****************************************************************************
****************************************************************************
*** "I can't go on!"                                        "Game over." ***
***      "I won't hurt you."                 "Paaain!"                   ***
***             "Let me show you something."         "Rumble bumble."    ***
***    "I'm ANGRY now!"                  "You no hurt me."               ***
***                                                                      ***
***              ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++              ***
***              +         READY 2 RUMBLE BOXING          +              ***
***              +                                        +              ***
***              + Complete FAQ by Darrell Wong (DKW 001) +              ***
***              ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++              ***
***                                                                      ***
***                                        "Go diva!  Go diva!"          ***
***   "Let's get busy."           "Now it's just you and me, babe!"      ***   
                                                    ***                        
 "You're already gone!"                      ***
***     "Come here!"                                   "I'm the champ!"  ***
****************************************************************************
****************************************************************************

                  "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls..."


TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Technical indicia junk
2. Introduction
3. Basic commands
4. Boxers
5. Training and attributes
6. Championship Mode overview
7. Notes on Arcade Mode
8. Miscellaneous/wish list


1. Technical indicia junk
-------------------------
Date: August 23, 2001
Version: Final
E-mail: wongd012@hawaii.rr.com

This FAQ was a massive effort which took several days to complete (and plenty
of game time on top of what I'd already put in).  You'd be amazed as to how
much time documenting a "ridiculously easy" game takes...


2. Introduction
---------------
This is one of my favorite Dreamcast games of all time.  And no, it isn't the
general "nonseriousness", although that helps.  It isn't the ease of the
controls, although that's a definite plus.  It isn't the wacky antics and
taunts, which I never use anyway.  It isn't an engrossing Championship Mode
where I can build up a powerful stable and take it to the top...hmm.  Well,
actually, it's everything, the look, the game system, and of course the fine
boxers themselves.  I know this is a relatively "old" game (sheesh, two years
is old now??) for a "dead" or whatever system (notwithstanding the many, many
players, myself included, who still love it), but that's never stopped anyone
on GameFAQs before and it certainly isn't going to stop me.

So if you have this game, or are thinking about getting this game now that you
napped that $49.95 bargain DC, or just want to read another fine FAQ by yours
truly...here you go.  My complete FAQ for one of the most fun, entertaining,
nonserious boxing games ever.

Notes: I'll assume that you already have the instructions, so you don't need me
parroting what's already in it.  (When I write a FAQ, I try to put in things
that I've *discovered*, not stuff any schmoe can look up in the instructions.)

I play in Championship Mode the vast majority of the time, so most of this FAQ
is geared toward it.

When I use the word "power", I'm referring to the blue punch bar, the one that
decreases whenever you throw a punch.  When I use the word "vitality", I'm
referring to the other bar; decreases when you get hit and when it's empty,
it's a knockdown.

Standard notation:
F = forward         Bk = back         U = up         D = down
U/D = up or down    F/Bk = forward or back
A, B, X, Y, L, R = corresponding buttons
(e.g. F Bk + X Y X - forward, back, X button, Y button, X button)


3. Basic commands
-----------------
X: jab         Y: straight right       A: left body        B: right body

F/Bk + X: left uppercut/advancing jab
F/Bk + Y: right uppercut/overhand right/advancing straight right
F/Bk + A: left body/advancing left body/lunging left body
F/Bk + B: right body/advancing right body/lunging right body

U/D + X: left hook/advancing jab
U/D + Y: right hook/overhand right
U/D + A: left body hook/advancing left body
U/D + B: right body hook/advancing right body

Some of the boxers have other basic punches.  "Ranged" punches (not close to
the opponent) are different from regular punches.

L: high block             R: low block
F + L/R: duck             U/D + L/R: sway to side
Bk + L: sway back         Bk + R: jump back

L and R: start Rumble Mode             A and B: rumble flurry
A and X: taunt 1                       B and Y: taunt 2

Selene Strike's first taunt is a backflip.  Lulu Valentine's first taunt is a
cartwheel to the left.  Damien Black does not have a second taunt.  Needless to
say, never use taunts in a serious fight or you'll get clobbered (with the
*possible* exception of the ladies' special ones).


