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Joe Mesi dominates the marquee for Friday's boxing card at the University at Buffalo's Alumni Arena, but the evening will be just as important for Niagara Falls fighters Tommy Huff and DeMario Crittenden.
The pre-fight hype naturally accords Mesi the top, and usually only, billing (as in "BUFFALO'S OWN BABY JOE MESI andsixotherfights"). No surprise there, given Mesi's 21-0 record and growing recognition factor in the world of Western New York sports.
But while every fight rates as a must-win, particularly for an unbeaten heavyweight, Mesi's scheduled appointment with Keith McKnight falls more in the category of "he'd-better-win." Yes, McKnight possesses a 41-3 record and something called the World Boxing Federation Intercontinental title, which he's defended once in the four years he's held it, for what that's worth.
Most of those 41 wins, though, came against the kind of guys you see walking around shirtless on Niagara Street during the summer. McKnight pummeled victim No. 40, 42-year-old Jimmy Garrett, into senselessness in a high school gym last October. Familiarity may have been a factor -- McKnight iced him three years earlier. Garrett (whose record slipped to 3-22-1 with the second loss) apparently earned the rematch by lasting into the second round of their first "fight" and an impressive string of four straight knockout losses, all in two rounds or less, during the interim.
Ron Katz, the matchmaker for Sugar Ray Leonard, didn't match Mesi and McKnight to produce a highly competitive fight. Mesi's new promoter apparently believes a knockout in Mesi's main-event debut on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights" would be the perfect introduction to the boxing faithful, and the beginning of a campaign to expose the Tonawanda native to a wider audience.
A loss, as improbable as it seems, would be nothing short of disastrous. Losing to a never-was like McKnight would derail whatever momentum Mesi and his father/manager, Jack, have carefully built over the last five years.
Not that that's going to happen.
In McKnight's three previous attempts to stay in the ring with a remotely legitimate heavyweight, he's failed miserably. To his credit, he lasted at least five rounds before lapsing into semi-consciousness against Lyle McDowell, Obed Sullivan and Robert Davis (none of whom you'll see on a pay-per-view bill any time soon).
That should make the ESPN2 folks happy, as they like to get a few between-round commercials in during the main event. Mesi's last Leonard-picked opponent, Derrick Banks, didn't afford the network that luxury, crashing into oblivion after the first serious shot he took.
But if Mesi has little to gain other than exposure and his 22nd win (and probably 20th knockout), there's much more at stake for Huff and Crittenden.
The two share few similarities in the ring -- Huff is a southpaw middleweight who trains with Lew Ciavaglia at the 13th Street Gym, while the righthanded bantamweight Crittenden works under Ray Casal at Casal's School of Fighting Arts -- but opportunity looms equally large for each Friday night.
It's been more than seven months since Huff's last fight, a fourth-round knockout of Ron Carnell at the Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center. In the interim, the 160-pounder did some soul-searching while Ciavaglia recovered from colon cancer, then added some power to his punches upon returning to the gym.
A win would make up for the brief hiatus, and all but negate Huff's decision loss to Ian Gardner in his first pro bout last April.
At 2-1 and still maturing physically and mentally, a strong showing would boost Huff's marketability outside Niagara Falls.
While Huff waited to resume his professional career, Crittenden prepared to start his. Crittenden's scheduled debut last fall fell through due to a paperwork problem, leaving him to work out and bide his time until the next chance came along.
The tall, slick 118-pounder's first shot comes against Ray Morales of Toronto. After moving from wrestling to boxing following a stellar high-school career on the mat, Crittenden started quickly as an amateur and moved into the national rankings in his weight class. A win over Morales would mark the first step in following suit as a professional.
Assuming Huff and Crittenden each get into the ring (never a sure thing in boxing -- Huff's scheduled opponent has already changed three times, and a replacement has yet to be announced at press time), it would mark the first time two Niagara Falls fighters fought professionally on the same night in a very long time.
And for boxing fans in a beleaguered city, having that much to cheer for on one night could be the biggest news of all.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | April 2 2002 |