question states - worldwide, kids-old ppl. the name with the highest chance is Tyson. the M one. the rest of them dont really qualify.
Ali Tyson That's pretty much it. Which says a fair bit, even Mayweather and Pacman are not truly worldwide household names IMO.
Rocky Balboa That's also being honest because that movie and character are more famous than any actual boxer has ever been.
Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali that's it. Don't be foolish to think that everyone knows Mayweather or Pac. Unfortunately, the sport is not so popular anymore.
PPV eliminated boxers and boxings popularity. It's a niche sport on expensive networks now a days. If it was on regular cable or a more widely used platform boxing would be more widely known. Basically the only people I know who keep up with boxing are guys from my gym and people on here. Average person I talk to might know Mayweather and Pacquiao for modern boxers and that's about it. When Ali was fighting on NBC he was getting around 300 million views. https://www.sportsbroadcastjournal....i-frazier-i-a-fight-with-political-overtones/ Compare that to Mayweather vs Pacquiao 4.6 million PPV buys.
Yeah, combat sports during last maybe 15 years looks that are less and less interesting for large TV networks. Old times: TV channels had paid for broadcasting rights nice for these times prices, the same big fights in 70 ies, 80 ies had been well known, now not that much. Team sport like basketball, ice hockey, football, soccer looks that is taking place in big media more and more. Internet portals, lurk in some large websites oriented on sport, not directly niche resources like this forum. What kind of sport events usually appears on first page? Most frequently. Ofc if you will click menu and select " combat sport" " boxing" then more info with articles will appear. General front page? What there usually is?
EVERYONE knows Ali , Tyson, Louis etc Ma e most know Pacquaio. I remember those HS athletes @ the Ms Sports HOF were shown pics of sporting heroes in street clothes & ask to name them . They all knew Ali & Tyson only one kid knew Floyd & he said " Thats that funny little dwarf guy with the long baggy shorts that fought Big Show on WWE they said he was a boxer but he didnt look big enough" lol No one else recognized him
I thought World Series of Boxing had some potential being a team sport. I really liked the idea. It would have been better if it was straight up teams with the best fighters vs teams by country. Too bad they haven't had an event in two years.
To the casuals today boxing is regarded on a par with the WWE. They say the results are pre arranged & are not really a sport Just entertainment Really who can blame them with many of the "judges" scorecards entered today that are absolutely ludicrous