Baby Joe blasts away Davis and critics in one round

By Bob Caico

One hour before the Baby Joe Mesi vs Robert Davis fight last month, I had a chat with boxing expert, Bert Sugar about the state of the heavyweight division. He said the division is wide open and with Mesi’s following and ability, he has a chance to break the top ten rankings. "But, not only does he have to win tonight, he has to win impressively," warned Sugar.

Well, Baby Joe won very impressively with an 80-second knockout of Robert Davis on ESPN2’s Tuesday Night fights in front of over 10,000 fans at HSBC Arena. It took only eight power punches to put Davis away.

Mesi’s face looked very serious as the referee was giving the instructions prior to the bout. "I felt a little more pressure for this fight, I knew I had to win impressively," said Mesi. Just over one minute into round one, Mesi let go a left-right combination that floored Davis for a count of five. Mesi remarked, "Davis is prone to getting knocked down early, flash knockdowns, but he has been known to get up and get stronger as the fight goes on."

The look on Davis’ face when he got up, showed that this was no flash knockdown. Baby Joe went in and finished him off. Another left then a devastating right hand dropped Davis like a sack of potatoes. Referee Herbert Earle didn’t even render a count as he immediately stopped the fight. Joe said, "I felt my right hand crush his face and I knew I had to end it right there." This was Mesi’s 17th straight KO to go with his 26-0 (24) record.

Mesi’s trainer and good friend Juan DeLeon said, "Joe has the speed and power now to be a top-ten fighter among heavyweights."

Baby Joe now owns the NABF Heavyweight title that should garner him a top ten ranking and a big-name opponent for his next fight. "Eight years ago I was this fat kid, training to lose weight in my basement when I watched Shannon Briggs win this title. I wanted to know what it would feel like to win a belt, now I know," said Mesi.

Tony Holden, promoter for Team Mesi said, "what I heard about Buffalo and the fans here is true, they are the best. I am very happy and we will build off this for better things for Joe and Buffalo."

Manager and father, Jack Mesi, was just as nervous for a fight as usual, but there was more satisfaction after this win. "Winning the title and proving to the fans that we are getting closer to our goal is very satisfying," said Jack Mesi. "Now it’s proven."

There will be no rest for the new champion or trainer DeLeon. "We never have layoffs," said DeLeon. "Joe will continue to lift weights, run, and do his gym work as normal." DeLeon will also be busy with his amateur fighters from the Buffalo area, like Felix Mercedes and Marissa Diaz. Team Mesi though, will be together for a long time. Jack Mesi said, "we are a family group, it goes beyond boxing, we will be family after we win the World Title and after boxing is done."

Buffalo’s Ross Thompson finally fought in front of his home crowd and won a six round decision over Sam Reese. This win should give Thompson another shot at a top fighter in the Super Middleweight division.

At the present time, Mesi is anticipating a fight scheduled for Saturday September 27 at HSBC Arena to be aired on HBO’s Night of the Young Heavyweights Extravaganza. The final details are under negotiation. His tentative opponent is DaVarryl Williamson. Williamson is 18-1 with 16 KO’s.

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