Fight Night Round 4 Cover Revealed

Also revealed: some people haven’t got a clue. EA Sports asked the masses to choose who would be on the cover of Fight Night Round 4: Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. Today they announced that “…the final results favored having both legends on the cover.” I just threw up a little in my mouth.

As a huge fan of boxing and the Fight Night series I can’t help but feel that this is a rabbit punch to the sport. Tyson has no business being on the same cover as Ali.

That being said, I completely understand why EAS made this decision but I don’t condone it. This is a brilliant maneuver by EAS because it will certainly move units. Everyone who plays Fight Night wants to answer the question of who would win this fight.

Tyson is far and away the most iconic boxer of my generation. He had incredible power and was terrifying in the ring, however, he was not a truly gifted boxer. ‘Buster’ Douglas proved that if you didn’t back down from him and fought tough then he was not invincible like everyone thought.

His presence has been sorely missing in boxing games since Punch-Out!! and I am glad to know I’ll be able to virtually punch him in the face again. When playing Round 3 I found myself asking, ‘Where’s Tyson?’ I longed to fight against Tyson with the heavyweight greats like Frazier, Marciano, and most definitely, Ali. So, I’m thrilled he’s back.

However, putting him on the cover with Ali is sacrilege. Ali is the greatest boxer of all-time and arguably the greatest athlete in history. If you have any doubts as to whether this is true, go watch his 3 fights with Frazier, his two massacres of Liston, or the greatest display of guile (outside of Street Fighter) and toughness when he took out half-man, all-monster George Foreman. And we’re talking Foreman in his prime, not the 50 year old, reformed, grill selling machine. Think Tyson was a scary dude? Check out Foreman in his hayday.

So, put him in the game; fantastic. Put him on the cover, too, if you like. No argument here. But, please, don’t put him on there with Ali. I don’t care if it’s the first match that every Round 4 owner would play; it’s a disservice to The Greatest.

EAS wants everyone to ask the question ’Ali or Tyson?’ Real boxing fans already know how it will turn out: Ali survives until the third round at which point ‘Iron’ Mike starts kicking and gets DQ’d.