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The old saying “You can’t go home again” has floated around forever and for undefeated heavyweight “Baby” Joe Mesi, 34-0, (27), nothing could seem more apt to describe his current situation.
Mesi is one of the longest currently active, undefeated heavyweights in |
the world. He was once ranked #1 by the WBC and was at the top of all the other alphabet ratings.
He signed a lucrative three fight deal with HBO and was consistently packing 20,000 plus into arenas in his hometown of Buffalo, NY before it all went south.
Fight fans everywhere are by now aware of the troubles that are keeping “Baby” Joe from returning to where he once was. There are those on both sides of the aisle on whether he should be returning to the ring but there are studies from doctors who have cleared him to fight.
But this is not about his health issues. This is about a still young heavyweight fighter who is working his way back to the top.
In order to get himself back into contention, Mesi needs to get ranked in the top ten, and in order to do that, he needs to fight, which is exactly what he is doing. He is 5-0 with two knockouts in his comeback, and has been steadily improving.
His most recent fight, a first round KO over respected journeyman, George Linberger 29-8-1 (25), was an impressive performance and exactly the type that Mesi needs to show the boxing world that he is back.
When I asked Joe about the fight he said, “I knew that he wasn’t in my class, but he was a durable opponent, and I wanted to come out of the fight knowing that I was improving. I wanted to get back to where I was in 2003 and 2004. I wanted people to know that I am back. Not just because it was a first round knockout, but because I am back with my speed, my accuracy and my power.”
Physically he is indeed back. Mesi looked much trimmer than in his previous comeback fights. “As far as conditioning goes, I feel good,” said Joe. “I have been working with my strength and conditioning coach and I am getting into shape.”
Mesi had done nothing for over two years during his layoff as the New York State Athletic Commission requires that no training be done while a fighter is on a medical suspension and since Joe was cooperating with the commission for his return, he didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize his chances.
The frustration that Mesi has with his medical issues goes beyond Athletic Commissions. Fighters such as DaVarryl Williamson and Monte Barrett, whom Joe has beaten three years previously, were getting title shots while he waited in the courtrooms for his turn at the titles. “That is what hurt the most,” Mesi said.
Unlike a lot of fighters who often carry a lot of machismo around with them, “Baby” Joe has always been humble, but he still has the confidence and drive needed in any A level fighter. “I don’t think that I am the greatest thing since sliced bread,” he said. “But I know that I will be the heavyweight champion of the world. I am the most exciting and I bring in the most fans. People who have fought me have made more money [doing so] than when they were fighting for titles.”
Mesi needs to put the past behind him, and knows that the only way to get back in the mix is to keep fighting. “The sanctioning bodies dropped me from the top ten, so I want to stay active and get back into the top ten and maybe fight for a title in 2008,” he said.
Mesi is going to do just that and remain busy. He is fighting again on April 14 against another heavy handed journeyman, Marvin Hill, 20-10 (16), at the Ughes Center in Russellville, Arkansas. This will be Mesi’s sixth fight in just under a year.
Bigger names are out there and talk is underway with many of them. A much talked about fight with Hasim Rahman, 41-6-2 (33), has been in the works numerous times, but it seems that Joe and team are waiting to get back into New York before that fight occurs. “Both Rahman and I are most marketable in New York and that is where we will make the most money,” he said.
It was also just recently reported that Rahman is looking for an opponent for his June 14 comeback fight, and both of them could use a big win to get back into the heavyweight picture.
Another name that has been thrown around is Evander Holyfield. Team Mesi are reportedly in talks with the Holyfield camp for an upcoming bout this summer, one that Joe says he “would love to see happen.”
Mesi obviously needs to keep winning if he is to ever convince the commissions in Nevada and New York to allow him to fight once again in those states and a big name vicitm on his resume could jump start his way back.
But from the perspective of other top fighters in the division, fighting Mesi is a big risk, little reward proposal. Mesi is a boxer with good skills, great power and could make a fighter look bad. He needs someone who is in the same situation that he finds himself in; on the comeback.
Mesi is currently training in Puerto Rico where he says “there are fewer distractions, and it is much warmer than in Buffalo.” He is trained by “Sugar” Juan De Leon and has been making great progress in his skills. He has often said that he has not peaked yet and there is no reason not to believe him.
With every fight, people begin to talk less and less about the medical issues and more about his shot at being the heavyweight champion of the world.
It is hard to discuss his future without delving ever so slightly into his suspension. When I asked Joe about the idea of fighting outside the United States if New York turns down his appeal, he said, “I could fight for a title anywhere in the world.”
And despite what US boxing fans might think, he is right. None of the sanctioning bodies have suspended him, just certain states. He is currently ranked 29 by the WBC, jumping five spots from last month, and will continue to climb if he keeps winning. But for “Baby” Joe Mesi, overseas is not where the money is, not where his fans are and NOT where his heart is.
