BABY STEPS
By Sonny Palermo
I came upon some sad news for the boxing world ? though it went unnoticed for almost two years former NABF heavyweight champion James Broad took the final ten count that we all must someday take. In further evidence that boxing needs no pension plan he died homeless, living on the streets of the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas, addicted to alcohol and suffering from vision problems and brain damage. Sometimes our sport just fills me with so much pride.
His passing was also untimely, as he was considered to be on the short list for Babied Joey Mesi?s next opponent??..
Babied Joey?s next fight hasn?t even taken place yet and I have already lost a bet on it. After having been knocked down by light hitting journeyman Monte Barrett in his last fight, I wagered that team Mesi would put him in with a heavy weight ranked no higher that 99 by ANY of the alphabet organizations. But I overestimated them. Team Mesi did me one better - they decided that the best way to silence his many critics was to was to go out and fight a guy who isn?t even ranked as a heavy!
Good for you guys! Take a bow.
Not to take Vasiliy Jirov lightly, he is a solid cruiser weight, but he?s a good 25 pounds smaller than Joe and has already had his lights (and career) dimmed by James Toney.
But at least he?s breathing, which is more than you can say for some of the stiffs Team Mesi have dug up for their charade.
On a more positive note they have finally decided to take a little risk and let Joe out if his backyard as his bout with Jirov will take place in Las Vegas. This is excellent news because Vegas is a savvy boxing crowd. You don?t piss on their leg and try and tell them it?s raining. And they do not like being conned. Bringing a fighter along slowly while he is learning the ropes is one thing but Team Mesi is a joke, and a bad one at that.
I know the Vegas crowd and I guarantee that when Joe enters the arena Saturday night he will hear boos, letting him and his managers know exactly what Vegas thinks of them.
Joe has been babied his entire career. One of these days, though sometimes it seems that day may never come, he will have to get in the ring with a real heavyweight. And he will be dispatched and exposed. His handlers know this, they?ve always known, which is why he?s fighting a cruiser this time out, a move without pride or dignity, a lame effort to perpetuate the myth while angling for a big pay day. That one big pay day. Because that?s all there will be ? just one.
The fact that Mesi is even mentioned at all these days is sad testament to pigmentation.
And the truly, pathetic state of the depleted heavyweight division in the current era.
By Sonny Palermo
I came upon some sad news for the boxing world ? though it went unnoticed for almost two years former NABF heavyweight champion James Broad took the final ten count that we all must someday take. In further evidence that boxing needs no pension plan he died homeless, living on the streets of the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas, addicted to alcohol and suffering from vision problems and brain damage. Sometimes our sport just fills me with so much pride.
His passing was also untimely, as he was considered to be on the short list for Babied Joey Mesi?s next opponent??..
Babied Joey?s next fight hasn?t even taken place yet and I have already lost a bet on it. After having been knocked down by light hitting journeyman Monte Barrett in his last fight, I wagered that team Mesi would put him in with a heavy weight ranked no higher that 99 by ANY of the alphabet organizations. But I overestimated them. Team Mesi did me one better - they decided that the best way to silence his many critics was to was to go out and fight a guy who isn?t even ranked as a heavy!
Good for you guys! Take a bow.
Not to take Vasiliy Jirov lightly, he is a solid cruiser weight, but he?s a good 25 pounds smaller than Joe and has already had his lights (and career) dimmed by James Toney.
But at least he?s breathing, which is more than you can say for some of the stiffs Team Mesi have dug up for their charade.
On a more positive note they have finally decided to take a little risk and let Joe out if his backyard as his bout with Jirov will take place in Las Vegas. This is excellent news because Vegas is a savvy boxing crowd. You don?t piss on their leg and try and tell them it?s raining. And they do not like being conned. Bringing a fighter along slowly while he is learning the ropes is one thing but Team Mesi is a joke, and a bad one at that.
I know the Vegas crowd and I guarantee that when Joe enters the arena Saturday night he will hear boos, letting him and his managers know exactly what Vegas thinks of them.
Joe has been babied his entire career. One of these days, though sometimes it seems that day may never come, he will have to get in the ring with a real heavyweight. And he will be dispatched and exposed. His handlers know this, they?ve always known, which is why he?s fighting a cruiser this time out, a move without pride or dignity, a lame effort to perpetuate the myth while angling for a big pay day. That one big pay day. Because that?s all there will be ? just one.
The fact that Mesi is even mentioned at all these days is sad testament to pigmentation.
And the truly, pathetic state of the depleted heavyweight division in the current era.
