Mesi returns with decision win

By Scott Shaffer

01/04/2006

Mesi returns with decision win

In Guyanabo, Puerto Rico, Joe Mesi succesfully returned to boxing after a two-year layoff caused by a brain bleed and subsequent legal battle to regain his boxing license.  Mesi unanimously outpointed Ronald Bellamy on Saturday night by three official scores of 80-72, and thankfully, appeared to make it through the bout without serious consequences.  Mesi is now 30-0 with 25 KOs. He was rated #1 by the WBC when it was discovered through the apparently improper release of his medical records that he had suffered a hematoma or brain bleed during his narrow victory over Vassiliy Jirov in 2004. On Saturday, Bellamy (14-5-4 with 9 KOs) dropped his gloves in the middle of the fourth, allowing Mesi to land several combinations to the head. Bellamy was bleeding from the nose and mouth but did enough damage of his own to inflict a bruise below Mesi's right eye. Although the outcome was notin doubt, Mesi's eye was starting to close by the end of the eight round bout. source: Associated Press