George Esho makes his professional debut

By Johnny Bellino

His first professional boxing match is just another classroom for Syrian born George Esho. The eastern Illinois university graduate, who works as a financial trouble shooter at northwestern university, makes his debut at the hanging gardens banquet hall, 8301 w. Belmont river grove, IL. Monday, march 25 at 7 p.m.

Esho comes from a family of entrepreneurs. His brother, undefeated professional, (10-0), Achour Esho, and the ethos’ father, have operated the family auto parts store for years. It was there George developed an intellectual curiosity about a competitive economic and athletic society.

Born in Hassaka, Syria, Esho followed his big brother into sports. Achour began competing in mixed martial arts at gyms throughout the north side of Chicago. George tagged along, but found MMA boring. Learning floor techniques was a drag. Boxing, however, brought out the student in Esho. It required more skill, more thinking, and more strategy.

In order to improve the “street fighting” skills essential to Mixed Martial’s Arts success, Achour entered the golden gloves amateur boxing tournament.

The younger Esho watched his brother compete in the golden gloves for a year before entering himself. The Assyrian-American won the junior championship his first year and reached the all around championship two years in a row before losing to Eddie Brooks. Each bout turned into another education. “The first fight was intimidating, because Eddie had this reputation for being such a hard puncher,” George said. He discovered too late that Brooks wasn’t as hard a puncher, after all.

Esho applied the lessons learned from their first match and almost defeated his adversary the second time around. Then before the boxer-scholar could test brooks a third time, the champion turned pro and moved to Arizona.

Academic curiosity took over and Eshoo spent the next several years preparing for the business world. But after earning a bachelor’s degree in economics he returned to the four corner classroom again. Entrepreneurship was, once more, the catalyst.

When Achour opened his own gym, he hired George to get people in shape. The younger esho worked for northwestern during the day and for his brother at night. George soon discovered he could more than hold his own, sparring with the pro boxers at the gym.

When big brother embarked on a “punch for pay” career, George thought about following in his footsteps again. “When I’m 40, I don’t want to be thinking, ‘gee, why didn’t I try the pros like my brother,’” he rationalized.

Who knows, maybe the Esho brothers can add boxing champions to the already formidable list of family business and academic successes.

Esho boxing fans will learn more about that possibility at the hanging gardens, March 25. George Escho is embarking on a professional boxing career March 25 at the Hanging Gardens banquet hall. His family is multi talented. They have owned an auto parts store for years. George’s brother, Archor, owns his own gymnasium. George obtained a degree in economics from Eastern Illinois and is a financial trouble shooter for Northwestern. George followed his brother into the amateur boxing by entering the citywide Golden Gloves tournament. He was the junior champion the first year and reached the finals of the seniors two years after that.

Then he left the boxing ring to go to college.

The Eschos are a proud Assyrian tradition; entrepreneurship, and education and now athletics. You might want to ask him what he learned working for the family business. How ambitious is he in his business career? Does he have anything specific he wants to become? What characteristics did he inherit from the family business background? Were his grandparents business folks? When and how did they come here? Would he want to interrupt his business career to become a professional? (His brother is 10-0) as professional. What does his family think of him becoming a professional boxer?

How does he combine pro boxing with his job? If he really becomes good at pro boxing, what would he do if he had to choose between the two? How did he get interested in boxing and what does he like about this sport over others. Ask about any other sports that he may have played. How did he meet Wasfi Tolaymat? What part does Wasfi Tolaymat play in his decision to turn pro and his future?