Which would you rather have: A Great Champion or a Competitive Division?

[erics44]

competitive decision but at same time I like there being an exciting champion with an aura of invincibility. Not seen that one too often eg Tyson, SRR , Joe Louis, Frank Bruno etc

I think the latter brings more neutrals as fans too - bit like Taylor at darts

Bruno was the greatest heavyweight of all time

[Memphis]

Like Mark said, a dominant champion who can transend the sports brings in more casual fans, the more casual fans the more boxing is on TV.

We'd still find something to moan about

[Master]

great champs come once in a lifetime.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

A great champion emerging out of a highly competitive division

[Cressa121]

A competitive division would see more great fights, and could produce a great champion as the best usually rise to the top. The problem with a great champion in a less than competitive division is sometimes people don't appreciate the quality of the champion. See Wladimir Klitschko as an example, he often doesn't get the credit he deserves for being so dominant because it isn't a particularly deep division, and no-one is especially competitive with him when they step into the ring.

The light-welter division is a good example of what could be a competitive division producing a great champion. Its a tight run thing between the guys at the top of that division, but with them starting to fight each other soon the best will rise and begin to establish themselves as a great champion. That's assuming the Khan-Maidana and Bradley-Alexander winners fight each other.

[Spicoli]

From one stems the other really but we are not always so fortunate. Is a Champion dominate and really all that great unless he fights the very best available? Today its even more blurred with Champions and top contenders jumping divisions so often.

[El Kabong]

I'd rather have a great champion because nobody remembers the average joe's and competitive divisions (bar a few eras) usually end up making the whole lot mediocre. To the average person boxing is a lot like horse racing, people new to the sport don't usually know who does what best and which style match ups are difficult or easy, but a great and I mean GREAT fighter can make everything seem easy and can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and it's more heroic, it's more impressive, and it's harder to do...it's more difficult to be up for fights against guys who may not have the best records but have good talent or tough styles.

Look at Louis, Rocky, Tyson...those guys just had an aura about them they still do and when they falter (if they did, because in Rocky's case he didn't) it sends shockwaves through the entire sport which in most cases cause for instability in the affected division for YEARS. Look at the heavyweight division right after Louis, utter chaos, after Marciano retired, after Tyson lost to Douglas complete maddness, after Lennox Lewis....the middleweights after Monzon, Haggler, Bernard Hopkins. Heck welterweight after Sugar Ray Robinson, I doubt a unified Welterweight champion has made 2 consecutive successful title defenses since Robinson left the division.