Rating fighters is an inexact science, to say the least.  There are few sports in which statistics are as meaningless and often blatantly misleading as boxing.  A fighter can be 15 and 0 with 13 knockouts and not be able to fight a lick or punch at all.  Conversely, a fighter can be 10-5 with 6 stoppages on his record and be a rugged, tough to beat opponent.  To really rate a fighter accurately, you not only need to know his record but also the names that make up his record.  Personal observation, reading the opinion of the "experts", and watching films of the fighter all help.

However, even being knowledgeable in all of the above doesn't necessarily mean that you'll turn out a perfect "computer" fighter.  You also have to have some understanding of how the various categories in Title Fight     interact.  The material below will provide you with the high and low parameters for the various categories, along with brief explanations and hints on how best to use a particular rating in relationship to other categories:

The Categories (Low to High; * indicates the best)

·    Hitting Power (0 - 13*)

The object of boxing is to hit as hard as you can as often as you can.  Obviously, then, Hitting Power is a crucial category.  We arrive at a fighter's hitting power by using a formula that takes the boxer's knockout percentage, modifies it by both career stage and competition level, and then convert it to a single digit rating.  The easiest way for a player to rate Hitting Power is to find an already rated fighter at a similar career stage who has faced similar competition and has comparable or equal power and use his rating.

Hitting Power is one category that is greatly affected by other categories.  As a rule of thumb, you'll find that the higher the hitting power the lower the Control Factors, for example.  Only the truly greats have high numbers in both categories.  Likewise Punches Landed strongly impacts on the Hitting Power rating.  Again, it's logical when you think about it.  A fighter who has a tremendous punch but seldom lands it carries the threat of a knockout with him at all times; a fighter with the same power who lands with frequency is that much more deadly.  You may need to juggle these categories several times when play-testing a fighter you've created in order to achieve proper balance.  If your fighter is beating guys he shouldn't, he's probably landing too often in relationship to his power.  If he isn't stopping guys that he should, even though, his Hitting Power is high, he probably isn't landing often enough.

·    3-point and 2-point Punches

There is no "range" here.  The 3-point and 2-point categories must, regardless of breakdown, equal 100.  The most important factor here is the total number of  3-point punches assigned versus the total number of 2-point punches assigned.  Again, we use algorithms to determine the exact percentage of  3 and 2-point punches.  Your best bet is simply to find a rated fighter with the same hitting power as you've given your fighter and use the pre-rated fighter's 3 and 2-point totals.

You don't have to assign the same numbers to each of your fighter's categories.  You only need to be sure that the "total" number of  3-point punches and the "total" number of 2-point punches are the same.  How you break those two totals down is, actually, irrelevant.  For example, let's say that your fighter has an HP of 5 with 12% 3-point punches and 88% 2-point punches.  You could place a 12 in the 3 Pt. Jab category and an 88 in the 2 Pt. Jab category and place 0 in all other punch type categories.  The type of distribution would not affect the outcome of the bout.  Your fighter would throw nothing but jabs, of course, but otherwise would be unaffected.  For the sake of realism, you'll want to spread the numbers around, making a guy a big hooker or giving him a deadly cross.  The key is simply to be sure the total of all punches equals 100 and that you are cognizant of the importance of 3 and 2-point punches respectively.

·    Control Factor (2-15*)

Control Factor is best thought of as a number indicating a fighter's ability to implement his fight plan, to control the action in the ring, and the ability to maximize his strengths and minimize his opponent's.  A high control factor will give a fighter more opportunities to perform an "action", be it punching, missing a punch, moving or clinching.  Two Control Factors are assigned to simulate a fighter's ability to deal with each of two basic styles: boxer and slugger.  Rocky Marciano, a great fighter against any opponent, is a good illustration of the use of the Control Factor rating.  Marciano was at his best against a fighter who would stand and slug it out with him.  Fighters who boxed and move (like Roland LaStarza) gave him trouble.  You'll see that Marciano's Control Factors's are 11 against a slugger but only 8 against a boxer.

A fighter with a high Control Factors can minimize a weakness like defense.  If he's doing something, he won't be subjected to his opponent's punches as much and therefore his defense won't come into play as often (Harry Greb and Henry Armstrong are good examples of this).  Low Control Factors's detract from a fighter's strengths.  Marciano's great hitting power won't be as big a factor against a skilled boxer simply because he won't be in control as much and thus will thow fewer punches.

Is Control Factors important?  Ask Julio Cesar Chavez if he wants to go against a boxer like Pernell Whitaker or against a less mobile, walk-in opponent like Tony Lopez!

·    Punches Landed/Counterpunching (26-46* in increments of 2)

Be stingy with the 46's!  An average Punches Landed would be 38.  A 40 is a good, accurate puncher and the quality increases dramatically each step.  Punches Landed receives more emphasis in the game than Counterpunching, not that Counterpunching isn't important.  However, from a frequency standpoint, Punches Landed will be checked more often than Counterpunching.  Keep that in mind when rating these categories.  A figher who is a noted counterpuncher might be given a 38 Punches Landed/42 Counterpunching instead of a more standard 38/40 to emphasize his Counterpunching ability.

