Beat Ali and Marciano

By Wendell Scott

EA SPORTS’ Fight Night 2004 features some of the finest athletes ever to set foot in the ring, including current heavyweights as well as past champions, like Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano. Ali is generally recognized as living up to his nickname “The Greatest,” while Marciano remains the only heavyweight champ to retire undefeated. If you choose to go up against these titans of the ring, or if you want to see who would win once and for all, Fight Night 2004 lets you decide for yourself who is the all-time best.

Who’s the greatest?

The Rock
Rocky “the Blockbuster” Marciano was a 5’ 11” powerhouse, who could take your hardest punch straight to the chin without blinking. He was literally unbeatable in his prime, chalking up more than 40 victories without ever losing a bout.

In Ali, you’re facing a foe that is far more rounded in terms of stats than you are. Ali doesn’t dip below 8 in any category, and he’s a full 10 on speed and agility. It’s hard for most fighters to keep up with Ali, let alone catch him, and Marciano is relatively slow. To compensate, you must keep Ali confined to the corners. As The Greatest dances, cut off his escape routes and keep backing him up until he hits the ropes. Once you get him there, don’t be afraid to wade in and take a few solid shots, in order to land a few of your own.

Rocky may be slow, but he’s so strong that he only needs to land a few good punches to do major damage. Work Ali’s body to shorten his breath and slow him down, and stick to your fastest jabs until you’ve roughed him up a bit—you’ll be able to tell by the bruising visible damage on his face. Turn the bout into a war of attrition, with both fighters taking it on the chin, and you’re sure to win. Ali’s got heart and stamina, but he’s just not in Marciano’s league when it comes to dishing out—and soaking up—punishment.

Still undefeated.

The Mouth
Notorious for his hilarious, non-stop barrage of humorous threats and poetic predictions, Ali was both a great boxer and a genius at psychological warfare. He infuriated his opponents and threw them off their stride, while he always stuck to a brilliant game plan that was never obvious until the fight was over.

For Ali, the key to breaking Marciano’s winning streak on the Xbox is to exploit his weaknesses. Rocky’s power and stamina stats are maxed out, so you have to be ready for a long, tough haul. It is almost impossible to knock him out in the first half of the fight. Rocky is just too strong and too tough. His speed and agility are quite low, however, and therein lies the way to defeat him. For a speed demon like Ali, it’s easy enough to stay clear of Marciano’s punches, by dancing, bobbing, and weaving. Rocky likes to go for the head, so keep your guard up and tag him with repeated jabs once he misses (or you block).

Defensively, Rocky likes to lean back to keep his face out of range. When he does this, move in for the kill and jab away—with superior reach, he won’t even be able to hit back. Rely chiefly on your jab until you’ve knocked him to the canvas a few times, and then start mixing in more uppercuts and special punches. As long as you’re moving, you have the advantage. Expect Marciano to fall in Round 8 or 9 at the earliest, and pace yourself, so you don’t get too tired to avoid his devastating punches.

Sting like a bee.

The question of who’s better is ultimately up to the skill of the players. But, in Fight Night 2004 you can always make things go your way, if you know how the other guy fights.

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