4. Boxers
---------
Here's a rundown of the boxers in the order they're unlocked in Championship
Mode.  I judge them in five categories.  Note that these ratings are
subjective; you may do better (or worse) than I indicate based on your playing
style and overall ability.

BORIS "THE BEAR" KNOCKIMOV
Punch Speed: Excellent
Range: Very good
Specials: Excellent
Comboability: Excellent
Rumble Flurry: Pretty good (quick, respectable damage, usually at least some of
it connects)
Best Punches - jab, straight right, lunging left body

Boris is the "Ryu" of the game, with a solid, dependable arsenal of basic
punches and a handful of big weapons that do a ton of damage.  You can use just
about any strategy with him...keep-away, heavy combos, chipping, stick and
move...and win.  Simply put, this guy rocks.  In Gold class, his jab and
straight right, combined with a healthy amount of stamina, will make short work
of the tough opposition.

Special punches/combos
Justice Axle: Bk F + X
A powerful spinning shot to the body.

Dividing Shaker: U + X Y
A left hook followed by an *extremely* punishing backhand right.

Delta Axle: F + A Y X
A lunging left body, straight right, and left uppercut.  The fastest combo in
the game, although not very damaging.  Probably the only combo fast enough to
connect in Gold class.

Axle Combo: F Bk + Y X X
Two spinning punches and a left uppercut.  Tremendous damage if you can get all
three hits, but slow.


BUTCHER BROWN
Punch Speed: Excellent
Range: Very good
Specials: Very good
Comboability: Fantastic
Rumble Flurry: Bad (all high and slow, easy to block)
Best Punches - jab, straight right, left hook

The obligatory Mike Tyson impersonator is a well-rounded slugger who thrives
off of big combos.  His jab and straight right can be comboed into almost
anything else, including his Scrape The Gutter, probably the easiest of the big
combos.  His Rumble Flurry is pretty much useless, but his other weapons are so
effective that you won't even notice.  Also, his style is the second most
orthodox (after "Big" Willy Johnson) of all the boxers, making him easy to
learn.  In all, an ideal choice for players of all skill levels.  In Gold
class, jabs, straight rights, and hooks will keep him moving up.

Special punches/combos
Wild Ride: F Bk + Y
Same as Boris' Justice Axle, but to the head.

Scrape The Gutter: Y X X
A straight right, left hook, left uppercut combo.  Plenty of damage and easy to
complete if the first hit connects.

Total Disrespect: Bk + X A B
A headbutt and two body hooks.  Not all that useful, although it uses up the
least power of all his specials.

Disaster Blaster: Bk + Y X
A slooow overhand right followed by an uppercut.  Decent damage if it connects,
but just about everyone is going to block it.

No Turning Back: F Bk + Y X Y
Butcher's answer to the Axle Combo.  You can do this ONLY with Rumble Mode
activated.  Incredibly powerful; often sufficient for a knockdown even if the
opponent blocks.  I almost always prefer this to the Rumble Flurry.


AFRO THUNDER
Punch Speed: Excellent
Range: Pretty bad
Specials: Bad
Comboability: Average
Rumble Flurry: Pretty good (very fast, moderate damage)
Best Punches - straight right, left body

While not the wimp the instructions make him out to be, he doesn't really have
anything that his opponents are going to be afraid of.  And his special punches
are, to put it mildly, of limited use.  That said, he hits plenty fast, and if
he gets inside he can do some damage.  Essentially, he's a solid,
unspectacular, middle-tier boxer.  His specials can do some damage in Bronze
Class, but after that he's best off sticking to the simple stuff, particularly
the left body and straight right.

Special punches/combos
Up Tempo: X X X X
A series of jabs ending with an advancing jab.  Not much use since most of his
basic punches are faster.

Supa Stupid Funky Punch: Bk F + Y
A jumping downward right.  Decent damage.

