Drexel University’s rising boxing star continues his ascent as George Gee Jr. blends championship talent, family values, and relentless work ethic on his path toward a projected 2028 professional debut
By: George Hanson Jr., Esq.
The Drexel Dragon is the central symbol of Drexel University, my alma mater, which was founded in 1891. In the university’s early years, its athletic teams were informally known as the “Drexelites.” That changed on April 16, 1928, when the student newspaper, The Triangle, proposed a new name: the “Dragons.” The student body embraced it, and the fierce, fire-breathing dragon became a unifying symbol for the university.
At this point, you may be wondering: Where is this story going? Who is George Gee Jr.? Is he the person in the dragon costume who appears at basketball games? No! George Gee Jr. is a Drexel University employee and an officer in the Communications & Operations Unit of the Department of Public Safety. But he is also something more. George Gee Jr. is the real Drexel Dragon—an elite amateur boxer whose style lives up to the name. He brings intensity, power, and precision to the ring. Every jab feels like a warning flare, and his overhand rights and short left hooks do more than land—they leave a mark. We are less than two years away from his professional debut. When that moment comes, the entire Drexel community will be ready to support George “The Drexel Dragon” Gee Jr.
A 2024 graduate of Science Leadership Academy Beeber High School, he was born on September 1, 2006, George Gee Jr. is the second child of George and Robyn Gee. His older and extremely supportive sister, Geonni, is a junior at Temple University studying engineering. George Sr. began training him at home when he was still a toddler and started taking him to the boxing gym at age five—around the time I first met this promising young fighter. Over the years, he taught George not only the fundamentals of boxing, but also the importance of staying calm, disciplined, and strategic under pressure. That foundation is shown in the ring. Gee fights with a poker face that recalls Terence “Bud” Crawford, the five-division world champion. Like Crawford, he methodically breaks down opponents, using his jab to set up overhand rights, left hooks, uppercuts, and combinations that wear them down through the final bell.
Around 8:48 p.m. on Friday, Charles “Cornbread” Ramey called me. He is the trainer who taught me and the resident sage at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center Boxing Gym. He asked whether I was going to Saturday’s amateur fights at Rock Ministries in Kensington, where Junior—George Gee Jr., as we all call him, was on the card. I knew it was not really a question. It was a command. Ramey rarely attends amateur shows, so if he is willing to spend his money and drive across the city, the boxer must be special. That told me all I needed to know about how highly he regarded Junior. I told him I already had plans. But I would change them, pick him up, and we would head to The Rock to watch Junior “get down.”
“Rumble At The Rock” began at 11 a.m., with eighteen bouts on the card. Ramey and I arrived just in time for the third fight. Junior was scheduled to face Steven Gross of Rock Ministries Boxing Gym in the fifteenth bout—152 lbs., the first Open Class match of the evening. Seated together in the front row were Robyn Gee, Junior’s mother and his most devoted supporter, and Dream Ockimey, his wife. Mrs. Gee is a constant presence at her son’s fights, cheering him on and calling out instructions throughout each bout. Junior is a complex and compelling young man, and there is no perfect order for revealing all the layers of his story. So yes—it took me more than a page to mention that he is married. To any readers who were hoping he was still a free agent, I apologize: he is not. The young man who will turn twenty on September 1st has been married for more than a year to the woman he proudly says, “is the best thing that ever happened to me.” Sorry, ladies!
I followed Junior and his trainers out of the dressing room—George Gee Sr. and assistant trainer Eugene “Beano” Peace, Sr.’s first pupil and a former boxer who has helped develop several amateur champions. I took the seat nearest the corner so I could hear every instruction and keep a clear view of the ring. At the great referee Quadirah Tammy Beverley’s signal, the bout began. Junior answered the bell by snapping out his jab and pulling it back to his hip, a motion that recalled Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns. It was clear right away that this would be a high-stakes chess match. Having watched Junior for the past 15 years, I know he is an excellent chess master—the Maurice Ashley of the squared circle.
With his trainers and mother calling out instructions, Gee gave Gross’s supporters from Roc Ministries little to celebrate. He controlled the action from the outset, and whenever Gross found a brief opening, Junior quickly shut it down—often with a timely overhand right that silenced the crowd and reminded everyone who was in command. It was a highly entertaining bout, and Gross proved to be a worthy opponent. I scored three rounds to 0 for Junior, though the final round was close enough that few would have objected if Gross had taken it. In the end, Junior earned the decision, to the delight of his mother, wife, trainers, Ramey, and the Marian Anderson teammates who came to support him. I was thrilled. It is always easier to write about a victory, and I was glad I did not have to climb onto my soapbox and argue that the judges needed guide dogs if the decision had gone the other way.
George Gee Jr. looks ready for the professional ranks. He has sharpened his skills against notable professionals, including the late Samuel “Tsunami” Teah, Hammerin’ Hank Lundy, Andy Cruz, and Ishmael Muhammad. Like former unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, he grew up in a boxing gym under the watchful eye of his father and trainer. As Coach Beano stated, “Boxing ain’t on him—it is in him.” George Sr. describes his son as a workaholic who listens, stays disciplined, and never needs to be told something twice. He is also humble, well-mannered, focused, driven, and one of the nicest people you will meet. George Sr. expects Junior to turn professional in 2028, after a few more national tournaments. By then, I believe top promoters—including Matchroom—will be eager to sign him.
Unlike many young prospects who depend on managers and promoters for financial backing, Junior takes pride in his full-time position at Drexel University. He values the stability of the job as well as the opportunities it provides for professional growth and continued education.
He also speaks with deep appreciation for his supervisors—Joycelyn Johnson, Stephanies Jones, and Caneisha Bailey, the supervisor who hired him. In his view, they believed in him, opened the door to opportunity, and helped set him on a promising path. Though this is a written article rather than a radio broadcast, they still deserve a heartfelt shout-out, along with Drexel University itself.
I have often wondered which fighter Junior admires most and why. Although he studies many boxers for educational purposes, his favorite is James “Lights Out” Toney. What draws him to Toney is easy to understand: the explosive power, the defensive brilliance, and the ability to control a fight by dictating its pace. Toney was a remarkable boxer—greatness personified.
After watching Junior develop over the years, I have little doubt that one day we will speak of him in the same breath as Toney. Drexel University has another dragon, and George Gee Jr. is breathing fire through his gloves. See you in 2028!
Continue to support the sweet science, and remember, always carry your Mouthpiece!
ghanson18@icloud.com
