Tysons Punch Equivalent of Getting Hit by a 16lb Sledgehammer

In support of the launch of Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing on PS2, UK games
developer and publisher Codemasters has linked up with Dr Matthew Pain Ph.D.
(yes that is his real name!!!), a lecturer on sports biomechanics at
Loughborough University, to investigate the force behind Tyson’s punch and the
kind of damage that the fighter’s fists can inflict.

Tyson’s Touch

Close examination of Tyson’s punches has shown that just one punch has
the potential to knock out and hospitalize the average man. In fact the force of
Tyson’s knock out punch has an 85% chance of giving his opponent severe brain
damage and is easily great enough to fracture any bone in the average human
skull.  In his research Dr Pain compares this to the average man, who has a 2%
chance of inflicting this kind of injury – no wonder people fear the force of
Iron Mike’s fist.

To put this into context, Tyson’s punch impact and the momentum of it, which is
nearly four times that of an average man, is the equivalent of hitting a car
windscreen at 50mph  or of getting smacked by a 16lb wooden sledgehammer moving
at 35mph . Could this be the reason why 68% of the population believes that they
would only last one minute in the ring with Tyson?

Tyson’s Trauma

Even a great boxer such as Tyson cannot avoid the common injuries that
occur while participating in this sport. So, while he may pack a mean punch in
the ring and may beat Lewis at some point in his career, it is likely that he
will sustain one of the following injuries: a detached retina, concussion, a
brain hemorrhage, loss of hearing or a broken nose. On top of this he may also
suffer a hand or wrist injury, broken bones or ligament damage – 50% of fighters
end their career as a result of these injuries.

So, for those people that fancy themselves as the next Tyson and who think they
have his toughness and temperament but don’t fancy their chances in the ring,
Codemasters has created Mike Tyson Heavyweight Boxing.   The launch of this
brawling PlayStation 2 and Xbox game gives wannabe heavyweights the chance to
take on mighty Mike without the pain.  

Codemasters has managed to sign some of the biggest names from the world of
heavyweight boxing, boasting an impressive line-up that includes Larry Holmes,
Tim Witherspoon, Paolo Vidoz, David Tua and Audley Harrison.  The games company,
renowned for realism in its games, has mastered the synergy between technology
and an understanding of the sport, resulting in a game that offers a boxing
experience as close to watching the real thing as you can get.

Each of the fighters in the game has his own signature punches, counter punches,
hooks and jabs, as well as a full range of blocks, dodges and pushes – a total
of over 600 moves are featured in the game.

The game also features commentary from ringside legends Bobby Czyz and Ian Darke
and realism is heightened by real-time facial damage.  As the player rains jabs
on his opponents, they will see his face start to redden and scuff and as the
punishment continues, blood, sweat, tears and bruising all come into play.  The
boxer animations were created using motion-capture techniques pioneered for the
film industry and the company has created a unique facial damage engine called
P&IN (Polymorphic & Interpolative Node-mapping) to deliver the most brutal
boxing experience ever.