Sucka Punch: U D + Y Y Y Y
Afro takes a *long* windup before unleashing a straight right.  Hitting Y fewer
times will make the punch faster but weaker.  This actually does plenty of
damage if it connects (up to 50% in Bronze), but just about anyone who's awake
can avoid it or stuff it cold.


SALUA TUA
Punch Speed: See below
Range: Excellent
Specials: See below
Comboability: Bad (pretty much just one option)
Rumble Flurry: Average (easy knockdown if you get all of it, but hard to get
any of it in later matches)
Best Punches - jab, ranged jab, lunging left body

The sumo stalwart is something of a curiosity.  His lefts are great, his rights
are lousy (nearly all slow and ineffective, especially the overhand right), and
his strongest "punch" is with his belly.  He can literally beat the entire
Championship Mode with just one button.  In Gold class, you'll be relying
heavily, if not entirely, on his jabs and ranged jabs.  If you want some
variety, his strong left uppercut and far-reaching lunging left body are both
good choices.  Basically, if you don't mind fighting one-handed and using an
extremely unorthodox attack, you'll do fine with him.

Special punches/combos
Ton of Fun: Bk + X
A little belly bop.  Not much damage and risky because you have to be right in
your opponent's face for it to connect.

All You Can Eat: F Bk + X
A belly bash with a forward jump behind it.  Absolutely sick damage if you get
all the hits (easy 100% in Bronze).  Almost any basic punch can combo into it,
including the lunging left body, a good way to avoid getting stuffed in
midjump.  By far his best special.

Porkchop: Bk F + Y
An overhead chop.  Not much use.

Gut Buster: F Bk F + B
A big lunging right to the body.  Other than finishing off an opponent with
just a little stamina left, don't bother.  The lunging left body is better.


ANGEL "RAGING" RIVERA
Punch Speed: Excellent
Range: Pretty good
Specials: Bad
Comboability: Very good
Rumble Flurry: Average (quick, okay damage, range is a bit short)
Best Punches - jab, straight right, right hook, left body, right body

True to his profile, Angel is an old-fashioned, straight-ahead puncher with
very little in the way of flash or gimmickry...or specials, for that matter. 
In fact, he has only one big gun, the Ghetto Blaster, and much of his strategy
involves comboing into it.  Because he has some of the most difficult special
combos in the game, after a while you'll probably want to do away with them
entirely.  Thankfully, his basic punches are so good and have so much
comboability by themselves that you'll hardly miss the specials.  If you enjoy
winning "honestly", he's a great choice.

Special punches/combos
Ghetto Blaster: Bk F + X
A jumping uppercut.  This is his bread-and-butter "combo ender"; you can combo
nearly any basic punch into this.  There's a long delay at the end, meaning
that you can't combo this *into* anything, and you'll probably get hammered if
it doesn't connect.

Cruisin': F Bk + B, F + B A B
A backhand to the body followed by three more body shots.  Fairly reliable but
pretty weak for a special combo.

Lambada: Cruisin', Ghetto Blaster
His ultimate combo, which still isn't saying much, and it's pretty hard to pull
off without any mistakes.


TANK THRASHER
Punch Speed: Crappy
Range: Pretty good
Specials: Crappy
Comboability: Almost nonexistent
Rumble Flurry: Utterly wallows in crappiness (slow as heck and all high; anyone
with a quarter of a brain can block it all)
Best Punch - jab

Well, he's slow.  And his specials stink.  And his Rumble Flurry ceases to
connect at all after about the fifth title fight.  Be thankful that his jab can
carry him through Gold Class, because nothing else he has will.  I hesitate to
call anyone a "bum", but in this case I think it's appropriate.

Special punches/combos
Blitz: Bk + X
An overhead double slap.  Strong but slow.

Rush: F F
A quick forward dash.  Can't be done if Tank is too close to the opponent.

Rush Attack: F F + A, B, X, or Y
The Rush followed by one of the basic punches.  Decent "surprise" move, but not
much else.  Cannot combo into or out of.

