Joe Mesi: What's his story?

[Ruthless-RKO]

The 36-0 heavyweight with 80% KO record who never fought for the title

Heavyweight title shots are hard to come by at the best of times. But try telling that to New York knockout artist “Baby” Joe Mesi.

Mesi retired from the sport in 2007 with an impressive 36-0 record with 29 KOs from a promising career blighted by controversy over brain injuries.

The six-foot one-inch Buffalo native, under any other circumstances, would almost certainly have challenged one of the top division rulers between 2003 and 2007 – his prime years between the age of 30 and 34 before walking away.

But Mesi’s career wasn’t a straightforward one. He mainly faced also-ran opponents until finally getting to fringe contention in 2002.

Up until a 2003 NABF title victory over Robert Davis, Mesi’s best win on paper was a ninth-round stoppage of 1992 Olympic silver medalist David Izon.

The Izon win, beating Davis for the NABF and then following those wins up with stopping DaVaryll Williamson in 97 seconds and beating Monte Barrett on points, should have been the catalyst for a shot at the sport’s biggest prize.

In any typical career, it certainly would have been. Not for Mesi.

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

Mesi was on the brink at 28-0. Next, he went into a clash with dangerous Kazakhstani “Tiger” Vassiliy Jirov. Mesi knew he was possibly just one victory away from his opportunity.

Chris Byrd, John Ruiz, Vitali Klitschko, and Lamon Brewster were clearly in Mesi’s sights. But, despite a hard-fought and close unanimous victory, Mesi’s dream was shattered.

Down three times in the Jirov fight, doctors found that Mesi had suffered at least one – but potentially two – subdural hematomas. It would be two years of legal disputes before Mesi would take to the ring again.

By 2006, there were too many question marks despite his legal team doing all they could to persuade the regulators Mesi was OK to continue his career.

Only licensed in Canada, Puerto Rico, and a handful of States, Mesi found it almost impossible to maintain his ranking and stay relevant.

The dangers always seemed to be active due to liability clauses needed by his opponents for fights. It simply wasn’t a risk worth taking for everyone involved.

In 2007, after eighteen months of trying to get some normality back to his heavyweight run, Mesi decided enough was enough.

The end came to pass despite another seven straight victories notched on his C.V.

Walking away with a 36-0 benchmark, Mesi holds one of the best-ever undefeated heavyweight records ever amassed.

Upon the finalization of his boxing career, Mesi entered politics and became a medical salesman to support his family.

In 2018, Mesi got inducted into the New York Boxing Hall of Fame.

[DrDuke]

If he was able to go further, he wouldn't become a big thing. Well, the era wasn't tough, probably he could win some Brewster, Liakhovich or Briggs, but Klitschkos would destroy him.

[Ruthless-RKO]

If he was able to go further, he wouldn't become a big thing. Well, the era wasn't tough, probably he could win some Brewster, Liakhovich or Briggs, but Klitschkos would destroy him.

Yeh, the furthest he could have gone was a world title shot.. Around 2006 and 2007, the world titles were with different boxers.

WBO would have been an easy grab.

[Caractacus]

And he would have been Champ. (IMOP)
I know he was looking forward to fight Hasim Rahman

[gilgamesh]

If he was able to go further, he wouldn't become a big thing. Well, the era wasn't tough, probably he could win some Brewster, Liakhovich or Briggs, but Klitschkos would destroy him.

I can't really see him beating any of those guys, but you're right that that particular title would've been his best chance.

[gilgamesh]

If he was able to go further, he wouldn't become a big thing. Well, the era wasn't tough, probably he could win some Brewster, Liakhovich or Briggs, but Klitschkos would destroy him.

Yeh, the furthest he could have gone was a world title shot.. Around 2006 and 2007, the world titles were with different boxers.

WBO would have been an easy grab.

I mean Monte Barrett wasn't an easy win for Mesi. I don't think anyone in the Top 10 would've ever been easy for him, and if it happened I'd have been picking Brewster to knock him out.

