Is Boxing a couple years away from a huge decline?

[eagle]

I believe for a guy to become a big PPV star he really needs to beat a well known older established fighter to get him in the limelight....

With DLH, other than the gold medal win his name was really mad beating Chavez and Whitaker.
Mosely really became known when he beat ODLH
Floyd became known when he beat Oscar and Gatti.
Cotto's name got more recognition when he beat Mosely.
Who knew Hopkins before he beat Tito and Oscar?

The trouble is the real big names dont fight to many up and comers these days.

Dawson would be a big name now if he could have fought and beat Hopkins, Jones and Calzaghe. But those guys werent gonna fight him when they would have a big chance at losing for little money.

Another example is the winner of the super 6. That guy will get heaps of credit from the hardcore boxing fans but not much from your casual fan. Put him in with Calzaghe or Hopkins tho and if he wins he is a much bigger star overnight.

[Kirkland Laing]

Boxing will find new stars easily enough. Guys that win in entertaining fights suddenly get more coverage, people get to know them and that's it. If they're on Showtime and they're good they'll end up moving to HBO. Like the Super Six winner will almost certainly be fighting Bute (provided he keeps winning) on HBO the first fight after he wins. If there looks to be a dearth of PPV potential fighters out there HBO will pick a deep division and match four top fighters against each other.

You may get one or two years when there's a bit of a lull but nothing to worry about long term. MMA or UFC or whatever will do its own thing, people will always be watching boxing.