Define "relevant."
I presume you mean as the premiere format for competition. Pump, magfed, mechanical only, hopper ball, ctf, hold and defend, etc are all relevant--they're just not the premiere national level format. "Relevant," to me, means fun. Paintball, no matter the format, is fun for me.
I think, in general, paintball's problem is the 3 to 5 year life cycle of players. People view it as the "zipline" experience. They do it a couple of times and then it's done on their bucket list. The turnover rate between the hard core and the recreational crowd seems to be higher than other sports.
Speedball is still relevant. However, i question whether it can:
1. Remain affordable for the majority of people who wish to play nationally and more than one event.
2. Be promoted as a spectator sport.
The first can be solved through limiting fire rates or the total amount of paint a team can shoot per match (no more 14 pods per person ala MAO). I don't play speedball competitions for that reason. I just can't afford it (wife, kids, mortgage, etc). I play once or twice a month year round at a recball field i help run with my friends. $20 to $40 a month and i get to have fun with my friends. Let's not even start on the time if you want to be competitive at any level. I realize this is true of any sport, but if the prizes don't pay for the work going into it......
The second will be far more difficult. Speedball is fine to play. It fails miserably at the test of "will the girlfriend sit and watch its biggest event of the year if i put out lots of beer, nachos, and invite over my mates." Football, hockey, etc all pass that test in general. The uninitiated can at least follow the basics of the game, enjoy each other's company, and call it a night. Paintball has no single focal point making it difficult to follow the action for the uninitiated, 1/2 the action never gets captured on film, you can't see the rounds (i still question whether bright neon rounds will solve this)....it just doesn't translate well. Fun to play--cruddy to watch.
Let's not even get started how the general public views paintball as a teenager past time. Though, i personally find people covered in paint, drunk at the back of a tailgate just as childish but i digress.
VFTDB has had some good discussions on this in the comment sections.
Sidenote: the Canadian "feline" is Tomcat Cunningham. He's a bit off his rocker, but I've never heard any reason as to why he'd be "paintball bitter." He covers a great number of competitions, scenarios, etc. He was featured on the first season of the Paintball Show. I believe PumpScout was always referencing Tyger.