You've stepped into the ring as a novice and been pummelled by the big dogs. Now you want to school yourself in the sweet science and take it to them. This Knockout Kings 2001™ strategy guide introduces some basic concepts to give you a solid fighting foundation as well as more advanced pointers to help you on your way up the career ladder. Incorporate all of these tips and you'll be well on your way to improving your performance in the ring and ending up with a belt in your mitts.

FIGHTING STYLES
Don't step into the ring until you've prepared for the big event. Get an edge over your competition by doing your homework. Find out as much as you can about your opponent's style, as well as your own strengths and weaknesses.

• THE BOXER
  The boxer stylist is a true technician. His punches are designed to inflict maximum damage while maintaining economy of motion. More powerful than the freestyle and faster than the slugger, this style suits players who like a balance of speed, power, and versatility.
  • The Jab: One of the boxer stylist's best weapons, it has great range and can set up his most powerful weapon, the cross. Use the jab to establish your offense while at the same time disrupting your opponent's rhythm. Only boxers with tremendous power and specialization (like Sonny Liston or Joe Louis) can do much damage with this punch, so be sure to combo off of it with a cross and then a hook or lead uppercut.
  • The Cross: Possibly the best punch in the boxer's arsenal, the cross has almost as much range as the jab, does a good amount of damage, and is great to combo off of with a hook to the head or body. Use the cross often, but be wary with a hook-happy opponent, as the hook is a counter to the cross.
  • The Hook: A strong, consistent punisher, the hook works well when you're in close and can follow it with an uppercut and another hook. At medium range, follow a hook with a cross to ensure both have the distance to land. Lastly, if an opponent favors the cross, try to catch him with a hook (counter) to do extra damage and increase your chance of getting a flash knockdown.
  • The Uppercut: The uppercut is purely a close range punch, but it can be devastating. Use it in a combination whenever within reach. The uppercut does a lot of damage if you catch a guy ducking at the same time.
  • Other Punches of Note: The boxer is the only style that can throw a jab/cross combination to the body, making him the best long-range body puncher. Use that combo to score some points and get your opponent to drop his hands. Then go upstairs and nail his exposed head.

• THE SLUGGER
  The slugger stylist is a KO artist. Although he may lack the finesse and speed of the other styles, he makes up for it in raw punching power. Because of his limited movement and weak jab, a slugger is most effective in tight corners where he can overwhelm his opponent with power shots. He also needs to have a good Chin and Heart, as he will take some punches trying to close the distance. If you want to wade in with wide, powerful punches, you should use a slugger.
  • The Jab: For a slugger stylist, the jab is used more as an annoyance than a weapon. Having spent much more time on his KO punch, the slugger has little range with his jab and cannot combo off of it. The punch, however, certainly has its uses. At close range, the slugger should use the jab to break an opponent's rhythm, as it is fairly quick in such tight quarters. Again at close range, the punch is also useful in getting the opponent to cover his head, at which point the slugger can unleash a flurry of powerful body shots.
  • The Overhand Cross: Probably the weapon of choice for the slugger, it has decent range and does much more damage than the boxer or free stylist's cross. It is a great lead-in to a powerful sweeping hook to the head or body. Think of the overhand cross as the slugger's jab in its ability to set-up and lead into combinations, with the added bonus that it does a lot more damage than a jab.
  • The Hook: A good weapon for a slugger, the hook is slower than the hooks of the other styles, as it has more wind-up, but it does great damage. Due to the way the slugger throws the hook, it also has more range than other stylists' hooks. Use it against cross-happy boxers or to set up devastating combinations in close.
  • The Uppercut: The slugger's uppercut does the most damage of any (non-signature) punch in the game. Use it against crouching opponents and in combinations when possible.
  • Other Punches of Note: The slugger's lunging overhand cross is a quick and powerful punch. Use it to close the distance and score a big shot to an unprotected head.

• THE FREESTYLE BOXER
  The Freestyle boxer is a fighter who has so much raw speed and power that he can forego classical boxing in favor of a loose and unorthodox technique. He is lightning fast and has more combinations than any other style. At close range he is like a small buzz saw, able to chop you up with short, rapid strikes. The one thing the freestylist lacks is power, which means the fighter must rely on slowly beating an opponent down with combinations and triple left hooks. If you like a flashy, fast, and an unorthodox style of fighting, choose a freestyle fighter.
  • The Jab: To a free stylist the jab is a mid-range punch. It doesn't quite have the reach of the upright, precise boxer stylist's jab, but it more than makes up for its lack of range with its blazing speed. At mid range, use the punch often to amass points and set up quick combinations.
  • The Cross: The cross is best used as a lead punch as it has a bit more range than the jab and is fairly quick. Use it to set up combinations or to keep an opponent at bay.
  • The Hook: Probably the free stylist's best punch, the hook is fast, can be doubled and tripled upon, and is a great lead-in to other punches. At mid range, use it as often as the jab, if not more. At close range the hook is a nice start to a lightning fast combinations of hooks and uppercuts.
  • The Uppercut: The uppercut should only be used in close range. Use this punch in a combo as it is fast and does the most damage of any free style punch.
  • Other Punches of Note: A nice, quick punch for the free style fighter is the lunging hook. It is useful as a hit-and-run tactic and does a fair amount of damage.

