Joe Mesi

He could have been the next povetkin...maybe haye level success. Without the klitschkos, he would have been one of the four titlests who had no claim whatsoever to the true championship

 

He was just another great white hype nowhere near Haye or Povetkins level, first time he stepped up to gatekeeper level he went life and death with Barret and Jirov. And Jirov pretty much ended his career. If he got a shot at Ruiz or Byrd he would have lost.

 

Haven't heard Mesi's name for years. What's become of him?

 

In the Jirov fight he picked up a brain injury

 

So Joe Mesi could of been the next Marciano? So you mean a no talent bum who was only popular because he was white? Now how is that something to brag about?

 

He was pretty good.
Didn't he annhiliate DeVaryl Williamson (who went on to go 12 rounds with Byrd and put Wladimir Klitschko on the deck) in 1 round ?

Or am I misremembering ?

 

He was a quality fighter. He hit hard and his hands were surprisingly fast. On the downside, his cardio wasn't great.

Before the brain bleed he was being manuevered toward a superfight with Tyson. In retrospect, I think he would have survived the early assault before stopping Mike. From there he would have been fed to Vitali. After that he would have mixed it up with guys like Sherman Williams, Ruiz, Rahman, Barrett again, and he would have won some and lost some.

 

He was a tough kid with a lot of heart, I remember him KO 1 DaVarell Williamson and Robert Davis and he had a good win brawl with Monte Barrett (I think both were decked)

Unfortunately he sustained a back of the head injury against the rough and rugged Jirov and brain damage was detected.

I dont think he would be able to beat the Klitschko's but he had a punchers chance (started quick but faded late) He had power and boxing ability but a head injury and brain bleeding is no joke but Joe is a nice guy wish him well and thank him for some good action fights. How do we rate him? IMO Better than the guys he beat and as a fighter he was fit and dedicated and well spoken and smart.

As far as saying he would have been another Marciano because he was Italian or white is an insult to Marciano and any Italian just like saying Chazz Witherspoon would be another Joe Louis because he is Black or Tommy Morrison could be another Dempsey because he is white or Irish

Good luck Joe and thank you for your best efforts

 

Tommy Morrison vs Mesi would have been an interesting fight......shades of Joe Hipp??

 

Tough guy and had good pop and more skills than he got credit for -- but not true championship material.

Without the injury and with no Klitschkos, perhaps he could have won a belt with the right breaks but not the type who could unify IMO.

Sad ending to a bright career.

 

I remember him being considered a bit of a protected joke back in the day on this forum.

He was a mediocre talent imo.outside of the K Bros he could have picked up a decent win or two by the standards of this heavy era, maybe won a belt, but he wasn't a good world class heavyweight.Still, no worse than alot of the fighters that have made up the top ten in recent years.An honest fighter.

 

He became a fat ******* IIRC....

 

A mediocre, protected fighter.

 

When Haye first faced a 'gatekeeper' he was stopped by Carl Thompson, and when he first moved up to heavyweight he chose a much older version of Monte Barrett as his 'name fighter' to justify a shot at the Klitschko.
If Haye had fought a younger Barrett who knows how well he would have done.
If Mesi was a great white hype, Haye's a great brown hype.

And often even some of the best fighters have had serious trouble with 'gatekeepers' when moving up in quality of opponent.