A Great Heavyweight Fight Is The Biggest Spectacle In Boxing: True or False?

With the right fighters, no doubt. As long as there is a star in the HW division - a Jack Dempsey, a Louis, an Ali, a Tyson - this is true. But when there is not a HW champ that transcends boxing like that, the opportunity is there for fighters from the lower weight classes to fill that void, as Leonard, Hagler etc did after Ali and before Tyson. That's largely what's been happening today since Tyson passed from the scene.

 

biggest spectacles in sport:

olympic 100 metres final (ruined by drugs?)
ryder cup, final day
world cup final (football/soccer)

 

Traditionally and historically the heavyweight championship of the world was the most coveted trophy in sports, and a title fight between two great heavyweights was always a major event. As a child I remember the school bus absolutely buzzing with talk of Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay. I could cite many other examples. The heavyweight division was the flagship of boxing.

Middleweight was the second most prestigious division historically. It produced fighters like Robinson, LaMotta, Graziano, Zale, Haglar, and many others.

I find it more than a bit ironic that today these two storied divisions are among boxings weakest divisions.