By Glenn Wilson
Late September 2003, there I am laying in bed with the wife, watching HBO showcase what it hopes to be a heavyweight extravaganza. Six young heavies, all with promise and all with the same goal--win big, impress the HBO brass and start climbing up to that heavyweight championship.
Juan Carlos Gomez does enough to win, I'm not impressed. Everyone is touting the praises of Dominick Guinn, but he seems like he sleepwalks through most of the rounds, he wins but it again is not impressive.
Joe Mesi comes out and starches DaVarryl Williamson in less than a round. The entire crowd in Buffalo goes wild, but all I take from the fight is that Baby Joe is loaded with talent, but the guy he just beat should have had a toe tag hanging out of his shoe. I've been to funerals where the guest of honor wasn't as stiff as "Touch Of Sleep" was during the fight.
As I go to kiss Michelle goodnight she asks, "Could Mesi be champ one day?" As full of myself as I've ever been I reply, "No Shoog, he's got a lot of power and moves well for a big man but you're talking about Lewis and the Klitschkos, the division is weak, but them three will be around a long time."
Here we are in 2006 and last night I catch myself telling Michelle, " I tell you what, if Mesi is definitely cleared to fight he could be champ real soon." As Costanza said, "I am lord of the idiots." I wear my crown proudly.
It comes down to simple reasoning, the heavyweight division is so weak right now. I may be a bit of an old schooler, but remember I grew up in the seventies. That was a time when very good fighters couldn't break into the top five because of guys named Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Norton and Holmes. Most of the guys ranked sixth through tenth would probably be cleaning out the division if they fought today.
The Joe Mesi that I saw survive the late round charges of Monte Barrett and Vassily Jirov made me think he was soft. Now I realize that he had something his idol Rocky Marciano had - and that was a lot of heart. Joe got off the floor and didn't run, he fought hard until the end of the fight.
You look at the top ten and ask yourself who he couldn't beat. Most of the top guys are fighting on borrowed time. I'm sorry if I'm somewhat crude, but I like knockouts. I like fights where fighters actually fight. Today you have the defensive mastery of Chris Byrd...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. You have the jab and grab style of John Ruiz---BORING.
There are some guys with a good upside. Sam Peter hits as hard as a truck, but at this stage of his career he has the boxing skills of well, a truck. But his upside is great.
Lamon Brewster and Calvin Brock definitely have big upsides. Rahman is still capable of beating anyone on any given night, and James Toney can still give a boxing lesson to anyone in the division. But James you could have sent Ruiz packing for good, but you messed up. Steroids? Come on James seriously, you, steroids.
Once again we go back to the number one guy on most list, Chris Byrd recently sleptwalked through a twelve round nightmare of a pro fight with, you guessed it, DaVarryl Williamson.
So you see how the heavyweight picture may clear up later this year. If Joe Mesi passes all of his tests and is allowed to fight, the division may take a turn for the better.
It's not 2003 anymore and these ain't my dad's heavyweights. Like my dad, Vernon Wilson, use to say, "Son anytime a two hundred plus pound man hits another two hundred plus pound man anything can happen." I sure hope we find out if that is true when Mesi returns this year.