Mehser
April 23rd, 2004, 10:02:05 AM
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20040423/1015370.asp
There is serious concern in the boxing community that Joe Mesi shouldn't climb into the ring again because of a brain injury suffered in his last fight, The Buffalo News has learned.
Boxing authorities around the country, including two prominent state athletic executives, told The News they believe Mesi suffered a career-ending subdural hematoma during his March 13 heavyweight bout with Vassiliy Jirov in Las Vegas.
Mesi was knocked down three times in the last two rounds but escaped with a narrow victory. He complained of headaches and memory loss immediately after the fight. He announced a few days afterward that he had a concussion.
Word circulating in boxing's inner circles is that Mesi's head injury was far more serious than a concussion, that a postfight MRI showed a small blood clot on his brain.
The clot indicates a subdural hematoma, bleeding on the surface of the brain, a condition that is the main cause of boxing-related deaths.
One boxing insider with intimate knowledge of the situation said he would advise Mesi's camp, especially father and co-manager Jack Mesi, to steer the undefeated Town of Tonawanda resident away from boxing.
"Jack Mesi needs to sit down with his son and tell him that now is the time to gracefully walk away," said the insider, who requested anonymity. "Joe can say he beat everyone that was put in front of him, but that it just wasn't in God's plan for him to continue."
The Mesi camp, however, is still discussing a pay-per-view event against former undisputed world champion Mike Tyson in the late fall or early winter.
Neither Jack Mesi nor promoter Tony Holden returned phone messages seeking comment for this story.
In a story written by best-selling author and attorney Thomas Hauser for the boxing Web site SecondsOut.com, Jack Mesi denied that his son had suffered a career-threatening injury.
Hauser stood by his story, which intimated that Mesi could have died had the fight lasted longer than 10 rounds.
"I had two reliable, independent sources," Hauser told The Buffalo News. "I believe them."
Joe Mesi is 29-0 with 25 knockouts, but he has faded badly in his two most recent matches. He was knocked down in the seventh round of his Dec. 6 fight with Monte Barrett in Madison Square Garden.
Blows to the head have sent Mesi to the canvas four times in his last 14 rounds.
He was placed on a medical suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after his late collapse against Jirov. A punch to the back of
Mesi's head sent him down in the ninth round, and a barrage dropped him twice more in the 10th.
The medical guidelines used to regulate boxing vary from state to state. In Nevada and New York, a subdural hematoma triggers an automatic, permanent ban.
"If in fact it comes out there was a hematoma in Joe's brain, then by statute in the state of Nevada, he cannot fight," said Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
More.........
There is serious concern in the boxing community that Joe Mesi shouldn't climb into the ring again because of a brain injury suffered in his last fight, The Buffalo News has learned.
Boxing authorities around the country, including two prominent state athletic executives, told The News they believe Mesi suffered a career-ending subdural hematoma during his March 13 heavyweight bout with Vassiliy Jirov in Las Vegas.
Mesi was knocked down three times in the last two rounds but escaped with a narrow victory. He complained of headaches and memory loss immediately after the fight. He announced a few days afterward that he had a concussion.
Word circulating in boxing's inner circles is that Mesi's head injury was far more serious than a concussion, that a postfight MRI showed a small blood clot on his brain.
The clot indicates a subdural hematoma, bleeding on the surface of the brain, a condition that is the main cause of boxing-related deaths.
One boxing insider with intimate knowledge of the situation said he would advise Mesi's camp, especially father and co-manager Jack Mesi, to steer the undefeated Town of Tonawanda resident away from boxing.
"Jack Mesi needs to sit down with his son and tell him that now is the time to gracefully walk away," said the insider, who requested anonymity. "Joe can say he beat everyone that was put in front of him, but that it just wasn't in God's plan for him to continue."
The Mesi camp, however, is still discussing a pay-per-view event against former undisputed world champion Mike Tyson in the late fall or early winter.
Neither Jack Mesi nor promoter Tony Holden returned phone messages seeking comment for this story.
In a story written by best-selling author and attorney Thomas Hauser for the boxing Web site SecondsOut.com, Jack Mesi denied that his son had suffered a career-threatening injury.
Hauser stood by his story, which intimated that Mesi could have died had the fight lasted longer than 10 rounds.
"I had two reliable, independent sources," Hauser told The Buffalo News. "I believe them."
Joe Mesi is 29-0 with 25 knockouts, but he has faded badly in his two most recent matches. He was knocked down in the seventh round of his Dec. 6 fight with Monte Barrett in Madison Square Garden.
Blows to the head have sent Mesi to the canvas four times in his last 14 rounds.
He was placed on a medical suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after his late collapse against Jirov. A punch to the back of
Mesi's head sent him down in the ninth round, and a barrage dropped him twice more in the 10th.
The medical guidelines used to regulate boxing vary from state to state. In Nevada and New York, a subdural hematoma triggers an automatic, permanent ban.
"If in fact it comes out there was a hematoma in Joe's brain, then by statute in the state of Nevada, he cannot fight," said Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
More.........