PENNS GROVE, NJ – Pennsylvania state heavyweight champion Amir Mansour will be honored by his hometown of Penns Grove, NJ, on Saturday, June 13 while serving as the grand marshal for the borough’s annual Safe City Summer Fest parade.
Mansour, the former USBA heavyweight champion and current IBF North American and WBF Intercontinental champion, earned the state title with a unanimous-decision win over Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a 10-round slugfest on May 8, which was seen by a national TV audience during ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” telecast.
“I really appreciate the honor,” said Mansour, who was born and raised in Penns Grove and now resides in Wilmington, DE. “I hope my hard work, passion for boxing and my goal to become heavyweight champ of the world stands as a good example for the kids in the community. I want them to know you should always fight for your dreams.”
Mansour, who joins a list of past grand marshals that includes actor Bruce Willis and prominent TV personality Sally Starr, attended Penns Grove High School and wrestled for the Penns Grove Junior Grapplers, where he was offered a four-year wrestling scholarship to Coppin State.
In 2014, Sports Illustrated confirmed Mansour as one of the hardest hitting heavyweights by awarding him their “2014 Knockout of the Year” after Mansour’s devastating seventh-round KO of Fred Kassi (18-3). Mansour trains at Philadelphia’s Joe Hand Boxing Gym and is managed by Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame promoter Joe Hand, Sr.
On Saturday, the Penns Grove parade gets underway at noon on West Main Street, down to South Broad and over to East Maple before stopping in front of the Penns Grove Middle School. Mansour will be the boxer on the float with a proud smile thanking his hometown for their support.
