Highlights

• Boxers find inspiration in unique figures like Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, and fictional fighters like Little Mac from "Punch-Out!!".
• "Punch-Out!!" debuted in Japanese arcades in 1984 before hitting the NES, introducing iconic characters and a dual-screen gaming experience.
• Little Mac is classified as a counterpuncher, with Star Punches resembling those of real-world boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez.

When boxers are asked about other boxers who have inspired them that hold a special place in their upbringing or introduction to the sport, for every ten times the question is asked, ten unique answers come back. It's not uncommon for big figures to show up on these list of boxers who inspire them; fighters like Mike Tyson, Hector Camacho, Saul Alvarez, and 'The Greatest,' Muhammad Ali.

Another common link would be names of fictional fighters such as Rocky Balboa or Adonis Creed. When it comes to the Nintendo game, a champion who climbed the ranks of the WVBA (the World Video Boxing Association), the one and only star of Nintendo's "Punch-Out!!" series, Little Mac. Many gamers can credit the character as their introduction to the sport of boxing, and for some, literally their only experience with the sport.

9 Punch-Out!! Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary In 2024

People Gloved Up in Japanese Arcades For the First Time on February 17, 1984

Most Americans' first experience with "Punch-Out!!" would probably be the extremely popular NES cartridge "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" (later reformatted to simply "Punch-Out!!") but the game actually launched in Japanese arcades three years prior, on February 17, 1984. The arcade cabinet would debut in the United States the following month. The NES cart would see more widespread recognition, but for those who visited arcades in the early 1980s, "Punch-Out!!" would be a knockout.

The cabinet, a modified upright design, marked Nintendo's initial venture into dual-screen gaming well ahead of the Nintendo DS. The top monitor displayed the player's boxer and the opponent, while the bottom served as the main playfield. Players controlled a green wireframe boxer, observing opponent movements.

With a single three-minute round, players aimed to knock out opponents using a filling KO Meter and devastating uppercuts, capitalizing on opponent "tells." This arcade sensation introduced iconic fighters like Glass Joe, Piston Hurricane (later Piston Honda), and Bald Bull, along with cameo appearances from early Nintendo characters such as Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. This laid the foundation for a boxing series that would later explode in popularity on home consoles.

8 Little Mac Is Primarily Classified As A Counterpuncher

Now You Know Where Those Star Punches Come From

Many people who follow the real-world sport of boxing know that boxers generally fall into a few categories. Some, like the infamous Eric Esch, AKA "Butterbean," were clear brawlers. People who potentially didn't have as much bang as a brawler but timed their shots carefully and with accuracy, like Puerto Rico's Felix "Tito" Trinidad, were considered boxer-punchers. Categories are invented and rebranded and the lines between them blur.

Therefore, Little Mac's Star Punches are clear variants of counterpuncher. He'd be in with some good company too, such as super featherweight and common Pacquiao foe Juan Manuel Marquez, the surprisingly-light-for-a-heavyweight James "Lights Out" Toney, and the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr.

7 Little Mac Was Originally Named "Peter Punch"

Mac's name wasn't always going to be Mac, nor was he going to be little. In his book Game Over: How Nintendo Took Over The World, author and journalist David Sheff reveals that Little Mac was originally intended to be named "Peter Punch."

We think Mac may have dodged a bullet on that one. "Peter Punch" sounds less like a boxer and more like a made-up cartoon character designed to peddle store-brand fruit punch.

6 Hit Your Buddy Up For A Game Of "Super Punch-Out!!"

The Undiscovered Two-Player Mode Only Took 28 Years To Find

Speaking of the 1994 sequel, remember games that had couch co-op? Wasn't it fun? "Super Punch-Out!!" remembered... 28 years later.

"Super Punch-Out!!" was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on September 14, 1994, and the single-player boxing game received very positive reviews. Fast-forward to August 2022, a month and a half shy of 28 years since the sequel's release, and "Super Punch-Out!!" comes out as bi-playable.

As revealed on X (then Twitter) post by Unlisted Cheats both the original SNES cartridge and the Nintendo Switch Online version contain hitherto undiscovered cheat codes, which, when entered, would unlock a hidden two-player mode. Likely left on the cart as a developer testing mode, the code requires the player to plug in two controllers to the SNES console. The cheats can be a little bit difficult to explain for what buttons to hold on what controller, but the above video explains it well.