IN THE RING
Keep in mind that there is more than one way to win a fight. If you're facing a heavy-duty adversary, it may pay to fight a defensive fight. If you feel certain of your superior skills and power, you can fight more aggressively and go for a KO. Get comfortable relying on different methods in the ring so that you can confidently face any foe.

Offensive Tips

• Work the Body: When facing an opponent of greater power or speed (hopefully not both!), "working the body" is an excellent tactic. The goal is to tire your opponent over the course of the fight by attacking the body (which drains your opponent's stamina), then go upstairs when the opponent is weak and slowed. In the first round, go almost exclusively to the body. Use mostly hooks and uppercuts to ensure maximum damage. This will require you to take some head shots, so block high if your opponent starts to unload combinations on your head, but go right back to the body as soon as you have an opening. If the other boxer moves around a lot, keep the pressure on by throwing a lunging jab or cross to the body. Throwing punches tires your opponent as well, so keep pressing and make him fight back. When the other boxer gets into the critical stamina area (yellow-red), it is time to go up high. Don't worry to much about getting hit back as he only does 50% of his normal damage when his stamina is low. Occasionally go back to the body to keep him tired. Keep attacking. This tactic should produce a late round KO or several knockdowns leading to a decision win.
• Signature Moves: Every boxer (with the exception of a new boxer in Career Mode) has a signature move. Some are short combinations (like Rocky Marciano's Hands of Stone), some are big power shots (like Lennox Lewis' Big Uppercut), and still others have evasive moves built into them (like Joe Frazier's Rising Hammer). They all do a good amount of damage, and have their inherent usefulness and applications. Learn how best to use them for maximum effectiveness. Don't overuse your signature moves though because they have a substantial stamina cost.

Defensive Tips

• Sidestepping/Counter Punching: Make him miss and make him pay. This tactic works best against opponents who favor one punch, especially if it is the cross or hook. If your opponent falls into a pattern of leading with a hook or cross, begin to circle away from that punch by pressing the D-Button with down or up. Move away from the punching hand and towards the other shoulder. For example, in the case of two right-handed fighters, player one should press the D-Button with down to avoid the cross and with up to avoid the hook. Immediately after successfully sidestepping a punch, the evading boxer should counter with a punch. A hook punch is the best choice, as it is the counter to a cross and a good close-up punch. Follow the counter punch with a combination.
• Tactical Clinching: Clinching isn't glamorous, but it is a great way to frustrate your opponent and stay alive. If you are low on stamina or health, wait until the other boxer throws a combination or haymaker (block it!), then execute the clinch. Once clinched, throw punches to the head or body or even sneak in an illegal move if you aren't in danger of a point deduction or DQ. Remember that clinching helps BOTH fighters regain health and stamina, so only use it to keep from getting KO-ed.
• Learn to Block: One of the quickest ways to improve your game is to block. As a start, just get used to blocking high, as most punches are aimed at the head. That alone should keep you from an early KO. Remember that an opponent's stance dictates whether the punch will be high or low, so you can anticipate the next blow before he even throws it. The best (basic) tactic against an aggressive opponent is to hold your block until the other boxer finishes a combination (remember there is a maximum of four punches in a combo), then quickly respond with a punch combination of your own.

ADVANCED TIPS
When just knowing the moves and planting your punches isn't enough, these advanced tips will increase your odds inside the ropes. Understand the nuances that make your fighter tick.

Boxer Attributes
A boxer's attributes all heavily influence his ability to fight.

• Power modifies the damage your fighter does, and also affects how likely you are to get a flash knockdown.
• Speed covers both hand and foot speed, and at very high or very low levels also affects your ability to get a flash knockdown.
• Stamina affects how quickly you recover your wind both between and during the round.
• Heart affects how quickly you recover from damage between and during the round. At high or low-level it also affects your resistance to a flash knockdown.
• Chin modifies damage from your opponent's blows and resistance to flash knockdowns.
• Cuts decide how easily a fighter can be cut and how quickly it progresses.

Specialty Punches
Lastly, check the Boxer Bios and learn the specialty punches of each boxer, and use them when at all possible {but this will cost you stamina, right?} (like Joe Frazier's left hook). A boxer's specialty punch does more damage and can make a big difference over time. Learn to use the specialty punches to your advantage, and you will have a huge edge over your opponent.

WRITERS:
Jessica Poorée/Tony Lynch