'Baby' Joe to promote local boxing show
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

While "Baby" Joe Mesi looks to further his own boxing career in a march toward the world title, he's also trying on the hat of promoter.

The Town of Tonawanda heavyweight announced he is starting his own promotion at a press conference last Wednesday at Delaware Park. His first task is to put on a show in Western New York featuring some of the talented younger fighters of the area and a couple big names brought in from around the county.

"I've learned a lot through the years with Tony Holden, 'Sugar' Ray Leonard, my father and other promoters that we've worked with," Mesi said. "I think that this is something I can do. I think we can put on some very exciting shows. Maybe I won't be boxing in the ring, but I can showcase some of the younger talent, like Felix Mercedes, a two-time amateur national champion, who's planning to make his professional debut this year and , hopefully, on our card. There's a lot of young talent here in Western New York that we'd like to showcase and then close the show with some great contenders. We have some big names that we've tossed around that could come into town. We could do some great shows and keep boxing alive here in Western New York, whether I'm in the ring or out of it. I'm looking forward to that."

Baby Joe Mesi Promotions will begin with a local show in the next two or three months. Neither Mesi or his spokesperson Jim Cassidy could confirm a location yet or who would be on the card, but both men said they anticipate this to be the springboard for the newly formed company.

"Boxing can become very big," Mesi said. "Will it be as big as it was in the 1940s, 50s and 60s? Look, they used to sell out War Memorial Stadium for the Golden Gloves. That's huge. I don't know if we could ever revive it like that. I'm optimistic. I would like to see that. I want to keep it alive by not only me fighting, but my promoting. I'd like to see 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 people at my shows to start. Then, in the next two years, get 10,000 and keep it growing."

Mesi added he would look to sign fighters to his promotion in the future, but that is not the priority at the moment. He mentioned the names of local fighters Felix Mercedes (Buffalo), Nick Casal (Niagara Falls), Hector Alejandro Jr. (Amherst) and Les Ralson (Cheektowaga) as fighters he'd like to work with in the future."

"First things first, we're getting the promotional company off the ground and getting a few fights," he said. "I'm going to worry about that later. Yeah, obviously, I'd like to sign some fighters. Felix Mercedes, I'll tell you, is going to be one of the best kept secrets in boxing. This kid could become world champion. He's in a very competitive weight class (140 pounds). We've got the Nick Casals, Hector Alejandros, Les Ralstons. We've got some young kids, who could showcase themselves, open up a show, or get a co-main event. I think it makes sense."

Ralston, a middleweight, graduated from Sweet Home High School just a few years after Mesi and worked out with him in the gym as a kid.

"That would be great," Ralston said of getting on the card for Mesi's Buffalo show. "I kind of grew up with Joe. My father trained him and got him started. So we get along. If I can get on that show, and I'm sure I'll be on it, that will be great. With his name, it will be easy for him to promote, and it will be a big draw."