It’s Fight Night. I’m dodging and weaving, eyes focused on the heart of my opponent. The right cross is thrown. I dig my soles into the canvas and parry with the left. He’s moving to the inside, his stance strong as his feet swiftly shuffle forward. Jabs, crosses and uppercuts smash leather on leather as I cover up. I’m shook, and all I can do is grasp to hold on.

My controls don’t allow me to circle out and survive past round four.

Having a strong, evasive defense creates champions. Ali in his prime, and Mayweather Jr. are true students of the sport. These champions are authors of untouchable footwork.

However, this year the EA developers are introducing Total Spectrum Punching in Fight Night Champion, which should allow for some more flurries and smooth combinations. That's all well and good, but I believe there was already great functionality to the throws in Fight Night Round 4. In other words, I don’t believe an overhaul like this was necessary, but again, it does look to be a nice improvement.

In addition, and this might be a jab at EA Sports, but simplifying gestures on the sticks a third time is not revolutionary. In some ways, simplifying the throws might make the gestures feel less genuine when throwing an uppercut with a quick flick of the stick.

The footwork is what really needs to be addressed. Having played Fight Night all these years, I have routinely noticed an inability to escape a flurry with your own great footwork. Advances on offense propel the fighters in the direction of an opponent strong on their feet, while a defensive step back can only be done in one direction -- straight backwards.

I have fought some truly talented fighters online in the past games; it was nearly impossible to bob and weave around the ring and use the space in the ring to my advantage. Only a handful of fighters can dance enough to tactfully use this skill.

Circling around is a common way to escape and would prove to be very effective in a game such as Fight Night. Quick plants on either foot would provide a pivot for a quarter-circle turn. That’s all that would be needed to evade and sharply change angles.

Instead of using the triggers for modifiers, I would like to have seen one trigger used to modify your defensive movements. Holding down a trigger and sharply pushing the stick left or right could provide a plant foot and turn, which would help in evading punches.

A defense modifier would provide for new collision animations. For example, new angles that punches can connect from would lead to new angles to slip, evade and throw from on the defensive side.

A defense modifier could change the entire strategy of the fight so that we could all float and sting and such.

Lateral movement is such an important aspect of fighting that is missing from this title, yet it is built into EA Sports MMA. Defensive ratings can easily be built off player height, weight and footwork.

One fascinating drill I have witnessed in Muay Thai boxing during sparring is a defensive game. During the drill, one fighter must stand one minute in the ring with no throws or kicks -- parrying and weaving only. It’s all anticipation, head movement and footwork. The other fighter has all the throws in his arsenal to attack at will for one minute straight.

In minute two of this drill, the fighter on defense can now add his jab only. He or she can use it as a defensive mechanism. In minute three, the straight can be thrown with an additional punch.

This type of mentality to a boxing game would be welcomed. The drill above forces fighters to pick their spots, and most importantly, protect themselves. Recognition of this technical boxing on behalf of the in-game judges, and the developers creating the game, would certainly add to the simulation value of the title.


Steven Bartlett is a basketball, boxing and golf columnist for Operation Sports. A graduate from the University of Miami, Steven currently resides in Boston, MA where he now works for Converse. You can find him throwing up the U on Xbox Live at Amaru37 or on OS at SBartlett. Follow him @Hurricane414 on Twitter.