It is also very important to understand that Punches Landed/Counterpunching affect every aspect of the simulation.  Cuts, fouls, knockdowns, a fighter's power, his chin, etc. - none of this comes into play unless a punch is landed.  A fighter with an Hitting Power of 5 and a Punches Landed of 42 is, all other ratings being equal, superior to a fighter with an HP of 8 and a Punches Landed of 36, for example.  Here is a very general descriptive equivalent for the numbers: 46 very accurate; 42-44 accurate; 38-40 average accuracy; 36 slightly below average, 32-34 poor accuracy; 28-30 very poor; under 30 for Trial Horses only!

·    Chin vs Knockdown, Recovery, and Chin vs Knockout Ratings (0*-5)

While all three categories are used differently in the simulation, the numerical ratings are applicable to all of them.  Chin vs Knockdown indicates the relative strength of a fighter's chin.  This number will determine the frequency with which a fighter will be knocked down if hit "just right".  The Recovery rating is best thought of as a fighter's ability to recuperate from the first knockdown.  Whatever number is assigned here will be added to a fighter's Chin vs Knockdown rating for the remainder of the round and possibly the next round, too.  The Chin vs Knockout Rating is self-explanatory.  If a fighter fails this internal "check", he's out for the count.

When evaluating Chin vs Knockdown, a fighter with a granite chin like LaMotta, Chuvalo, Chavez in his prime are "0" chins.  That doesn't mean that they might not suffer a knockdown at the hands of an all-time great but it's not going to be easy for the best of fighters to put a "0" on the deck.  Ordinary fighters have virtually no chance at all of dropping a "0".  A fighter who has a great chin but sometimes gets careless and can go down if hit just right warrants a "1" rating.  Ali fits this definition nicely.  A "2" rating indicates a good chin and should be the rating used most often.  A fighter with a "2" chin won't necessarily be dropped frequently but if a big hitter knocks him down, it wouldn't come as a big surprise.  Suspecs chins earn a "3" rating.  Rafael Ruelas, maybe Felix Trinidad or Oscar De La Hoya, for example, are fighters who seem prone to knockdowns.  Fighters given "4" and "5" ratings are fighters who simply don't take a punch well.  Junior Jones looks like his chin's gone.  He's a good example of a "4";  Tommy Morrison's glass jaw is well documented - he's a "5".

The Chin vs Knockdown rating won't just affect a fighter's ability to stay vertical.  It also affects how often he's hurt by punches and forced to go into a survival mode to weather an opponent's "killer instinct" attack.

The Recovery rating shouldn't be overlooked when evaluating a fighter.  Don't automatically put the same number here that you did in Chin vs Knockdown.  Felix Trinidad has tremendous recuperative powers and his will be, at worst, a "1 Recovery" in the 1995 ratings.  Ali is a "0"; his chances of being knockdown should never go above "1" (remember, Recovery get added on to Chin vs Knockdown!).  Some fighters, however, like Terry Norris seldom recover from the first knockdown in a fight.  They are the fighters who deserve a 3 or 4 or 5 in the Recovery category.

The Recovery should be based on the same basically the same premise as the Chin vs Knockdown.  There are exceptions to this.  Occasionally, you come across a fighter who seldom hits the canvas but when he does, he just doesn't get back up!  If you know that a particular fighter has this tendency, rate him accordingly.

·    Resistance to Cuts Rating (1* to 4)

Here's another category where lower is better.  This category uses a basic sliding scale.  A fighter who seldom cuts should be given a 1.  Many fighters will be in this category so don't hesitate to use a "1" rating.  Fighters, especially older ones who have some scar tissue, who suffer an occasional cut make good candidates for a "2" rating.  Giving a fighter a "3" rating will result in a frequent cuts; a "4" rating should evoke memories of guys like Chuck Wepner and Henry Cooper at their worst.

·    Aggressiveness (5-10*)

The more aggressive the fighter, the higher the rating should be.  Aggressive fighters sometimes receive the benefit of the doubt in close rounds and often will begin the action in a round.

·    Killer Instinct (4-10*)

Be careful with this rating.  It can be deadly.  The Killer Instinct number is the exact number of times that a fighter using Killer Instinct will take an action without having the computer check to see if he remains in control.  It's like free turns.  Killer Instinct goes into affect whenever a 5 point punch or knockdown occurs.  In theory a fighter with a Killer Instinct of 10 could conceivably score between 20 and 50 points!  The average points scored by a fighter using his KI is, coincidentally, the same as his Killer Instinct (a fighter with a Killer Instinct of 6 usually scores about 6 points while Killer Instinct is in effect).  The average Killer Instinct rating is 6 or 7.

·    Endurance (5-10*)

Use a number here that would best indicate the round that a fighter starts to lose his effectiveness.  Your average fighter (assuming that he's in shape) can usually go 8 rounds before his skills begin to diminish due to fatigue.  Fighters with above average stamina should be given 9's and 10's.  Fighters with below average stamina should be assigned 6's and 7's.  Even a fighter with a 10 rating can tire before a fight is completed, however, depending upon how much punishment he takes
during the fight and how good his cornermen are if that option is being used.  Fighters will gain a random number of endurance points back between each round unless all endurance has been exhausted.  Incidentally, any number of bad things begin to happen when a fighter loses all endurance.

