Legends of Boxing (returning in 2023)
2023 marks the 20th annivesary of our boxing game and we thought this would be a good occasion to apply some of the insight we have gathered along the way. "LOB20" will still be the same game, 100% backwards compatible, but improved in subtle ways. Some of the fighters in the core game will be revised. NOTE: The expansion sets will not be affected by these changes. Look for further updates in our Base Camp monthly newsletter in 2023.
The Backstory
Legends of Boxing was created in 2003 and released as a free print-and-play PDF. At the time, the selection of tabletop boxing games was in decline. So "LOB" was an effort to sustain a part of the sport sim hobby. The design was also a reaction to previous boxing sims, putting more emphasis on fighting styles, defense, and counter-punching. From 2004 to 2011, hundreds of fighters were rated; most by the LOB community. Those ratings were kept in a terrific Excel workbook created by Rocco Del Sesto. Also, in 2005, an impressive computer version of LOB was created by Bill Salm, which was embraced by hundreds of players. The game had made a name for itself!
Finally, in 2018-19, the time came to upgrade LOB as a professional-level, commercial product. It was exciting to finally offer the quality game we thought we'd never see!
Present Day: Tabletop AND Computer Versions!
After countless simulated fights, Legends of Boxing (LOB) continues to entertain, and I still enjoy it as much as any other game. Originally designed for solitaire tabletop play, the game allows you to be the matchmaker and observer of the action - to bring a new experience to fights you've imagined for years.
During 2020-21, we partnered with Richard Hanna of Roo Games to bring LOB back to the computer. This development was done in conjunction with the Career Campaign Guide, making it an incredibly complex set of projects. Released in November of 2021, the game was hit. Richard proved his world-class ability and service with ongoing support. The computer game includes the core game, the entire career campaign module, scheduling, ranking, and tournament applications. It's an amazing example of Richard's work! LOB for Windows is distributed by ASG Games.
Download Extras
The files below are free supplements for Legends of Boxing. Click on the links; download and print as desired. Fighter ratings, if they are revised or expanded, are provided separately.
Scoresheet Variants
Sample Fights
Imagining what might have been!
Eusebio Pedroza vs. Jeff Fenech
- Round 1: Fenech came out aggressively with crosses and uppercuts and gained momentum as the round wore on. In the final minute, Fenech scored heavily with combinations downstairs, and Pedroza seemed overly cautious and absorbed it all.
- Round 2: Pedroza turned the table. Fenech ate a tremendous straight shot to the face and stammered momentarily! Fenech tied him up, then missed with a wild punch, and Pedroza landed a counter-jab. Fenech rallied in the final minute but came up short in this round.
- Round 3: Fenech shifted gears and seemed intent on hurting Pedroza. Pedroza looked for counter opportunities as Fenech marched forward, throwing plenty of punches. A clean straight punch had Pedroza stunned, but Fenech was too wild to capitalize. Late in the round, Pedroza shrugged off another clean shot to the head. Big round for Fenech.
- Round 4 & 5: Through the next two rounds, Pedroza landed more often, but Fenech scored the more significant punches. It was becoming a bit of a chess match.
- Round 6: Pedroza went inside and seemed to throw Fenech's rhythm off. Pedroza blocked shots and scored heavily to Fenech's midsection. Excellent round for Pedroza.
- Round 7 & 8: Fenech tried to pressure, but Pedroza continued to stand his ground and land the better shots on the inside! Now Pedroza was finding Fenech's head with his uppercut regularly. Fenech was bleeding beneath the left eye by the middle of the 8th. Very interesting.
- Round 9: Fenech backed up a bit, and the gap served him well. He landed a clean hook early in the 9th and was able to land straight punches as Pedroza tried to get to the body some more.
- Round 10: Pedroza tried to brawl, but Fenech was content to pick his shots. As things progressed, there were a couple of even exchanges. Fenech landed a solid hook, and Pedroza answered with a good uppercut. With a jab and a cross, Fenech seemed to gain the edge before the final bell.
This fight was a very close contest. Punch Pts: 55 Fenech, 56 Pedroza.
Scores (1-point must): 6-6 draw, 6-5 Fenech, 7-4 Fenech
It all came down to how the judges scored Rounds 4 and 5; the slow, even rounds.
Juan Manuel Marquez vs Erik Morales
- Rounds 1-3: Marquez was able to pick through Morales's meager defense from the start. Late in Round 1, Marquez straightened Morales with a jolting uppercut! Morales held on to the bell. In the 2nd round, a challenging cross raked Marquez and opened a deep cut over his right eye. That proved to be a problem. But Morales was stunned again by a hook to the head in the 3rd. Aside from the cut, Marquez is building a lead.
- Round 4-5: Morales stayed away and tried to pick his spots. The pace slowed down, and that round was even. Morales walked away with a small cut over his right eye. Things wholly changed as Morales met Marquez inside, and they exchanged toe-to-toe. Morales' heavy hands won that round, and it looked like a poor tactic on Marquez's part.
- Round 6: Marquez stuck with it and pounded Morales with a clean hook! The first minute was all Marquez, but Morales connected with a jackhammer uppercut, but Marquez shook it off. Nonetheless, Morales rallied in the final minute to make it close.
- Round 7: Again, Morales went more elusive, and he racked up points with lighter shots. Marquez couldn't get much going here.
- Round 8-9: Both close rounds, with each fighter having an edge in one of them. Marquez was scoring consistently, but Morales landed more heavily.
- Rounds 10-11: With Morales slowing, Marquez seemed to be regaining a lead on the scorecards. Marques easily won round 10, landing solid punches on at least five occasions. Both fighters showed signs of fatigue in the 11th.
- Round 12: Marquez chose to play it safe (Elusive), and Morales went all-out (Pressure). It worked out well for Morales, with solid hooks and combinations getting through; a clear round for Morales put the scoring in doubt.
Scoring (1-point must): 7-6 Marquez, 7-5 Morales, and... 7-7 a draw!
The UBC Featherweight Title remained vacant. Rematch inevitable!
MARQUEZ-MORALES II
World Featherweight Championship!
Round 1: Marquez was nicked above the right eye in the bout's opening seconds! About a minute in, Morales also jolted him with a clean hook! A good start for El Terrible.
Round 2: Marquez came out stronger, but at the 1:20 mark, Morales hurt him with a thunderous hook to the ribs, sending Marquez in retreat! Morales pursued with a combination! Marquez was in survival mode for the rest of the round. It's all Morales early!
Round 3: The pace slowed in the first minute, but Marquez increasingly gained steam as this round progressed. Both men landed solid shots in the final minute, but Marquez had the edge.
Round 4: In a continuation of the previous round, they brawled inside, trading back-and-forth in an even round. Marquez came away with swelling around the left eye. (He was unlucky with the cut chart in both these fights!)
Round 5: Disaster for Marquez! Morales blasted him to the canvas in the opening seconds! Marquez regained his feet (as he always did), and Morales stalked him, working him over with combinations and straight punches. A potential TKO stoppage was looming, but by the 2-minute mark, Marquez seemed to have weathered the storm and answered with some good shots of his own!
Round 6: Both men fighting outside. After an even exchange, Marquez cracked Morales with a clean cross! Morales was DOWN!!! The action resumed, and Marquez went for broke, strafing Morales with combinations. Marquez dominated the round and kept hammering away; finally, a solid hook forced the referee to step in and save Morales!
TKO 2:43!
Amazing! Marquez had absorbed 8 TKO points through 5 rounds, and his grit saved him in Round 5. Then he returned the favor in round 6, and Morales couldn't endure it.
Very entertaining matchup both times!