Why can't any boxer become a superstar staying at Cruiserwieght?

I assume that some of the great cruisers have been household names in their countries and areas of the world. As far as where I live in the United States, it's been almost 40 years since the US produced a high quality cruiserweight champ who hadn't made his reputation at a lighter weight first. Maybe if America produces a top notch 200 pounder he will become a household name, until then it just isn't going to happen.

 

The ridiculous money and legacy that the HW division has to offer compared to staying at CW.

 

there hasn't been a boxer in the usa who was a household name in decades.

 

You're not wrong but I'm not sure that level of fame is even possible for a boxer in the United States anymore.

 

I think it will take a group of fighters like the Super Six group where it covers both sides of the pond. What those guys did for the 168 division doesn’t get enough credit.

 

I am sure Optetaia could do it.

 

not when the only way to see boxing in the usa is ppv or obscure pay services like dazn.

 

Because Cruiserweight lives next to Heavyweight. Can’t keep up with the Joneses.

 

This. A heavyweight that is just a good opponent, but not championship material can easily earn several times what a dominant cruiserweight champion can earn . Whyte most likely earned more as an opponent in one fight with Fury than Usyk earned in his entire career as a cruiserweight, so any cruiserweight with very good or elite talent would be crazy to stay in the cruiserweight division for very long.

As for recognition outside of hardcore boxing fans the cruiserweight division is viewed as insignificant much like the light heavyweight division was for many decades.

Here is Chris Byrd talking about how Cunningham despite being a cruiserweight champion had almost no profile in public to the point that even Mayweather didn't know who he was.

“You know, I used to spar with Steve Cunningham, who’s a two-time cruiserweight champion. We must have sparred a thousand rounds. Let me tell you, Steve can fight. He was long, he was fast and he had crazy skills. He showed me that the cruiserweights ain’t no joke. But even Steve, who had a family to support like I did (Chris and wife Tracy have three children), felt the need to dabble at heavyweight. He was getting $250,000 for title defenses and was seeing some heavyweights at or near the top level, who weren’t as good a fighter as he was, getting $2.5 million to $10 million."

“Steve and I would go places together sometimes, boxing places, where you’d think people would know who was who and what was what. But everyone would come up to me and not him. When you put in all that time becoming a world champion, you want to get more of a reward for the fruit of your labors."

“I remember when Steve met Floyd Mayweather and he had to introduce himself. Floyd didn’t have any idea who he was. Unbelievable.”
https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/featured-b...-heavyweight-champ-chris-byrd#google_vignette

 

Would certainly like Opetaia to try. It would be great to have a long reigning, dominant champion at cruiser.

 

It is barren of competition. The current champ has no dancing partner. To build legacy and fame you have to have worthy opponent. There just isn’t any at the moment. Why Usyk left for the Heavy weight.