Why doesn't the Cruiserweight division get more attention?

It'll grow in popularity as BW gets adopted by the bodies.

The one just under HW gets overshadowed by HW that's why they always bump HW up and add a new weight under it instead of doing a SHW division. BW doesn't help small HWs, it gives CWs room to be recognized just like how CW didn't help small HW it only gave LHW room to be recognized.

 

It's historically been a bad division.

There have been maybe 70 or more Cruiserweight titleholders in history and three (Holyfield, Haye and Usyk) won heavyweight titles.

Compared to other "junior" or "super" divisions and the champs who moved up to the next division to win titles, it's not a great track record.

 

Well right now it's a bit dead. Besides Opetaia there aren't any hugely talented guys there, and most of the old guard are on the verge of retirement or have already retired or moved up to HW.

Historically it gets ignored because there aren't any Yanks competing there, and for of the mostly European guys competing there marketing has been shocking. It also has a crappy name like Babality mentioned and sounds vaguely fruity in a nautical Village People way.

Of course as anyone who has actually followed it for any length of time knows it's one of the best and most competitive divisions in the sport and a bastion of no-nonsense balls to the wall old school action. Unfortunately all the twats complaining about how heavyweight is no longer as good as it was in the 70s and 80s don't pay attention to it or call it irrelevant or a no-man's division. Infuriating. So it's up to the lone few to educate the unwashed masses, through every generation (for the fight never ends).

 

It's not a "real" division, so to speak. It's a crossroads for guys that are too big/over-weight for Super middle/Light heavy, and guys prepping to go to heavyweight. Typically, when the top guys get Ws, they're not getting praised for their work, people are asking, "when is he going to heavyweight?"
Essentially, it's a knock off heavyweight division. Why buy Dr. Bob when I can buy Dr. Pepper for the same price and I know it'll taste better?

 

It's actually pretty weak compared to how it was throughout the late 00s/2010s.

 

Despite being considered a stepping stone for smaller HWs, It was my favourite division for a long time, always had elite/close to elite talents. But It's at its weakest point right now compared to last 20-25 years.

It used to be the go-to division for those who missed old school HW action, but now It's the go-to division for guys who failed at LHW to win a title like Zurdo and Badou Jack.

 

Well, a while back I started a "Unify the Cruiserweights" thread... and now, finally, we're getting close. Saturday's Zurdo-CBS fight should help advance the division's visibility and of the course the rubber should really hit the road once (hopefully) the winner faces Opetaia for all the marbles.

Zurdo's been making noises about moving up eventually to Bridger and then Heavy; so far his only title-fight blemish is a loss to Bivol. If he wins this weekend, good for him... but if he doesn't face Opetaia at some point, any success he has at Bridger will ring hollow.

 

Probably due to the fact that CW is traditionally only an "anteroom" for HW.