Axel Schulz and his girlfriend Patrica © fightnews.com

But after two years, 752 days and many headaches (both literally and figuratively) later unbeaten heavyweight contender Joe Mesi will finally return to the ring in an April 1st bout in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The immensely popular Buffalo, New York-based heavyweight has been inactive since Nevada doctors discovered bleeding on his brain following his tougher than expected win over Vassiliy Jirov in March '04. After the discovery Mesi was placed on indefinite suspension and his career looked to be over. Eager to pursue a promising and lucrative career though, Mesi has since engaged in many medical examinations and a cavalcade of legal options before finally having his suspension overturned within the next 48 hours according to the boxer.

This doesn't mean he can fight in Vegas, however. Or any other state for that matter. Like any other boxer, he has to apply to the specific state in which he intends to fight. And while the well-spoken Mesi does plan on continuing his career in the United States, it looks like he will be avoiding the legalities of applying for a license in America for the time being. So he will return in April in Puerto Rico against an opponent he will readily admit "is of a tune-up nature." Though nothing was solidified as of press time, journeyman Ron Bellamy could wind up getting the date. From there Mesi could continue his out of the country tour (possibly fighting in Canada on ESPN 2) or he could come right back to the States to fight in Texas, Kentucky or Oklahoma - all places in which Mesi has said he has received a verbal confirmation that he will be given a boxing license should his health tests remain positive.

"I'm not worried about my injuries by any means," Mesi (29-0, 25 KO's) explained to Fightnews. "I have the best doctors in the world and they said my injury was as minor as a head injury gets. Six weeks after the (Jirov) fight I had a healthy MRI." Right now Mesi said he is interested in knocking off some of the ring rust he has accumulated, gain a few wins and lose about 10-15 pounds to get himself into his prime fighting weight of approximately 230 pounds. From there he hopes to resume his career from where he left off two years ago. He still owes HBO one more fight (under a three-fight contract he signed before the health issues) and intends to go through with it. "I owe HBO a fight and they want it but they've allowed me to take a couple of tune-ups first."

And then, who knows? Maybe it's back to Buffalo.

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Speaking of New York, the fight schedule in the "Big Apple" over the next few months figures to be the busiest time in the state in years. According to NYSAC Chairman Ron Scott Stevens, there are a variety of fights on tap and most if not all of them figure to be intriguing. A preview: there will be professional boxing next week at the Turning Stone in Verona on February 24th to wrap up the shortest month of the year. Then there will be no less than five cards in the windy month of March - a show on Thursday the 2nd at the Hammerstein Ballroom featuring junior welterweight Joey Rios and a card at the Grand Ballroom in the same building on Thursday the 9th featuring another junior welterweight, Spanish Harlem's own Edgar Santana. Just a week later popular middleweight "Irish" John Duddy will do battle the night before St. Patrick's Day on March 16th at the Theater at Madison Square Garden and on March 23rd there will be two cards in two different locations - one in Rochester and one in Westchester. Things slow down slightly in April though junior middleweights Ike Quartey and Vernon Forrest will fight each other on the 15th in the Theater at the Garden and there will also be a card held at a venue to be determined on April 28th. This is all in addition to Bob Arum and Top Rank holding a June 10th Garden date for junior welterweight title-holder Miguel Cotto, who if rumors are to be believed, could face the loquacious Paulie Malignaggi in a battle of unbeaten's.

Not too shabby for a so-called "dead" sport.