Mesi to Fight in Canada

U.S. Heavyweight Mesi to continue comeback against Brazil's Frank in Montreal


MONTREAL (CP) - American heavyweight Joe Mesi will fight for the second time since returning from a brain injury against Brazil's Daniel Frank on June 23 at Uniprix Stadium, promoter GYM announced Thursday.

The open-air bout between Mesi (30-0 with 25 knockouts) and Frank (17-11-1, 17KOs) will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights on a card featuring Montreal junior middleweight Joachim Alcine (26-0, 18 KOs) against Javier Mamani (38-4-1, 16 KOs) of Argentina.

Middleweight prospect Jean Pascal (12-0, 11KOs) of Montreal is also on the card against veteran Henry Porras (31-6-1, 23 KOs).

Mesi, of Buffalo, N.Y., was banned for life from boxing in the United States by the Nevada State Boxing Commission after suffering bleeding on the brain during a unanimous decision over Vassily Jirov of Ukraine in March 2003.

The suspension was overturned by a Nevada court last year and Mesi returned to the ring with an eight-round unanimous decision over Ronald Bellamy in Puerto Rico on April 1.

Mesi must apply for a licence to box in each state or province before he can fight. Promoter Yvon Michel said he was granted a licence by the Quebec commission.

Mesi, a former top-10 fighter, was given the No. 21 ranking by the WBC on his return. His father and trainer Jack Mesi said recently he hopes have his son back in title contention in 2007.

One possible future opponent could be Jean-Francois Bergeron of St-Jerome, Que., who has expressed interest in facing the once-popular and highly regarded Mesi.

Mesi has fought once before in Canada - a fourth round TKO over Joey Guy in Niagara Falls, Ont., in 2000.

Most of his fights have been in Buffalo, where he regularly sold out the HSBC Center. He is still awaiting a licence to box again in New York State.

The fight at the 10,000-seat Uniprix tennis stadium falls on the same weekend as the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race, the city's busiest tourist weekend.

The winner of the Alcine-Mamani bout is to become mandatory challenger to WBA champion Jose Antonio Rivera. Alcine is ranked third and Mamani fourth by the WBA.

Meanwhile, Michel said this week that unbeaten super-lightweight Herman Ngoudjo (14-0) of Montreal has options on two high-profile fights.

Michel told Le Journal de Montreal he has an offer to have Ngoudjo face American Stevie Johnston (39-3-1) on Sept. 17 in Denver.

A scheduled Ngoudjo-Johnston bout in May was cancelled when Johnston was injured in training. Instead, Ngoudjo won a 12-round decision over veteran John Brown on May 24 in Montreal.

Michel said Ngoudjo may also fight an as-yet undetermined opponent in the co-feature to a WBC super-lightweight title bout between Junior Witter of Britain and DeMarcus Corley of the U.S. in the fall in England.

British promoter Mick Hennessey sees Ngoudjo as a future challenger if his fighter, Witter, wins the title.



It was announced yesterday by Bayou Promotions and the Coushatta Casino that Baby Joe Mesi was returning for a July 8 fight at the Coushatta Casino and Resort in Kinder, LA. Today it was announced by GYM Promotions in Montreal that Baby Joe is fighting before that on their June 23 ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" card against Brazil's Daniel Frank (17-11-1, 17 KOs) the 10,000-seat outdoor Uniprix tennis stadium.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TaxanBaller

U.S. Heavyweight Mesi to continue comeback against Brazil's Frank in Montreal


MONTREAL (CP) - American heavyweight Joe Mesi will fight for the second time since returning from a brain injury against Brazil's Daniel Frank on June 23 at Uniprix Stadium, promoter GYM announced Thursday.

The open-air bout between Mesi (30-0 with 25 knockouts) and Frank (17-11-1, 17KOs) will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights on a card featuring Montreal junior middleweight Joachim Alcine (26-0, 18 KOs) against Javier Mamani (38-4-1, 16 KOs) of Argentina.

Middleweight prospect Jean Pascal (12-0, 11KOs) of Montreal is also on the card against veteran Henry Porras (31-6-1, 23 KOs).

Mesi, of Buffalo, N.Y., was banned for life from boxing in the United States by the Nevada State Boxing Commission after suffering bleeding on the brain during a unanimous decision over Vassily Jirov of Ukraine in March 2003.

The suspension was overturned by a Nevada court last year and Mesi returned to the ring with an eight-round unanimous decision over Ronald Bellamy in Puerto Rico on April 1.

Mesi must apply for a licence to box in each state or province before he can fight. Promoter Yvon Michel said he was granted a licence by the Quebec commission.

Mesi, a former top-10 fighter, was given the No. 21 ranking by the WBC on his return. His father and trainer Jack Mesi said recently he hopes have his son back in title contention in 2007.

One possible future opponent could be Jean-Francois Bergeron of St-Jerome, Que., who has expressed interest in facing the once-popular and highly regarded Mesi.

Mesi has fought once before in Canada - a fourth round TKO over Joey Guy in Niagara Falls, Ont., in 2000.

Most of his fights have been in Buffalo, where he regularly sold out the HSBC Center. He is still awaiting a licence to box again in New York State.

The fight at the 10,000-seat Uniprix tennis stadium falls on the same weekend as the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race, the city's busiest tourist weekend.

The winner of the Alcine-Mamani bout is to become mandatory challenger to WBA champion Jose Antonio Rivera. Alcine is ranked third and Mamani fourth by the WBA.

Meanwhile, Michel said this week that unbeaten super-lightweight Herman Ngoudjo (14-0) of Montreal has options on two high-profile fights.

Michel told Le Journal de Montreal he has an offer to have Ngoudjo face American Stevie Johnston (39-3-1) on Sept. 17 in Denver.

A scheduled Ngoudjo-Johnston bout in May was cancelled when Johnston was injured in training. Instead, Ngoudjo won a 12-round decision over veteran John Brown on May 24 in Montreal.

Michel said Ngoudjo may also fight an as-yet undetermined opponent in the co-feature to a WBC super-lightweight title bout between Junior Witter of Britain and DeMarcus Corley of the U.S. in the fall in England.

British promoter Mick Hennessey sees Ngoudjo as a future challenger if his fighter, Witter, wins the title.



It was announced yesterday by Bayou Promotions and the Coushatta Casino that Baby Joe Mesi was returning for a July 8 fight at the Coushatta Casino and Resort in Kinder, LA. Today it was announced by GYM Promotions in Montreal that Baby Joe is fighting before that on their June 23 ESPN2 "Friday Night Fights" card against Brazil's Daniel Frank (17-11-1, 17 KOs) the 10,000-seat outdoor Uniprix tennis stadium.

---

great...I thought the ban was still on him.....good to hear.....

would rather see him in the boxing ring instead of Tommy Morrison....

Neither, because Morrison has a serious infection and Mesi brain damage. Both are charismatic and bright, fine athletes, but have serious problems: Morrison to the movies, Mesi to sports comentating. Sorry, guys.

Great... Mesi is fighting a bum, but with all his wins coming by KO. He looked terrible in his last fight, he looks really bad in the gym, he is a time bomb imo and this is even possibly a very dangerous fight in itself I know nothing about Frank... But I know the guy Mesi last fought had been brought out of the ring on a stretcher in 2 of his 3 previous fights, and he wen't the distance with Mesi and bruised him up a little.

I don't think Mesi should fight . IMO. HBO's Boxing After Dark 's broadcast team needs some help ! :)