08.03.04 – By Matthew Hurley: The upcoming heavyweight fight between former cruiserweight champ Vassily Jirov and “Baby” Joe Mesi presents an intriguing question as to the worth of both fighter’s consideration in the heavyweight ranks. With Lennox Lewis’ retirement the division is suddenly wide open and it’s more than a bit disheartening that former cruiserweights Jirov and James Toney, not to mention former middleweight Roy Jones Jr., can even be considered among the top ten. This is no disparagement in regards to those fighter’s skills and, at least in two cases, their pound-for-pound credentials, it just doesn’t sit well in this corner that these guys are even competing with today’s heavyweights. I want my heavyweight champion to be a monster – “the baddest man on the planet.” A true heavyweight..
Yet the division always goes through peaks and valleys and we’ve found ourselves in a messy valley. Of course boxing, particularly now, can’t afford a period of malaise. And without a bona fide bad ass as heavyweight champion boxing will, and is suffering in the mainstream public consciousness. Already, even his harshest critics (myself included) are missing Lennox Lewis.
So what we’re left with is a new crop of contenders and a new breed of seasoned, undersized veterans invading a division they really have no business being in. Yet this strange brew makes for some rather compelling match ups. Which brings us to the upcoming fight between Jirov and Mesi.
In terms of credentials there is no comparison. Jirov is a proven warrior, a former champion and Olympic medallist. His cruiserweight war with James Toney, in many minds the fight of the year, was enough in itself to make “Baby” Joe Mesi reconsider his nickname. Jirov has been there. His dues have been paid. Mesi on the other hand has the unfortunate stigma of being the next “White Hope.” It’s not his fault, but race or ethnicity has always dominated the boxing world. That’s not a comment on the injustice of it all, it’s just a fact and you can take from that what you will.
The real question in regards to Mesi is whether or not he can fight, which is all that really matters. I say he can, a bit, and he has a fighter’s true spirit, as he proved against Monte Barrett. But he’s no world-beater and he never will be. He’s not big enough and he doesn’t have the skills to fend off the elite of the division, which is why he’s been moved so tactically (and brilliantly) by his management team. And yet he’s no less deserving than any other contender out there. If he’s willing to step up his skin color should be a non-issue. And he has slowly, carefully, stepped up. But Jirov, despite his size is three big steps up and you lose your balance putting one foot too far in front of the other.
So who do you pick? The small, tried and true professional in Jirov. Or the big, hard hitting, unpolished fighter that Mesi is and always will be? The pick here is Jirov. If the former crusierweight champ can get out of the first few rounds he’ll pummel Mesi’s rib cage with his unrelenting body attack until the “Baby” goes to sleep. But Mesi has a puncher’s chance and Jirov, after his war with Toney may be a spent force. And facing a much bigger man could prove to be disastrous. But it just seems that Mesi, in spite of all his heart – and he does have heart – is the type of fighter who will never be able to leap over that final hurdle. Jirov may be small in size, but what he has in talent and experience will drag Mesi into the deep water and drown him.
Jirov KO’s Mesi in 9.