5 Doc Louis Is More Real Than You Realize

Close

Little Mac's long-time trainer has been the candy-loving mentor from Brooklyn, Doc Lewis. Jerome "Doc" Louis has trained Mac in just about every title except "Super Punch-Out!!" - if that really IS Mac...

The quippy trainer that encourages people to join the Nintendo Fan Club a full 35 years after the Club's rebranding to Nintendo Power magazine is largely believed to be inspired by another fictional boxing trainer, Tony "Duke" Evans, Apollo Creed's trainer played in the "Rocky" franchise by Tony Burton. However, there may be a more tangible, real-world connection as it's also possible that Louis was inspired by a boxer with a homophonous name - Joe Louis, who was at the time only the second African-American to hold the heavyweight championship, and the man with the longest title reign clocking in at an absurd twelve years.

4 Speedrunning The Game Boils Down To Split-Second Frames

Records Require Flawless Gameplay And A Lot Of Luck

Mike Tyson once knocked out an opponent in only 30 seconds of the first round. While they can't lay claim to quite that fast of a record, speedrunners - people who dissect video games and their gameplay mechanics to beat a game as quickly as possible - have boiled down the classic NES game down to near-perfection. In fact, the difference between the world record and the second place finish comes down to literal frames that last fractions of a second, along with a healthy dose of luck.

Speedruns for the game generally involve a cumulation of seconds actually in play, from the first bell to knocking out a fighter, so the time between fights is not involved. The world record holder, a gamer known as "Summoningsalt," has beaten one of the most notoriously-hard titles on the NES in almost fifteen minutes - 14:46, to be exact.

3 Mario Was The Referee In The Original Punch-Out Game

"Iron" Mike Tyson destroyed opponents in the real-world heavyweight division throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and the game featuring his licensed likeness debuted in October 1987, during the height of his career. But even all that fame and popularity couldn't hold a candle to that of one mustachioed plumber.

A star in his own right by the time "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" hit store shelves, the game's referee was none other than Nintendo's brightest star, Mario. He did it on the sly, however, as it's been reported that the game's creator, Genyo Takeda, didn't plan to use him in the final product. Nobody stopped him, however, and Mario's job-hopping days began.

2 Aran Ryan Is A Big Cheater

The world of YouTube has much to offer the boxing fan. From classic and historic matches to analysis ad nauseum, if boxing fans want it, they can probably find it on the platform. The same can be said for gaming content, which produced original and entertaining content when the two fields overlap.

A few years ago, a YouTuber by the name of Bumbles McFumbles actually sat down to find out who was the biggest cheater in the "Punch-Out!!" series, and though he gets some of the details about real-world boxing slightly off, for the most part it's an entertaining watch. And though mainstays like King Hippo and Great Tiger get dinged for things like not disclosing their weight and using magic - a minor thing - it's Aran Ryan's 2009 appearance that earns the title of biggest cheater with a whopping 19 flagrant fouls.

1 Tyson Never Actually Played "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!" Until 2013

The Baddest Man On The Planet Couldn't Even Beat Glass Joe

The association between Mike Tyson and Nintendo was a win-win situation for all involved at the beginning. Tyson had not yet won any world heavyweight titles, so Nintendo was able to license Tyson's name and image for a steal, reportedly costing the video game company only $50,000, while Tyson saw fame not just among boxing fans but from gamers as well, continuing his march toward mainstream popularity - and later notoriety. Nintendo chose not to renew the deal when the licensing agreement ended three years later, replacing Tyson with fictional boxer "Mr. Dream."

But it turns out that Tyson wasn't quite done with the game. In 2013, despite all the benefits he had reaped from the agreement, Tyson admitted that he couldn't even beat Glass Joe, the first opponent in the title, whose in-game record stands at 1-99. Tyson would take another real-world swing at "Punch-Out!!" in 2019 on Twitter, where he took Nintendo to task - sort of - on their decision to re-release the Dream version on Nintendo Switch Online.

Presumably, Tyson would have likely wanted more than just $50,000 this time around. But such is the business of boxing. Maybe if he had gotten the W over Glass Joe, he would have had more leverage at the bargaining table.