Tenderizer: Bk Bk F + B
A slew of body blows.  Good keep-away attack...but not much else.  Most
opponents will have no trouble blocking at least part of it.


SELENE STRIKE
Punch Speed: Pretty good
Range: Average
Specials: Average
Comboability: Average
Rumble Flurry: Pretty good (respectable damage, fairly quick, usually at least
some of it connects)
Best Punches - jab, left hook, right uppercut

The Brazilian bombshell is what's known in the fighting game community as a
"skill character".  I.e., she's good overall, but it'll take some time to get
used to her weird punches.  The Superwoman and Cold Shoulder are by far her
best specials; the others are at best occasionally useful.  Basics-wise, her
jab and left hook are her most dependable punches, and she also has a very
effective right uppercut.  Not an explosive fighter, but for a skill character,
she's not too shabby.

Special punches/combos
Rush: F F
A forward dash.  Too short to be of much use.

Cold Shoulder: Bk Bk F + A
A fast backhand shot to the body.  Her fastest *and* strongest special; often
hard enough to stun in Bronze.

Superwoman: Bk F + X
A "hit-and-run" uppercut.  Good damage and usually a safe attack.  I like to
combo the Cold Shoulder into this.

No Love: Bk F + B
A low blow.  Yep, that's all there is to it.  Doesn't hurt as much as you'd
expect it to, and it's *incredibly* slow.  Don't use this.

Rejection: F Bk + Y
A slow, funny-looking overhead right.  Don't use this either.


JET "IRON" CHIN
Punch Speed: Excellent
Range: Average
Specials: Excellent
Comboability: Excellent
Rumble Flurry: Fantastic (the best in the game; blazingly fast, next to
impossible to block all of it, very good damage)
Best Punches - left body, straight right

This guy is *evil*.  If his blistering speed wasn't enough, he has two fast, 
punishing specials and one of the most crippling combos in the game.  And
that's even before he unleashes a Rumble Flurry, which you definitely do not
want to be on the receiving end of.  Want more?  He also has a lightning-fast
left body and straight right, and his left hook connects more often than not. 
About the only real drawback he has is the unusual motions for most of his
punches...but with so many advantages, who's going to notice?  Bottom line, if
you want to romp all over your opponents in style, he's your man.

Special punches/combos
Giving Order: F Bk + Y
A spinning backhand punch with a short vertical jump.  Very fast and very
damaging for a single hit.

Arch Nemesis: Bk + X A B Y
The Combo of Death (three fast punches followed by a Giving Order).  75% damage
minimum in Bronze and almost always stuns.  Use it early and often.

Great Fang: Bk F + X
A two-handed punch with Jet's body turned sideways; great range and far
stronger than you'd expect it to be.  I usually use this as a finishing move
when the opponent is low on energy or stunned by the Arch Nemesis.

Fists of Fuzzy: F Bk F + X Y X (he'll go into a "setup stance" after the
joystick motion; wait a moment before the button presses)
A hard-hitting combo, but the delay makes it hard to do full damage, and you
already have something better (the Arch Nemesis).  I never use this in a
serious fight.


ROCKET SAMCHAY
Punch Speed: Pretty bad
Range: See below
Specials: Crappy
Comboability: Almost nonexistent
Rumble Flurry: Pretty bad (not very fast and hits all high, i.e. easy to block;
decent damage if you actually manage to land it)
Best Punches - left body, straight right

If everyone loves an underdog, the Mueitai transplant need never worry about
his popularity.  His basic punches have strange motions, so simply hitting the
opponent can be a struggle, and nearly all of them are slow as heck too
(including his surprisingly lousy jab).  Things don't get much better with his
specials, of which only one does even mediocre damage.  Like Willy Johnson, he
will make you work for your victories.  The left body and straight right become
indispensable in Gold class, and very likely you'll be turning to them well
before then.

Special punches/combos
Rocket Launcher: F Bk + X
A jumping uppercut.  The range is short, the damage is mediocre at best, and
there's a delay at the end, making it easy to counter.  Regrettably, this is
still his best special.