Don't be concerned about how many rounds are to be fought in a given fight.  The computer takes the Endurance number and applies it to a formula that factors in the selected length of the bout.


·    Absorb Punishment Rating (*0-3)

This rating is indicative of how much damage a fighter can take before succumbing.  A fighter with a 0 or 1 Absorb Punishment rating can absorb a lot of punishment in a single round or even over several rounds before the referee will feel compelled to stop the carnage.  A fighter with a 2 can take an average amount of damage and this is the rating most fighters should have.  A Absorb Punishment Rating of 3 indicates a low pain threshold and will lead to earlier stoppages for that fighter.

·    Defense (+6 to -6* in increments of 2)

When you consider what rating to give a fighter on defense, keep in mind that sometimes a poor defense can be partially negated by a strong offense.  A fighter like Greb or Armstrong paid little attention to defense but their offense was so overwhelming that their defensive rating isn't a +6 or +4, instead being a less damaging +2.  Obviously, defensive wizards like Willie Pep, Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, etc. are -6 on defense.  Average defense is a 0.   Defense is directly added to or subtracted from an opponent's punches landed and counter punch.

·    Fight In Corner/On Ropes (*0-4)

This measures a fighter's ability to fight when trapped on the corner or on the ropes.  Some fighters actually fight as well or better in that position while others are nearly helpless.  The number assigned is added to the opponent's Control Factor while your fighter is in the corner or on the ropes.

·    Fast Starter (*1-3)

This number signifies the round when the fighter's original Control Factor goes into affect.  A "1" means that his Control Factor number is operating from Round 1 on.  A "2" means that the fighter will not hit peak efficiency until the 2nd round Control Factor is lowered temporarily by 1), a "3" means it isn't until the 3rd round of the fight that the fighter is "warmed up" or had found his rhythm (Control Factor is lowered temporarily by 1 for the first two rounds).

·    Punches Missed, Clinching, and Ring Movement

We rate each fighter individually in these categories.  To try to explain how would be time consumming and of little benefit.  Simply use one of the standard number groups below:

Fighter moves and clinches equally:
    Punches Missed - 62, Clinching 70, Ring Movement 78
Fighter moves more than he clinches:
    Punches Missed - 62, Clinching 67, Ring Movement 78
Fighter clinches more than he moves:
    Punches Missed - 62, Clinching 73, Ring Movement 78

·    Foul Rating (*Seldom-Frequently)

Most fighters receive an "Seldom" foul rating; fighters who have a tendency to unintentionally foul due to style - body attack, very aggressive, etc. - should be given a "Occasionally".  Fighters who have the reputation of being "dirty" fighters or frequent foulers receive a "Frequently".

·    Strategies (0-4*)

There are four major strategies, two of which are subdivided to make a total of six.  Each of the 4 major strategies can be assigned a number from 0 to 4, indicating how many times that particular strategy can be used during a fight.  A fighter who is an excellent outside fighter but does poorly when forced to fight in close might have a 4 at Fighting Outside and a 0 at Fighting Inside.

Fighting Outside Offensively:
    The fighter keeps his distance, sacrifices some power but remains capable of scoring points while still emphasizing defense.

Fighting Outside Defensively:
    The fighter concentrates almost entirely on defense, sacrifices almost all power and will score fewer points than normal but get hit much less.  Good strategy to use when you know you're way ahead on points or when you want to nullify your opponent's power.

Fighting Inside:
    You'll get hit more but your punches will sap an opponent's Endurance at almost double the normal rate during the round this strategy is employed.  Ultimately, effective use of this strategy can weaken a fighter's defense in the late rounds.

Cover Up:
    This strategy is crucial for survival.  Fighters who are good at covering up when hurt can weather an opponent's "killer instinct" attack.  NOTE: Do not give any fighter more than 3 of these and do that rarely.  The vast majority of fighters should be given 2 here.  Fighters, even good ones like Mike Tyson, who don't really know what to do when hurt, should be assigned a 0 or 1 at Cover Up.

Going for the Knockout (Safe):
    Your defense will suffer, your chin will be exposed but almost every punch you throw will be with "wicked intentions". This strategy increases the chance of scoring a damaging blow but leaves you somewhat vulnerable at the same time.

Going for the Knockout (All-Out):
    This strategy is very dangerous.  You're basically throwing caution to the wind and concentrating on nothing but a power offense. This strategy can get you a knockout or get you knocked out.  It's a good one to use if you have no chance to win except by scoring a knockout or against a a fighter who has no punch or if you have a great punch and a great chin and your opponent is on the ropes.

·    Boxer Rating (1-15*)

This number represents the total characteristics of the fighter.  It is used when determining "Performance Points" for the Rankings module.  While Title Fight uses a weighted formula to calculate each rating, your best bet is to find a similar fighter already rated and assign your fighter the same number.