Con Law meets Sports Law meets Administrative Law

Three of my favorite areas of law collide in the latest episode of the "Baby Joe" Mesi saga. The WNY boxer, at one time highly ranked and moving toward the top of the card, had been banned from fighting due to the revocation of the Nevada fight license and the requirement of Federal law that all states honor such revocations from sister states.

Mesi's legal team put forward an interesting argument: since the license is only a one-year license and expired at the end of the year, then the State Athletic Commission lacked jurisdiction to ban him based on revoking that license. This ruling doesn't mean Mesi can step right back into the ring, but it does clear the path for him to apply for a new license in any state. He'll still have to meet the high hurdle of clearance based on his medical history, which includes bleeding on the brain.

More than the WNY connection, the legal interplay here fascinates me. There are also ethical and moral questions related to the duty of the Commission and Mesi's health, but I'll leave those for the Jamestown Philospher to ponder.