Right Elbow Smash: Bk F + Y
A *very* short horizontal swing with the right elbow.  Useless; his straight
right is easier and has better range.

Double Trouble: Bk F + X, B + Y
Two elbow swings.  Little better than the RES, but not much.

Bangkok Express: F Bk F + B Y or A
A 2-hit combo which starts with a right backhand.  Hitting Y does a right
uppercut, while A does a left backhand.  Weak damage for something this
complicated and generally not worth the trouble.


"FURIOUS" FAZ MOTAR
Punch Speed: Very good
Range: Very good
Specials: See below
Comboability: Bad
Rumble Flurry: Pretty bad (only average damage; almost impossible to get all of
it)
Best Punches - jab, straight right, right hook

A classic One Punch Johnny, with a bonecrushing special, three good basic
punches, and not much else.  The Cruise Missile is the strongest single-hit
special in the entire game; you can win quite a few matches with it alone. 
It's so powerful that Faz is actually better than some of the more well-rounded
boxers.  His other specials are slightly more useful than his taunts.  After
the Cruise Missile stops connecting, he can still dominate with jabs, straight
rights, and right hooks.

Note: If your opponent's strength is low enough, it's actually possible to win
with a ten count!  After the first knockdown, work your opponent down to as
little vitality as possible, then unleash a Cruise Missile.  Although his/her
power bar will refill, the vitality bar...with any luck...will remain empty,
and the opponent will still be on the canvas when the referee reaches 10.  You
might also be able to pull this off with the final punch of Nat Daddy's Rumble
Flurry, but it's much harder.

Special punches/combos
Cruise Missile: F F + Y
Faz turns his back to the opponent and takes a few steps backward, then throws
a spinning elbow punch.  The damage for this is just ridiculous; in Bronze, it
does at least 65% when *blocked*.  It's also the slowest special punch, but the
damage more than makes up for it.

Urban Attack: D U + X
A pair of high windmill punches.  I almost never connect with this for some
reason.  Questionable use at best.

Oasis: F F Bk + X, F + Y
Useless.  A weird two punch combo that's difficult to pull off, slow, and low
damaging on the extremely rare instances that it actually connects.  (They
don't get much worse than that!)


LULU VALENTINE
Punch Speed: *Too* fast
Range: Bad (but see below)
Specials: Pretty bad (again, see below)
Comboability: Phenomenal
Rumble Flurry: Bad (hardly any damage)
Best Punches - Just about anything, but especially the uppercuts.  About her
only bad punches are the ranged ones.

You wouldn't expect a short, skinny woman to be an unstoppable whirlwind of
destruction, but that's exactly what Lulu is.  Once you get her stamina up,
she's a killing machine.  The reason is that all her punches, including the
uppercuts, are fast enough to be comboed into each other; if her power doesn't
run out (and if her stamina is high enough, it won't), it's a *very* quick trip
to the canvas for her luckless foe.  About the only things you have to avoid
are her ranged punches, which have hideous recovery time.  Just get close and
pound away and it's easy first-round knockouts all the way to the Gold
championship.  It's almost silly how incredibly powerful she is.  Oh yeah, her
special punches and Rumble Flurry are lame, but after the first few victories,
you won't even know they're there.

Special punches/combos
Springing Assault: Bk + X
A short (and I mean *really* short) windmill punch.  Lame.

Backhand: F Bk + X
Just as it says, a backhand punch.  Really lame.

Triple Upper: Bk Bk F + Y
A fast windmill punch with a forward jump.  Her fastest and strongest special. 
Still lame.


"BIG" WILLY JOHNSON
Punch Speed: Very good
Range: Crappy (His *reach* isn't too bad, but he has a leaned-back stance that
takes too much distance out of most of his punches.)
Specials: Average
Comboability: Average
Rumble Flurry: Average (fast, moderate damage, not too hard to block)
Best Punches - jab, straight right

An undercarder in the world of R2R.  His problem is that he's actually *too*
orthodox; his repertoire is predictable and doesn't contain anything really
damaging.  It takes some effort to win with him; you won't be racking up first
round crushes like you will with Jimmy Blood or Faz Motar.  Since he lacks a
dominating special and his range is laughable, you'll have to stay on your toes
and give 'em everything you got.  You'll be getting plenty of mileage out of
the jab and straight right in Gold class.

