I'm a huge fan of Steve hiring Blaze, whether he could sing the notes or not. That was a ballsy move by any standard, whether it worked or not. Not only that, but Steve and Co still play songs from Blaze's time in the band. Ozzy and Sabbath don't do that with non-Ozzy material. Judas Priest didn't do that when Halford returned. Motley Crue didn't ever do Corabi's material with Vince Neil. That's what separate Maiden from the rest: their integrity. Might not like the outcome of their decisions or the albums they make (I do, but still) but you can't deny that Steve didn't take the easy way out and he gets all my respect for that.
Additionally, had Blaze not been in the band, the reunion would not have happened. Brave New World would absolutely not have happened as its DNA is pulled straight from VXI. They'd either have gone on to continue in obscurity with a better vocalist, or Bruce would've stayed and we'd get more albums in the vein of NPFTD or FoTD. Those are great albums, but I far prefer their reunion material over anything else the band has done, including their 80s work. Blaze was a key ingredient into getting Maiden where they are now, whether folks want to admit that or not.