Meet Joe Mesi, the 36-0 boxer who never fought for the title

Joe Mesi is one of the unluckiest guys in the history of combat sports when collecting accolades. Despite having a 36-0 pro boxing record with 29 KOs, he was never in a position to clinch a title. In 2007, the Buffalo native was forced to hang his gloves following a controversy over brain injuries.

Mesi was closest to becoming the No. 1 title contender in his 29th fight against Vassiliy Jirov. He defeated the Tiger narrowly via unanimous decision, but the post-fight situation halted his sublime run.
After his fight, the doctors ruled that Mesi had suffered two potential subdural hematomas during the mandatory medical examination.

The boxer’s management went back and forth with the boxing associations to claim that Mesi had recovered and was not exhibiting any symptoms of brain injuries, but it was too late by then.
After walking away from the sport, he decided to try a hand at politics and joined the Democratic Party.

Nevertheless, the six-foot one-inch star flaunts one of the longest undefeated streaks in the sport, something that many fighters fail to achieve in a lifetime. As a result, the 47-year-old made his way into the New York Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018.