Many feel as if boxing won’t ever be what it used to.  Sure we have the Mayweathers and Pacquiaos of the boxing world, but do they compare to Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, two heavyweight superstars in their day?

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are welterweights who fought on May 2 in what many call “the fight of the century,” which failed live up to the expectations.  Pacquiao fought with a tear in his right rotator cuff, which he failed to disclose.

Because of this, many people who paid $100 to watch the fight on pay per view (PPV) feel they were robbed.

The fight went all 12 rounds, and Mayweather remained undefeated. The two split a $300 million purse, as well as an additional $5.63 million made from the PPV purchases, breaking the record.

Many would believe that because of these figures, boxing would be as popular as ever.

Yes, but boxing isn’t the same as it once was.  This is not to say that Mayweather and Pacquiao aren’t great fighters.  When the “fight of the century” occurs between two welterweights, the question needs to be asked, “Is boxing slowly fizzling away?”

What happens to the sport when the prominent boxers aren’t fighting? Back in the 1950s and ’60s, boxing was one of the most popular sports in the country, and there was seemingly always a fight to look forward to.

After World War II, boxing had become worldwide.  The TV series Friday Night Fights became one of the most popular series in American history.

The last major heavyweight title fight in the United States was between Tyson and Evander Holyfield 18 years ago. That’s right. The last time we saw the best of the best go at it was in 1997.

And what most people remember from that fight is that Tyson bit off part of Holyfield’s ear.

One could argue that the size of the fighter shouldn’t matter. But people want to see the biggest and baddest boxers go at it in the ring.

Knockouts in these fights are bound to happen, and fans love the knockout of big heavyweight fighters.

Boxing isn’t what it once was, but this is not to say that it won’t rebound in the coming years.