Holmes v Norton is a great example. Probably one of the most two sided fight s in heavy weight history where the title changes hands. I don't really regard the ali v spinks as passing the torch. Think it was more ali v Holmes. That was a fight that had to happen for the lineal passing of the torch. Similarly holmes and tyson.
Hatton vs Tszyu . Hatton was a live underdog in this fight. KT was established p for p fighter and first man in 30 yrs to unify jw division in 30 yrs. KT had only one loss in career over a decade and that was upset of the yr.
Sometimes "passing of the torch" just seems to be an excuse/label put on a fight to justify a cynical mismatch. It's a way to excuse matching an up-and-coming attraction or new champion against an over-the-hill great, usually retired or dethroned ex-champ, for big money. Usually the old guy doesn't actually have a "torch" to pass, he's just being symbolically sacrificed. In genuine passing-the-torch fights you'd expect them to be more competitive. I like the mention of Holmes-Norton, that's more of a "passing of the torch" than Holmes-Ali, which was a disgraceful mismatch. Whitaker-De La Hoya. Pedroza-McGuigan.