[DrDuke]

If he was able to go further, he wouldn't become a big thing. Well, the era wasn't tough, probably he could win some Brewster, Liakhovich or Briggs, but Klitschkos would destroy him.

Yeh, the furthest he could have gone was a world title shot.. Around 2006 and 2007, the world titles were with different boxers.

WBO would have been an easy grab.

I mean Monte Barrett wasn't an easy win for Mesi. I don't think anyone in the Top 10 would've ever been easy for him, and if it happened I'd have been picking Brewster to knock him out.

I think, Mesi could outbox Brewster and Briggs for some time, but he didn't have tools to avoid their power for long. Liakhovich could box better than those two, he is worse stylistically for Mesi.

[gilgamesh]

Yeh, the furthest he could have gone was a world title shot.. Around 2006 and 2007, the world titles were with different boxers.

WBO would have been an easy grab.

I mean Monte Barrett wasn't an easy win for Mesi. I don't think anyone in the Top 10 would've ever been easy for him, and if it happened I'd have been picking Brewster to knock him out.

I think, Mesi could outbox Brewster and Briggs for some time, but he didn't have tools to avoid their power for long. Liakhovich could box better than those two, he is worse stylistically for Mesi.

He definitely could've outboxed Briggs for long stretches, but you could never sleep on Briggs he always had devastating power.

Briggs is the most beatable of those guys to him for me, but I can't see him beating any of 'em really.

On a sidenote. Briggs winning the title, and then needing to breathe heavily for like 5 or 6 minutes before he could even celebrate his win was always funny to me because it's not like he and Liakhovich had set a blistering pace

[Ambling Alp II]

Another great fight. The heavyweight division has just been awesome the last 20 years, hasn't it?

[DrDuke]

Another great fight. The heavyweight division has just been awesome the last 20 years, hasn't it?

So, is there any difference between the last 6 years and the 2005-2015 period?

[Caractacus]

[margaret thatcher]

baby joe was olympic trials runner up, boxed and won fights internationally on the usa team. beat rahman in the ams.. he was a capable fighter, just not top level.

his ktfo of davarl williamson was brutal

[Ambling Alp II]

Another great fight. The heavyweight division has just been awesome the last 20 years, hasn't it?

So, is there any difference between the last 6 years and the 2005-2015 period?

Yes. Most of the names have changed. Still sucks.

[DrDuke]

Another great fight. The heavyweight division has just been awesome the last 20 years, hasn't it?

So, is there any difference between the last 6 years and the 2005-2015 period?

Yes. Most of the names have changed. Still sucks.

Why?

[margaret thatcher]

for the hw division return to its great former strength, heavyweights need to start boxing in loincloths and actually only be the size of super middleweights or less

[gilgamesh]

for the hw division return to its great former strength, heavyweights need to start boxing in loincloths and actually only be the size of super middleweights or less

Ya know. You can easily respect past eras, and the modern era. It's not really that hard of a thing to do.

You sound like a f*cking moron throwing this sh*t out there for no reason.

[gilgamesh]

Another great fight. The heavyweight division has just been awesome the last 20 years, hasn't it?

It's had some moments. I'd say it's been as good as the 80's although it hasn't had a megastar like Mike Tyson. Business definitely started picking up toward the end of the Klitschko's reign, and up to now.

[margaret thatcher]

for the hw division return to its great former strength, heavyweights need to start boxing in loincloths and actually only be the size of super middleweights or less

Ya know. You can easily respect past eras, and the modern era. It's not really that hard of a thing to do.

You sound like a f*cking moron throwing this sh*t out there for no reason.

the strength of recent eras was brought up, someone claimed they have been sucky and i was suggesting how it could get better. it was right on topic my man

[gilgamesh]

for the hw division return to its great former strength, heavyweights need to start boxing in loincloths and actually only be the size of super middleweights or less

Ya know. You can easily respect past eras, and the modern era. It's not really that hard of a thing to do.

