Shoulder injury temporarily sidelines Mesi

PROVIDENCE (March 13, 2008) – A shoulder muscle tear has forced “Baby” Joe Mesi to withdraw from his April 4th fight against Terry “Hurricane” Smith, headlining an ESPN2 Friday Night Fights pro boxing show, at Twin River Events Center in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Mesi is under doctor’s orders to rest his injured shoulder for three to four weeks.

Joe suffered a posterior and interior labral tear. The labrum is a cuff of cartilage, or thick tissue, in the shoulder joint that forms a cup for the end of the arm bone (humerus) to move within, allowing for a very wide range of movements. An injury like this restricts a boxer from throwing an effective punch with proper movement or without pain.

“Joe is terribly disappointed,” Mesi’s father/advisor Jack Mesi reported. “His promoter, Jimmy Burchfield, positioned Joe back on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, which is the plateau we hoped Joe would reach at this stage. This is just a temporary setback, that’s all. Joe will continue training to stay in good shape and keep his weight down, but he can’t do anything that involves using his shoulder. He’s still running and exercising. In three weeks he’ll be reevaluated and once the doctor clears him, Joe wants to get back in the ring as soon as possible.”

Buffalo sports icon Mesi (36-0, 29 KOs), former NABF heavyweight champion, currently rated No. 17 by the WBC and the WBC No. 1 contender in 2004, has beaten the likes of Vassiliy Jirov, Monte Barrett, DaVarryl Williamson, and David Izon.

“Joe’s shoulder injury isn’t too serious, but it’s a situation where he just couldn’t train because of it, and still be ready in time to fight April 4,” Burchfield, president of Classic Entertainment & Sports, Inc., explained. “We’re thankful for the support and understanding at ESPN2 and Twin River. Next week, we’ll announce who’ll be fighting on the April 4th ESPN2 show. 2004 US Olympian Jason ‘Big Six’ Estrada is still fighting 6-foot, 8-inch ‘Mount’ Whitaker in a 10-round heavyweight bout. Joe’s worked so hard in his comeback and it’s a shame that he can’t fight April 4. His time will come, though. Joe Mesi is going to be heavyweight champion of the world.”

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