Has the decline of the Heavyweight division helped or hindered boxing?

[bzkfn]

It's an interesting subject. The heavies certainly don't interest me right now.

The champions dont interest me, thats for sure.
Im only concerned with 'who's comming from cruiser' and 'what prospects are getting fights they deserve'.

I suppose that suggests that i am looking along the time-line a little. Something only a boxing fanatic would do (at this moment in time).

I think that even though the lower classes are getting much more exposure, i disagree that this extra coverage is really putting boxing back in the mainstream. I still have this opinion that most of the fighters out there are still lightly regarded.

Only a heavyweight can gravitate the sort of attention towards boxing to regard it as a mainstream sport.

Even Dela Hoya alone couldnt save boxing without Lewis, Holyfield AND Tyson

Maybe I should have posed the question "Has the decline of the Heavyweight division helped or hindered the sport for boxing fans?" We've had one of the best years of boxing in a long time, without a heavyweight in sight!

As for what you say about the prospects, I understand what you mean. But really, there are possibly 3 or 4 that I've seen that have a chance to do something amazing. I had high hopes for Chambers, but the Brock fight was kind of boring, and it discoraged me on him. Povetkin will likely stop him in his tracks. I have to admit, until the Byrd fight I hadn't realised just how good Povetkin is. It's really good to see him dispose of such quality opposition after only 14 fights. Compare that with Roman Greenberg who hasn't had a meaningful fight yet.