Tyson's Comeback Can't Ruin These Great Times For Boxing

People are going to point to the rumored Mike Tyson comeback, and laugh at the farce that boxing has become. Don't listen to them.

We've been hearing rumblings for a while, but today Ringside Report claims to have confirmation that the former baddest man on the planet will return to the ring, possibly for Tyson-Holyfield III. Who knows how true it is, but it's not so far out of the realm of believability. Both men need the money.

And both men are horribly out of shape, and on the wrong side of 40. The fight would be a joke. It would be an embarrassment to fighters and promoters, and would probably still be the most-watched heavyweight fight in years. That's just a testament to the indifference with which we regard the Europeans who dominate today's heavyweight class.

Maybe the heavyweights dominated the casual fan's awareness of the sport in the '90s, but it's been a long time since the Lewis-Holyfield fights that were the division's last gasp for relevance. Boxing doesn't need the heavyweights, and they haven't in some time.

The divisions from lightweight to super middleweight are the strongest they've ever been. From 130 up to 168 pounds, we're seeing more talented, exciting fighters than we ever have.

Just look at the assorted titleholders: Márquez, Pacquiao, Mosley, Berto, Foreman, Spinks, Pavlik, Ward. And look at the names that don't have belts: Mayweather, Cotto, Clottey, Hatton.

And Showtime's Super Six is easily the best idea boxing has had in years, and hopefully a blueprint for the future of the sport.

Think about it: Mayweather-Pacquiao was set to be the biggest bout in more than a decade, until it got scuttled. Both fighters had their choice of quality opponents to fight in the meantime. When's the last time we were able to say that about the heavyweights? And when they do inevitably meet in the ring, the hype will be that much greater.

So let the pundits make their jokes at Tyson's expense. And let the masses have their MMA. Pound for pound, we're in the middle of a golden age for boxing.