if Mesi wins by KO or easy decision, I still don't see how this is an improvment in competition over the Monte Barrett bout.
Jirov is too hittable and is not a heavy. He's got minimal power as shown in his few heavyweight fights. I just don't see what this fight proves...and sadly enough, if Jirov isn't getting his tail kicked early, I could see Mesi gassing again and going to a lackluster decision.
Apart from Mesi being the next white hope, he's pretty exciting to watch until he gasses.
Sort of like Frank Mir really.
He should beat Jirov, but he'll need something decent to make up for his last fight.
I pick Jirov by decision in a very long fight. Jirov will work the body as he likes to do and Mesi will gas. Could be a very boring fight.
Joe Mesi BADLY needs to be exposed as the scrub he is, and I hope Jirov is the man to do it. Keep in mind he fought to a close decision with Toney, and Toney is now considered a top 5 HW. It doesn't matter, though. If he wins, Mesi will get massacred by the first top 10 HW he goes up against.
Wow, i am impressed that I agree with all three. I was suprised I didn't get any crazed Mesi fans.
They seemed to have gotten a reality pill during the Barrett fight.
As far as Joe's assets/liabilities, he's got a decent punch, delivers it sorta sneaky, and some deceptive quickness. On the downside, he punches really chunky (as opposed to smooth) and doesn't seem to be a very good athlete. His footwork is mediocre and he doesn't seem to be able to put together defense with offense, hence being able to stand in the pocket and counterpunch with confidence.
What's funny is that Dominick Guinn is way better than Mesi and will have to feast on Barrett -- a Mesi leftover that he was lucky to digest in the first place -- while Mesi gets way bigger paydays. Funny but that's boxing.
In a way, there's certain guys that are "smooth" versus guys that are stiff. Hasim Rahman punches stiff, like Mesi, while guys like Riddick Bowe, Chris Byrd, put shots together well. Mesi's stiff delivery just makes me think of chunky peanut butter.
Jirov is a tough fuck, up to the 12th round of the Toney fight, I had it a toss up (although i had Toney up my 2 rounds)...obviously, the judges didnt see it the same way and had it wide open for Toney...I think Jirov proved he can go 12 hard rounds with one of the slickest boxers today...Babied Joe Messi is good, somewhat tough, decent hand speed and decent strength...I dont think the fight's a Toss up, I think Messi might be too big for Vasily(sp)..but if the odds were TOTALLY one sided...I'd put something small on Jirov.
LOL@chunky peanut butter.
I just hope it's a good fair fight, something I hope more and more while watching boxing these days
"but he'll need something decent to make up for his last fight."
lol, definitely.
i picked jirov a month ago stating that he will chop mesi down via body shots either to a late stoppage or a split decision.
if mesi wins, i will consider him a real deal
The way i see this fight is another HBO promoting Mesi for a bigger fight againts another of top heavyweights out there...Jirov was a cruiserweight champion(190lbs) and he's maybe taking this fight as a heavyweight for the money,but this will make Mesi look good if he's able to beat Jirov...Last Mesi fight he didnt look good in my opinion.Tua will KO him !!
not compared to Jirov.
buddie
Guys, this fight is a setup for Mesi to win big.
Jirov looked like shit against Adolpho Washington (an earlier heavyweight fight). He is very hittable vs. cruisers, and against heavies the holes in his style are exposed greatly.
Mesi will tee off on him and it'll come down to if Mesi can land big early -- when's he's much more effective -- and dictate the fight. I dunno if he can stop Jirov, but Jirov is not impressive as a heavy from the couple fights I've seen of him. I saw him at about 200 lbs. Figure he comes in at 210-215. He'll still be giving away 20-25, and he'll have to eat shots to land his own.
Mesi winning big proves nothing to me. It proves he beat a style-limited, but tough cruiser weight. Jirov is there to be hit and taken out, and even that's debatable given Joe's stamina problems and lack of adaptiblity.
phatboy i'd laugh my ass off if Jirov beat him.
"he only gets hype because he's white" Then why isn't Corrie Sanders, a better white fighter, getting any hype?
buddie
Jirov will get stopped on cuts as Mesi bounces bombs off his face.
"Then why isn't Corrie Sanders, a better white fighter, getting any hype?"
Cause Mesi is still undefeated, and last year alone fought more fights than Sanders has in three years.
Also the fact that Sanders is 38 and Mesi is only 30 makes it easier to hype Mesi at this point in their careers, imho.
Damn Probst, I think that you are being a little fucking harsh on both guys. Mesi deserves criticism for the level of opposition that he faced to date howver, the vast majority of criticism that he receives seems to simply be due to the fact that he is a white heavyweight. In the all too sad current state of the heavyweight division, Mesi appears to be a legitimate prospect. The guy has quick hands, decent power, and a moderate degree of ring intelligence.
Vassily Jirov is a guy is a guy who due to his style is never going to look as ascetically pleasing as someone who is either ultra quick or a ultra powerful. Jirov has well rounded skills, he can either fight from the outside or cut off the ring and apply pressure. He is an olympic gold medalist(and the Val Barker award winner), he has respectable power, above average speed, great conditioning, and the heart of a true champion. In regards to the issue of size, Jirov has always been regarded as a fairly big cruiserweight. He will probably show up for this fight soemwhere around 215 pounds. Far too many people, led perhaps by the direction of the intellectually deprived Max Kellerman, seem to believe that a fighter has to be a giant to excell as a heavyweight.With the exception of Lewis & Bowe, historically there has never been a heavyweight worth a shit who weighed over 235 anyway.
"Then why isn't Corrie Sanders, a better white fighter, getting any hype? "
hes a white south african, not a white american
That's right.
True, but foreign fighters are an easy sell in America. Barerra, JC Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Naseem Hamed, Morales, Tszyu, Azumah Nelson, Dick Tiger, Wayne McCullough, Felix Trinidad etc. Were all extremely popular.
"True but they were not heavyweights, look at Lennox Lewis!" I hear you say.
Lewis was unpopular because of his play it safe style and his seemingly dull personality. What other great heavyweight can you think of that ISN'T AMERICAN?
Golota and Vitali Kilitchko are (were) both very popular.
"But they are white!"
So name me another good to great non-American heavyweight.
Whew, this schizo arguing stuff is really taxing.
buddie