was established in May 2002 to honor individuals and groups who are either area natives who became prominent in the field of sports or who became ...

(2013)

References

*http://joehandgym.com/ *http://www.joehandpromotions.com/ *http://boxrec.com/person/718775?role=manager *http://www.phillyboxinghistory.com/more/pahof/inductees/inductee_hand_joe_sr.htm *https://www.openminds.com/market-intelligence/bulletins/112312-northeast-community-center-behavioral.htm/ *http://whyy.org/cms/radiotimes/2012/09/13/joe-frazier-his-life-career-and-the-city-of-brotherly-love/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Hand, Joe 1936 births Living people Businesspeople from Philadelphia Philadelphia Police Department officers