You sound like a f*cking moron throwing this sh*t out there for no reason.

the strength of recent eras was brought up, someone claimed they have been sucky and i was suggesting how it could get better. it was right on topic my man

You're clearly just being a wise ass, and trying to insult guys from that era though. Don't know why you find it necessary to do so.

The modern era could get better very easily. If we didn't have to wait years for the biggest fights to happen, and if there was 1 Champion in every weight class...and a lot less weight classes.

More bouts amongst Contenders would help too. Instead of everybody trying to take the easy path to a title shot.

And for the record on the subject of Joe Mesi, I had actually completely forgot about when he smashed Williamson. That's probably not the biggest name he ever beat, but that's definitely his biggest win in a lot of ways as the hype around him was probably never bigger than it was after that one.

[margaret thatcher]

hws today are so big and heavy, that actually smaller faster fighters more around 180 or less without weight cutting have more advantages. and the shorts they wear today are too heavy and baggy as well, it all works to slow them down and make them gas faster

this is part of why the guys in the past used to go 20 rounds or more, and the guys today can barely go 12. they were smaller, faster, didnt have so much weight to drag around

look at any top endurance athelte....how many 240+ guys do you see among them? they are usually average height or on the shorter side, and lean and ripped, not 6'5 bulky dudes. when you get that big, the body has to work way harder and it moves slower. dudes that big you can see gas out after literally 3 rounds sometimes. and when you're exhausted, the benefits of size, like power, start to fade too. also becomes more difficult to use your reach when you dont have the energy to actually use a stiff jab or move around etc

[gilgamesh]

I'd say it's definitely harder to have great stamina when you're a really big guy. Takes a lot more energy to move all that weight around. Though I'm sure they're stronger in clinches, and probably hit harder. Possibly harder to hurt as well. Though I'd say a well conditioned man of 185 or more is capable of hurting any man if he hits him right.

[margaret thatcher]

big guys are generally stronger and hit harder.....but when they're gassed, those advantages can start to go out the window. a big exhausted guy is going to lose a lot of the oomph on his shots, and will become easier to hurt himself. a smaller but much better conditioned guy in that case can start to be the hunter

[gilgamesh]

big guys are generally stronger and hit harder.....but when they're gassed, those advantages can start to go out the window. a big exhausted guy is going to lose a lot of the oomph on his shots, and will become easier to hurt himself. a smaller but much better conditioned guy in that case can start to be the hunter

Definitely. Fatigue definitely takes it outta ya. That's why it was well known that Earnie Shavers was significantly less dangerous if you could extend him past the 5th round or so. One of the most devastating punchers of all time, but because he loaded up on his shots so much if you could get him outta the 5th or thereabouts he was a lot less dangerous.

The finish of his fight with Roy "Tiger" Williams is amusing to watch because I don't know that I've ever seen 2 guys look more exhausted than those 2 guys look right there.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Many heavyweights today are not athletes.

They only bother getting in decent shape for the top fights, which are rare as well.

Whyte will come in 270 one fight then when he needs to he’ll be 250 for a big fight.

Not athletes all year around like they used to be.

[Ambling Alp II]

The heavyweight division has certainly had it's ups and downs over the years. however, it has never been bad for this long of a period.

People have touched on some of the reasons. Right now, there are three heavyweights worth discussing. One concentrates on fighting senior citizens and won't fight the other two. He is biding his time until they get too old.
The other two have not fought in well over a year. All three have some strengths as well as glaring weaknesses.
The only saving grace has been that two of the three have been willing to fight watch other.

The fights the last many years have been mostly pretty boring. Seldom do you see two guys going all out.
I know a lot of people that follow basketball. Or football. Or baseball. Even know a few that follow tennis. I don't know one person (outside the boxrec bubble) who still follows boxing. Not one. Our local media virtually ignores it. National media doesn't cover it like it used to.

If I started following the sport much later than I did, and knew little about the history of the sport, (like some people on the boxrec) I and others long time fans would be more positive. Don't know.