Feeling stronger than ever, George Hennon is ready for a breakout year in 2023
Super-lightweight prospect George Hennon (7-1, 1KO) is all set for his first fight of the year at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, on Saturday, March 18.
The Maidstone man enters into his ninth professional contest and second consecutive six-rounder on the stacked Goodwin Boxing “GB Fight Series 15” show in the East End.
Hennon had five professional boxing fights between 2015-2016, winning four home bouts and losing one away on a Matchroom Boxing show in Scotland.
After a five-year break, the young talent returned to boxing with unfinished business and teamed up with trainer George O’Mahoney in his Aylesford gym to make his comeback, which has gleaned three wins within five months to improve his record to 7-1.
Now the 28-year-old, signed to Goodwin Boxing, enters 2023 as a full-time pro, in what is set to be a breakout year for the youngster that was born and raised in Snodland, a small town in Kent.
Speaking exclusively to BBN, he revealed the main differences he’s noticed since becoming a full-time athlete, “Recovery. Being able to sleep properly, not having to get up at 5am to go for a run before work; I can wake up at a sensible time and feel well recovered.
“In-between sessions, I can train, go home and recover properly, so I’m ready for the next session. It’s so much better. I feel energised before every session now and, hand in hand with the nutrition, I’m seeing much better results.
“I’ve been travelling at least twice a week to either The Peacock or to Alec Wilkey’s gym, sparring with Dean Richardson, Liam Wells, Billy Allington, and even an amateur from the Finland National Team.”
The former scaffolder confesses to having an ace up his sleeve for this next fight in the form of nutritionist Paul O’Neill, who has worked with Archie Sharp and Hamzah Sheeraz.
“Paul O’Neill from Pro Nutrition Clinic, he’s worth his weight in gold,” Hennon praised. “The difference in physique and how I feel in myself is just like night and day from anything that I’ve done before. I feel stronger even though the weight is coming off.”
Since teaming up with the health company based in Essex, he has seen his body fat percentage drop from 13% to just 5% in the space of only two months.
“We done scans for body fat and muscle mass at the start of camp on 11th January, and since then my body fat percentage has come down, but my muscle mass has actually gone up, which is mad really, to think of all that training and that weight I’ve lost and I’ve not lost any muscle mass, which is brilliant. I’ve had to invest in it but it’s worth doing because the results are incredible.
“I used to eat fruit like it was going out of fashion, especially things like red grapes and apples, which I haven’t this time, and I was fuelling at the wrong times. Sometimes, during sparring, I wouldn’t be fuelled up for the spar and felt fatigued in training, but having a nutritionist means I’m fuelling before every session, not just to lose weight, and I’m eating the right food at the right time, so before a session I can still get a little of the food I enjoy even though I’m cutting weight.”
In his last fight, in November 2022, Hennon stopped tricky Bulgarian Teodor Nikolov in round four of six to clock up the first knockout of his career.
He confidently assured it’s set to be the first KO of many, “My power has naturally improved and, getting that stoppage, it was only really a matter of time.
“Since fighters are gonna come and actually have a go with me, that’s where I’m going to start being able to put all them boys away.
“It works in my favour not to have them real durable journeymen that have done a hundred odd fights, so yeah, the better in class I step up then the more stoppages I’m going to get.”
Hennon has been campaigning at welterweight, but is now preparing to challenge for titles at super-lightweight, hence the addition of the nutritionist and transition to training full-time.
“This fight is going to be the lowest I’ve been since my return; this is scheduled at 65kg. I plan to do championships at super-lightweight, which is 63.5kg, which I would never make on the day weigh-in, but nutrition-wise I’m basically not too far off it now and I feel great.”
With title ambitions in mind, Hennon knows he needs a convincing win against Kasey Bradnum (1-3), who had his pro debut last November, losing via stoppage to 4-0 southpaw Jake Henty. He managed to improve in his next fights to hear the final bell, then went on to win his last fight on March 4.
“He’s alright, he actually won last weekend,” George confirmed. “He beat someone in a six-rounder. He is definitely better than his record suggests, so he’ll come to have a go.
“He’s not one of these people who is just gonna be covering up and running, he looks like he comes and he has a swing with you, so yeah, but I’m not taking too much from what he’s doing, I’m still focused on myself, but he’s definitely a step-up. I really do hope he comes with a bit of ambition.
“I’ll see what Steve Goodwin says and [trainer] George, but if an opportunity comes up for the Southern Area in either June or September then hopefully they will put me in for my first title fight, so just got to keep on pushing on from now.”
The co-main event features Denis Denikajev defending his Southern Area super-lightweight title to Tom Ansell, which is the title George is chasing after.
“I’ll definitely be watching that fight,” George said. “I’d imagine I’m on just before that.”
The iconic York Hall has been hosting boxing events for the past 70 years and the 94-year-old historic establishment has quickly become a fortress for Hennon and his army of fans, who make the short 30-mile trip in their hundreds to raise the roof in support of their hometown hero.
“Same number again,” he projected. “About 160 came last time and on track to be the same for this fight. Unbelievable noise every time I make that ring walk, singing the whole way through, just so overwhelming when I look back at it.”
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GB Fight Series 15
Two Southern title fights headline the stacked nine-fight card on the Mother’s Day weekend.
Top of the bill sees Lithuanian-born Londoner Denis Denikajev (9-0-1, 2KO) defending his Southern Area super-lightweight title to Hitchin’s Tom Ansell (10-2, 2KO), who is never in dull fight. These 140-pounders have sparred together in the past, so know each other well.
In the co-main event, it’s repeat or revenge as Goodwin Boxing’s ‘Gypsy’ Peter Mirga (6-1) rematches with former conqueror Ryan Walker (12-3, 4KO) for the vacant Southern Area super-bantamweight title.
Polish-born Mirga, from Southend, pushed Ryan “The Lion” to a close decision in 2019, reversed 97-94 against him. Now signed to Goodwin Boxing, Mirga has bounced back with a win, whereas Walker has lost three from his last four.
Jerome “Stay Ready” Campbell (6-1, KO) returns to the ring for the first time since his loss to WBC Silver featherweight champion Nick Ball. After a break from boxing due to personal reasons, the Londoner is back after almost three years away.
Unbeaten Shocki Khan, Ellis Steward and Ahmed Hatim are also in action on the card.
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