The boxing is dead brigade have been unusually quiet this year and its little wonder why as the sport continues to go from strength to strength.

Boxing is really buzzing at the moment.

People are talking about it in their droves again and one suspects that we are only at the beginning of what could be a special few years ahead.

I read a quote the other day that said:

“Improving yourself is the best form of revenge.”

When applying this to the sport of boxing – 2017 showed that the sport was more than capable of improving itself this year more than any perhaps – when forced to up its game from competition elsewhere in recent years.

Boxing will always be around in some shape or form, that much I do know.

Somehow the sport has always bounced back as a sport over the years. Even in its darkest moments.

But if the palpable buzz around big fights was not enough to convince the sport’s few detractors and naysayers who’s “boxing is dead” rhetoric can actually be tracked back as far as the 80s, some tangible numbers by the folks at Google certainly will.

Here’s who were the top 10 searched most sports stars in the world this year:

10. Isaiah Thomas

9. Sergio Garcia

8. Carmelo Anthony

7. Lonzo Ball

6. Aaron Judge

5. Tony Romo

4. Paul George

3. Aaron Boone

2. Gordon Haywward

1. Floyd Mayweather

Boxing’s most famed practitioner Floyd Mayweather clearly out in front for the millions upon millions of searches for sports stars around the world in Google this year.

As a sport, boxing was also picked up by a number of major TV platforms across the world with perhaps more boxing being shown on TV at the moment than for over two decades or so.

Boxing is dead? Not a hope. Far from it – boxing is thriving and alive and well.