What do you class as a "superfight"?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the word "superfight" started being used in the 1980s to describe fights between the Fab Four (Duran,Leonard,Hagler,Hearns), but I heard it said on the tv last week that Cotto v Margarito was a 'genuine superfight'. I have to disagree. It was most definitely a superb fight, but I dunno if a fight between two admittedly excellent welterweight champions but who aren't exactly household names or near the top of the p4p rankings, really qualifies as a SUPERFIGHT, the same title attributed to Leonard v Hagler.

IMO, a "superfight" should be a fight between two top 10 p4p fighters, who have already secured HOF status, who are well known, and who are at their peak or at least not definitively past it. There are other factors to consider, such as weight, ie a fight between two big names doesn't necessarily mean it is a superfight, as if one man has a clear advantage, it's not equal enough to be a superfight. A superfight has to be relatively even odds, a 50/50 could-go-either-way clash. De La Hoya v Hopkins definitely had big enough names for a superfight, but because Hopkins had such size advantages and the vast majority of people knew he would win, it didn't have the necessary suspense or excitement in the build-up to be a true superfight.

I think the only genuine superfights since 1999 have been:

De La Hoya v Trinidad

De La Hoya v Mayweather
(debatable. Oscar was nowhere near what he was, but there was only a point in it on the scorecards, so I suppose it can't be said he was totally past it)

Lewis v Holyfield
(a slight question mark over this one, as Holyfield was pretty much past his peak by then, I think he was on the slide ever since the Moorer win)

Hopkins v Trinidad
(not Hopkins v Calzaghe though, Hopkins was 43 and the way he tired and lost to an inferior fighter showed he was clearly past his best. And not Hopkins v Wright, Winky just couldn't cope with that weight limit)

Barrera v Morales trilogy

Morales v Pacquiao trilogy
(not Barrera v Pacquiao though, Pac wasn't a big name nor had achieved much by their 1st fight, and Barrera was past his peak by the 2nd, everyone knew Pac would win. No Pac v JMM either, JMM just doesn't have the profile outside of the boxing community)

Mosley v De La Hoya trilogy



Those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. I have probably overlooked a few definites though. Anyone have an opinion on what a superfight is, or disagree with my choices, or think there has been more?

 

Jmm/Pac was a "superfight" IMO!

Also, DLH/Chavez!

 

They are definitely 2 super fighters, but not many people know who JMM is if they aren't real boxing fans, I don't think he has the profile and don't think the fight had the glamour or excitement in the build-up as say a Hopkins v Trinidad. Then again, they are the two best in the world just now IMO, and for all I know it may have done brilliantly in PPV terms, so I maybe wrong about that.

 

DLH v Chavez were before 1999 though

 

A fight that's super.

 

My bad, I just read the thread title and ran with itatsch

 

Agreed

 

A superfight is when two pre-existing superstars meet

I don't think it's as clear-cut black-and-white as that, as what constitutes a 'superstar' is very subjective. By your definition, Barrera v Morales I, JMM v Pacquiao I and II, and De La Hoya v Mosley I weren't superfights then.

IMO Hopkins v Trinidad was definitely one because

- before the fight Trinidad was #2 p4p and Hopkins was #10, so it fulfils that criteria
- it was a unification fight for the WBC/WBA/IBF middleweight titles and the winner would be the undisputed champion- a rare occurrence in boxing. That gives the contest extra value
- it was the final of Don King's middleweight tournament- extra interest in the fight. It was well publicized and hotly anticipated as I remember
- Trinidad was 40-0 and a 2-weight world champion, Hopkins hadn't lost since Roy Jones Jr in May 1993, that's 19 fights in 8 years

Maybe not as 'super' as Leonard v Hagler, but what is? I thought it was a superfight back then, I still think so.

 

Hopkins was past it, Hatton-Mayweather was a superfight in the UK, but not in the US. I think most US fans viewed it the same as a unification fight v a game opponent like Mayweather v Corrales, a big fight yes, but not a superfight, I don't think US fans thought Hatton had a prayer, and I personally don't think Hatton is HOF-secured yet either.