An Ultimate Fite Nite!

This past weekend’s main event between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn was described by one boxing journalist as a fight that was “so good that decades from now it surely will be remembered in British boxing lore with similar reverence paid to the middleweight and super middleweight world title bouts there legendary fathers produced in two epic battles in the 1990s.”

For those that missed the event, it has had two very different but related communities buzzing for two seperate reasons;

A capacity crowd of 62,000 witnessed a headline bout where two of the UK’s most exciting fighters, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, finally squared-off in what has become an unforgettable fight – particularly that final round!  Sponsored and promoted as “Fatal Fury: City of The Wolves,” the pay-per-view event took place in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK and was described one of the fight promoters in the lead-up as having “an appeal to all kinds of demographics, all kinds of age groups. Everyone knew their fathers and everyone knows who they are.”

The rivalry between the two men dates back almost 35 years where fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank (Snr) first fought in November 1990. This is seen by many pundits as the original rivarly which has defined an era of British Boxing. The original contest saw Eubank (Snr) win via 9^th round TKO, the rematch was a draw and the most recent contest, saw Eubank Jr win by unanimous decision (3 x 116-112) – making the combined record 2-0-1 in favour of the Eubanks.

What has added to the intense rivalry – and a bit of a soap opera – was Benn testing positive for clomifene ahead of the initially scheduled bout in October 2022 and the six year Eubank family divide which thankfully ended, as estranged father Eubank (Snr) was reunited with his son just six hours before the opening bell.

The second reason is the aforementioned promotion with the fighting video game Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves which was officially launched by game developers SNK on April 24, however preorder fans could play the game three days earlier on April 21^st.

What makes this promotion so interesting is that in the build-up, SNK posted a promotional trailer for Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves featuring two prominent social media influencers, KSI and IShowSpeed, along with the headline fighters Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr.  DAZN also promoted KSI vs Speed in a Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves live stream. Added to that, prior to the main event, an ultimate gamer showdown between King Jae and Kayane, took place in the ring with commentary by Damascus.

Is this the first time a video game has featured so prominently at a global sporting event?

The only other example this writer can think of is the UFC, which has also used its marketing muscle to promote video games. Aside from the obvious promotion of it’s own game – UFC 1 through 5 – they promoted the “For Honor” video game in the late 2010’s through events and contests so that gamers, tech fans, and people who like MMA and fighting in general, could learn about the game.

About Fatal Fury: City of Wolves

SNK’s beloved Fatal Fury series first hit the market in 1991, spearheading the fighting game boom of the 1990s that swept the industry thereafter. GAROU: MARK OF THE WOLVES (released in 1999) has, for some time, served as the franchise’s most recent installment. Twenty six years on, their brand-new release – Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves – is set to add some new dimensions;

• All-new REV System: A brand-new toolset that offers unique offensive options from the moment the battle begins! Use REV Arts, REV Accel, REV Blows (while S.P.G. is active), and more until you hit your limit and the REV Meter overheats.
• Two control schemes—fun for newcomers and veterans alike!
  Choose from two control schemes: Arcade Style is based on precise, technical inputs, while Smart Style lets you perform flashy special moves and combos using directional inputs and single button presses. From fighting game newcomers to seasoned veterans, there’s plenty of fun and excitement to be had—tailored specifically to your level! 
• Memorable fighters from far and wide descend on the streets of South Town! This is a single-player RPG adventure mode where you gain experience points and other rewards from winning battles containing specific conditions. Further, your fighter will level up and learn new skills.
• With a total of 22 characters: a diverse 17-member roster of familiar faces and new blood, plus five DLC fighters in Season Pass 1. Every character is vibrantly presented in CotW’s unique art style, which is guaranteed to stimulate the senses.
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves boasts a number of new characyers (Preecha and Vox Reaper), with the most notable additions being those of real-life celebrities, Christiano Ronaldo (that guy who kicks a soccer ball) and Salvatore Ganacci (Swedish DJ and record producer). 

Additionally, the titles for the SNK World Championship 2025, a global tournament dedicated to SNK fighting games, have been finalized. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves alone will have a total prize pool of $2,500,000; the champion will walk away with $1,500,000!