Rahman vs Mesi

Like I said, you're welcome to put weight on the guy who beat Rahman when he was a complete nobody.

I choose to put weight on Rahman stopping Lennox Lewis and Corrie Sanders and Mesi barely escaping 10 rounders against C listers.

 

How was Hasim Rahman a 12-round fighter? He lasted into the 12th round five times. He got knocked out in 12 by Maskaev. He drew with Toney and Tua. He lost to Ruiz. And he won a decision over Barrett.

One out of five.

Mesi was 29-0 with 26 knockouts when he had his license revoked. He didn't go 12 because he knocked people out.

And who says he'd have lost to Barrett if it went 12. He had Barrett down in that fight. And Barrett was down two points with two rounds to go on Mercante's card and down one point on the other. Barrett would've had to have won both the 11th and the 12th on all three cards to earn a majority decision.

Enough. Mesi beat Barrett. Rahman beat Barrett. Mesi beat Rahman.

I'm sure Mesi and Rahman in the pros would've been a very good fight. No one was "levels" above anyone in that matchup.

 

What C-Lister did Mesi barely escape? The guy Rahman fought for the vacant WBC Heavyweight title (who Mesi defeated)? Or the Val Barker Trophy winner/Olympic Gold Medalist/former cruiserweight champ (who Mesi defeated)?

 

I know Mesi stopped him as amauter but as pro's years later, I believe Rahmaan developed into the more dangerous fighter. That is not a knock on Joe but the reality of what they both accomplished. Mesi was a bit on the smaller side as a heavyweight but from what I recall he was a good combination puncher. I don't think he ever would have been able to beat Lewis or the Klitschko's.

 

I do know who Joe Mesi is. I watched his rise through the ranks on FNF and HBO. And when he made his comeback post brain injury I wrote a feature on his bout with Lindberger for the old Eastside Boxing main page.

I think you misunderstood my post. I was actually praising his abilities: fast hands, good combinations, elusive, pop in his shots. Did you miss all of that? I'll throw in good killer instinct now, after the fact too. During his career he was saddled with the baggage of comparisons to other Great White Hypes, and I was pointing out that he was superior to most of the guys who have had that label. Since you seem to agree that he was better than Stander/Fields, I'm surprised to read that you're apparently upset that I mentioned those three all in the same sentance. You must be really easily triggered if you're upset by me complimenting Mesi relative to other professional fighter...

The part that really seems to have upset you was my superficial remarks on Mesi's appearance. I stand by that superficial evaluation as accurate: he did wear ridiculous looking shorts halfway up his midriff, he was really pale and pudgy. And he didn't look intimidating. But he definitely did know how to fight.

 

His level was Barrett and heavyweight Jirov level. They were C listers because they damn sure weren't B listers when Rahman, Tua, Sanders, Byrd, etc. were around.

Mesi barely beat those guys in ten rounders that he was lucky to finish, hence not a 12 round fighter. He wasn't physically strong. He had a blown up cruiser look to him.

 

Gotta go with Rahman, even though he was past his best.

 

were you born this stupid or did you have to work at it .. rahman was older then mesi by a year wasn't he? so if rahman was a kid that much make mesi a baby right? ...keep making excuses

 

How was Mesi lucky to finish the Barrett fight? Mesi won the last round on all cards, Dummy.

 

I don't think Maskaev would've beaten Lewis or Klitschkos in the pros, either. But Oleg knocked out Rahman twice as a pro. Oleg was better than Rahman. He proved it in the ring. Mesi fought a lot like Oleg and Mesi stopped Rahman, too (as an amateur).

 

Oleg could punch for sure but I think Mesi had much faster hands and moved around the ring better as well. I still would favor Rahman at his best against Mesi in the pro's and that is not a knock on Mesi at all. I think very highly of Vassily Jirov as one of my friends trained with him in Arizona. Joe out boxed him 8 out of 10 rounds which is damn inpressive.

 

Isn’t Mesi the soccer player?

 

Did you watch the fight? He held and stumbled his way through the last round against a gatekeeper with marginal power, barely finishing upright. That was a couple rounds after almost getting knocked out. That’s the second best win of his career.