For decades, boxing video games have struggled with one critical flaw: they’re made about boxing, but not made with boxing.
Developers build engines. Animators breathe life into punches. Artists shape ring environments. But when it comes to defining a boxer’s stats, attributes, tendencies, and ring IQ, who’s in the room?
Usually, not boxing historians. Not statisticians. Not the people who’ve spent their lives documenting, analyzing, and living the sweet science.
And that’s the problem.
Developers Are Not Boxing Experts — And That’s Okay
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about disrespecting game developers. Their job is to create systems, mechanics, and interactive experiences. It’s one of the most complex creative roles in entertainment.
But when it comes to deciding if Julio César Chávez should have higher stamina than Manny Pacquiao… or if Joe Louis should be more explosive than Tyson Fury… or if Floyd Mayweather’s ring generalship should override his offensive aggression…
That’s not a question for a Unity developer or Unreal blueprint artist to guess at.
That’s a question for:
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Professional boxing historians who’ve tracked fights across eras
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Statisticians with punch-by-punch data going back decades
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Boxing analysts who study styles, strategies, and breakdowns for a living
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Commentators and trainers who’ve watched thousands of hours of live combat
These are the voices that understand boxing as a living timeline — not just a collection of knockouts and famous names.
Stats and Traits: The Soul of a Boxer in a Game
Let’s break down what gets lost when the wrong people define a boxer in-game:
❌ Common Developer Mistakes:
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“Power puncher = slow” cliché: This arcadey trope ruins realism. Fighters like George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Ernie Shavers had different tempos — and some were deceptively quick.
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Ignoring stamina personalities: A boxer like Aaron Pryor fought like a wildfire. You can’t just give him "85 stamina" and hope it plays right.
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No difference between pressure and volume: Developers often confuse ring cutting (e.g., GGG) with flurrying (e.g., Paulie Malignaggi). Completely different fighting mentalities.
What Real Experts Bring:
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Data-backed decisions: Analysts like those behind CompuBox can point to fight-by-fight volume, accuracy, and pace.
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Era-specific balance: A historian like Mark Jones or Lee Groves can contextualize why Henry Armstrong or Harry Greb shouldn’t be judged by modern standards.
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Title Bout-style ratings: Title Bout Championship Boxing, created by Jim Trunzo, remains one of the most statistically credible boxing sims ever made, because it involved years of research, expert input, and fan trust.
How This Translates to a Better Boxing Game
If developers want to build a realistic, timeless boxing simulator, they need to:
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Hire or consult veteran historians and statisticians
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Design a modular traits-and-tendency system based on real boxing metrics
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Map each boxer’s tendencies using source footage, fight logs, and analyst input
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Let developers build the engine around those truths, not guess them
Imagine This Workflow:
| Role | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Boxing historian | Compiles fighter timelines, style evolutions, context across eras |
| Analyst | Breaks down tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses using film and data |
| Statistician | Provides punch counts, win/loss context, punch zones, time spent pressing vs. evading |
| Trainer | Adds insight on fight strategy, in-ring adaptations, corner influence |
| Developer | Builds the systems to simulate that behavior realistically in-game |
This is how it’s done in NBA 2K. This is how FIFA does national team ratings. This is how Football Manager built its reputation — with scouting networks, real-world analysts, and data-backed decisions.
Boxing should be no different.
Who Should Be In the Room?
If a game studio is serious about authenticity, they need to collaborate with names like:
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Mark Jones — boxing historian and analyst with a deep archive of fighter profiles, especially from underrepresented eras.
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Jim Trunzo — architect of Title Bout Championship Boxing, with proven experience blending fight logic and realism.
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Steve Farhood, Al Bernstein, and Teddy Atlas all bring years of commentary and fighter assessment.
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CompuBox team — with access to real punch stats and fight flow data going back decades.
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Eric Raskin, Lee Wylie, Russ Anber, and Stephen "Breadman" Edwards — thinkers who break down the fight game with nuance.
Even involving respected gyms, retired boxers, or modern trainers would add perspective that can’t be generated in a dev meeting.
Final Thoughts: This Is How We Fix Boxing Games
If a boxing game wants to go beyond arcade buttons and venture into simulation greatness, it must recognize this:
The sport already has the experts. Use them.
We don’t need to invent realism — it already exists in the minds of historians, analysts, trainers, and punch stat trackers. What we need is for studios to open the doors and allow the sport's stewards to help shape the digital ring.
Developers, build the system.
Boxing experts, bring the soul.
That’s how we get the definitive boxing game.
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