Has the Heavyweight Championship lost its prestige?

Boxing has become global in terms of participation, I wouldnt say its lost its importance.

 

I have no idea who won the Super Bowl, World Series or NBA Championship.

 

I am not sure it has lost its prestige, but it has certainly lost some of it’s luster.

I would guess that some of this has to do with boxing being more of a fringe sport especially in the states, as well as rising interest in other combat sports as well.

To me the bigger detriment is the fractured title. With so many belt holder “HW Champions” (true of other divisions as well), that it is difficult to tell in recent years who the real “Champ” is. Couple that with the fact that they are generally unwilling to fight each other to prove thier claim as the man....most people don’t even know who that is anymore.

 

Everybody in this country knows who Antony Joshua is. You must live in a box.. 100 people? lol!!!

 

Would people still know who won the Super Bowl if the:
Eagles were WBC champs
Patriots were IBF champs
Steelers were WBO champs

And then all refused to play each other?

 

I thought Stephen Curry was a brand of Indian spices in Houston.

 

Boxing as a whole has tanked. The prestige of being HW champ has dwindled at a relative pace to that.

 

This. Ernie Terrell in an interview before his death talked about their being too many champs and too many weight classes. He also menentioned that new fighters are too focused on protecting their undefeated records and don't fight good competition often enough.

Ernie Terrell quote
"Why do we have 4 World Champs and 1 World??"

 

There’s always been bigger, or more renowned prizes out there, as there’s always been sports that are far more popular.

Boxing in general seems to have lost some of its appeal in the U.S, based on what I’ve read, but in the UK it is huge!

 

But here in the US there is an elitist snobbery, even if we would not use those words. That what is valued here is reflective of global values, and that is not the case. Boxing is flourishing in many parts of the world, but yes here in the US it has become a novelty sport except to die hard s.