Now that we've seen Fight Night Round 4 in action, the countdown to the game's July release has begun. I can't wait to get my hands on the game and try out the new fighting system but, until then, let's start with the roster. EA Sports has released names and screenshots (check out all of the screens here) for seven of the eight heavyweights that will appear in the game. Here they are:
Name: Mike Tyson
Born: June 30, 1966; Brooklyn, NY
Record (W-L-D-NC): 50-6-0-2 (44 KOs)
Name: Muhammad Ali
Born: January 17, 1942; Louisville, KY
Record (W-L-D-NC): 56-5-0-0 (37 KOs)
Name: George Foreman
Born: January 5, 1949; Marshall, TX
Record (W-L-D-NC): 76-5-0-0 (68 KOs)
Name: Lennox Lewis
Born: September 2, 1965; West Ham, London, England
Record (W-L-D-NC): 41-2-1-0 (32 KOs)
Name: James Tony
Born: August 24, 1968; Grand Rapids, MI
Record (W-L-D-NC): 71-6-3-2 (43 KOs)
Name: Joe Frazier
Born: January 12, 1944; Beaufort, SC
Record (W-L-D-NC): 32-4-1-0 (27 KOs)
Name: Eddie Chambers
Born: March 29, 1982; Pittsburgh, PA
Record (W-L-D-NC): 34-1-0-0 (18 KOs)
What's curious about this list? The lack of active fighters, which might be more of a commentary on the paucity of the heavyweight division these days. Still, with only seven of the eight heavyweights having been named so far, here's my best guess as to who might fill that final slot:
- Wladimir/Vitali Klitschko Wlad is the IBF and WBO heavyweight champion. Vitali is the current WBC heavyweight champion and Wladimir's older brother.
- Larry Holmes Holmes beat everyone, including a past-his-prime Muhammad Ali before retiring for the first time at 36.
- David Tua The Samoan with the mile-high flat top won a bronze medal in the 1992 summer Olympics and is scheduled to fight in 2009.
- Evander Holyfield The only boxer to win the heavyweight title four times, Holyfield still might go down as the dude who's ear was chomped on by Tyson back in 1997. Reliving the Bite Fight might be reason enough to check out the heavyweights in FN4.
- Joe Louis Louis held the heavyweight title for nearly nine years (106 months, a record) and defended his title a record 25 times.
- James "Buster" Douglas The man who ended the Tyson dynasty in Tokyo in 1990. Putting him in the game might be a bit too much of a slap to the face to Iron Mike but it would still be fun.
- Butterbean Just kidding. Seriously. Please. No.
Which boxer do you think will round out the Fight Night Round 4 heavyweight roster?