Special punches/combos
Tea and Crumpets: F F + Y
Two big right uppercuts.  His most damaging (and slowest) special.

Clockwork: F F Bk + X
Two rolling punches followed by a straight right; it looks kind of like part of
a speed bag exercise.  Fast but hard to get all the hits.

Stealing Props: U D + X or D U + X
A jab and a big right hook.

Old School: D U + X A
Stealing Props followed by a jab.  You have to be *very* close to connect with
the last part.

Timeout: U D + X X
Stealing Props followed by a fast winding right.  Considerably better range
than Old School but also easier to block (obviously).


JIMMY BLOOD
Punch Speed: Fantastic
Range: Excellent
Specials: Crappy
Comboability: Excellent
Rumble Flurry: Bad
Best Punches - jab, ranged jab, straight right, ranged straight right, left
uppercut, ranged left uppercut, left body, right body

So powerful it's almost scary.  He combos like a demon, he has tremendous
range, and he's *strong*.  After he connects with so much as a jab, it's
monster combo time; his opponent can do nothing but ride the storm and pray
that Jimmy runs out of power really, really fast.  Pump his stamina enough and
even the elite Gold class boxers will be nothing more than walking heavy bags
against him.  Oh yeah, his specials and Rumble Flurry are among the worst in
the game, but you probably won't give them a second glance.

Special punches/combos
Blood Rush: Bk Bk F + Y
A short rush followed by a right uppercut.  Essentially useless; even his
regular right uppercut is better.

Blood Shot: F Bk + B
A leaping downward right; the exact same special as Afro's SSFP.

Splatter Punch: F F + X
Three windmill punches.  Fast; not much else to recommend it.


KEMO CLAW
Punch Speed: Crappy
Range: Fantastic
Specials: WORTHLESS (This isn't an exaggeration.  Try 'em sometime.)
Comboability: Almost nonexistent
Rumble Flurry: Bad (you can usually get at least some of it, but it does *way*
too little damage)
Best Punches - jab, advancing jab

Were it not for his jabs and his super-long range, he'd easily be the worst
boxer in the entire game.  As it is, he's still a painfully slow hitter with
very few options...essentially ONE real option for much of Championship Mode. 
A "poke and forget" boxer much like Tank Thrasher.

Special punches/combos
Warcry: Bk F + X
A backhand.  A *slow* backhand.

Arrowhead Punch: Bk Bk + X
A two-handed punch.  A REALLY slow two-handed punch.

Warpath: Bk Bk F + Y A B X
A four-hit combo similar to Jet Chin's, except with about a tenth of the speed,
which kinda defeats the purpose.  And it's weak.


BRUCE BLADE
Punch Speed: Pretty bad
Range: Average (same problem as Willy Johnson)
Specials: Pretty bad
Comboability: Pretty bad
Rumble Flurry: Bad (slow and predictable; nearly everyone blocks it)
Best Punches - left hook, left uppercut

Stylewise, he's actually a lot like Salua Tua (one-handed, one decent combo). 
He's strong, but most of his punches are slow, and you'll rarely want to use
anything other than his left hook and left uppercut.  The Corkscrew Blade is
his only decent special, and even it's not of much use in later matches. 
Nonetheless, his two main weapons are good enough to make him a decent fighter.
 He's no juggernaut (and a weird choice for Bronze champion), but play him
right and he can still knock 'em flat with the best of them.

Special punches/combos
Corkscrew Blade: Bk F + X
A jumping uppercut.  Respectable damage, doesn't leave him wide open like Angel
and Rocket's versions, and pretty much his only real combo option.  Easily his
best special.

Sit Down: Bk Bk F + Y
Same as the Corkscrew Blade, but has better range and does more damage.  Also
slower and has a nasty delay at the end.  Use this only occasionally, and only
in the early matches where it won't be blocked.

