It's a bit outside of the Rochester region, but the 61st Senate District is drawing some interest from "Baby" Joe Mesi, a boxer familiar to local fight fans.

Mesi plans to seek the Buffalo-area seat as a Democrat, say news reports. So does Erie County Legislator Michele Iannello. Mary Lou Rath, a Republican, holds the seat but is retiring.

If Mesi wins and Majority Leader Joe Bruno keeps his seat, it might be fun to see a fight in a nonpolitical arena. Bruno is a boxer himself, and a New York Times article from 2000 says he's never lost a fight. Mesi's website says he, too, is undefeated. Different weight classes - Mesi is a heavyweight, while a quick search turns up no mention of Bruno's class - and a significant age difference, however, could make the matchup a bad idea.