most well-known?

Tyson is more well-known now and has been for two decades than Ali.

 

Younger people are probably more likely to know Tyson, but if you are 50+ you are far more likely to know of Ali rather than Tyson.

I think it is not known or forgotten by many, how big Ali was in his prime, it was a much bigger than Tyson ever was. For a time in the 70s Ali was the most known person on the planet, living or dead...

 

I think the majority of boxing fans now is younger than that.

 

Yeah. In the 70's the Pope was mentioned as being the second most well known person in the world,behind Muhammad.

 

In the Big Picture, which is ultimately the most significant, relevant perspective, it's Muhammad Ali. He far eclipses Tyson's fame in a deeper, more historically significant way.

 

That dosen't matter.

 

Source?

 

Tyson
Frazier (bec/of the link with Ali)
Roy Jones Jr.
De La Hoya
Foreman (his grill and commentating has helped his popularity, as well as his fight with Ali)
PacMan
Mayweather (your large when you do shows like Dancing With The Stars)
Sugar Ray Leonard

 

In the first half of the 20th century, Joe Louis's name reigned supreme.

 

Definately. I was trying to think of names that pretty much everyone has heard of right now. There may be a good percentage of folks who have no idea who Joe Louis is. Boxers names need to ring outside of boxing in order for them to gain international fame.

 

Because ESB is our own boxing universe of teens to codgers, the notion that MOST fans our over 50 is rejected out-of-hand.

But, much as it pains me -- with rosin in my blood -- boxing's a niche sport, 'n I suspect it's true, S.

 

It's called statistics. If we consider that the birth rate has been more or less the same, and taking average male life duration, there are more males younger than 50 than males older than 50.

P.S. I think John L. was more famous/popular during his time than Muhammad Ali was during his.

 

You really think so? Personally I (sadly) strongly disagree...

It is partly because the majority of boxing fans are old farts like myself, that the sport is dying.

TV is not interested in my demographic anymore, they want younger people to advertise to, thus Boxing struggles to get the (Network/Terrestrial) TV time...