Disrespect: F F Bk + Y
A slow-as-frozen-molasses backhand.  Don't bother.


NAT DADDY
Punch Speed: *Horrible*
Range: Fantastic
Specials: See below
Comboability: Other than one special combo, none
Rumble Flurry: See below
Best Punches -  None (all slow as hell)

Geez, can't the profiles get anything right?  The problem with Nat isn't his
"limited arsenal of punches"...it's that fact that they're all incredibly SLOW!
 That's right, even the jab.  True, his tremendous range and powerful specials
can work wonders in the early going...but eventually the fighters get stronger,
and they get faster, and they start blocking, and then his speed disadvantage
becomes a *tremendous* handicap.  The same is true for his Rumble Flurry;
deadly in Bronze, useless in Gold.  In all of Championship Mode, Nat was the
only boxer where I ever needed more than 2 rounds to beat *anybody* (four
fights went to the third round).  He's by far the hardest boxer to beat
Championship Mode with, and I definitely recommend saving him for last for that
reason.

Special punches/combos
Jackhammer: Bk F + Y
A double overhead punch.  Fairly powerful.

Power Trip: F Bk F + B
A double uppercut, sort of a reverse Jackhammer.  Also fairly powerful.

Dump Truck: Bk Bk F + Y B
His big gun, consisting of a flying Jackhammer followed by a Power Trip. 
Massive damage, but good luck connecting with either part in Gold...


DAMIEN BLACK
Punch Speed: Average (aggregate; his jab and some of his specials are pretty
quick, but he also has some VERY slow stuff)
Range: Fantastic
Specials: Beyond ridiculous
Comboability: See below
Rumble Flurry: Very good (decent speed, good range, *extremely* damaging)
Best Punch: jab

Take Jet Chin's monster combo and juice it up a little more, add Faz Motar's
insane single shot and make it faster, toss in a truckload of other specials,
and back it up with about a hundred pounds of solid muscle.  That's Damien
Black in a nutshell.  Not only is his strength off the charts, he's so loaded
with specials it's silly.  He can *destroy* Bronze class and take care of
Silver with little trouble.  His one big disadvantage?  Speed.  Nearly all his
punches and ALL his specials are simply too slow too connect in Gold, which
means that...just like the lowly Tank Thrasher and Kemo Claw...he'll need lots
of jabs to win.  All, in all, he's not quite top tier due to his speed, but
he's still a boxer to be feared.

Special punches/combos
Blackheart Spear: Bk Bk f + B
The biggest of the big guns.  A fairly quick advancing right body that does
sick damage.  Great as an all-purpose punch and as a "finishing" blow.

Damien's Fury: F + X and Y, B A Y X
A five-hit combo that makes full use of Damien's range and power.  In short,
it's a monster; use it often.

Pitchfork: Bk F + Y
A two-handed punch similar to Jet's Great Fang.  Even more effective due to
Damien's range.

Scorcher: Bk F + X
A knifing uppercut.  Not much use, but good as a surprise attack.

Raging Storm: F Bk + X
A jumping uppercut.  Of all the jumping uppercuts, probably the second best
after the Corkscrew Blade.

Urban Attack: U D + X
The exact same as the one Faz uses.  Still not all that good.

Tea and Crumpets: U D + Y
The exact same as Willy's.  An okay choice thanks to Damien's range.


Boxer ratings by tier (Championship Mode) -
So slow he's not even worth a tier: Nat
1st tier: Kemo, Tank
2nd tier: Rocket, Willy
3rd tier: Afro, Salua, Selene, Bruce
4th tier: Faz, Angel, Damien
Top tier: Boris, Butcher, Jet, Jimmy
Completely in a class by herself: Lulu


5. Training and attributes
--------------------------
Probably the best thing about Championship Mode is that it allows you to train
your boxers.  In Arcade Mode, everyone's skills are average; not an
embarrassment, but not that great either.  In Championship mode, your boxers
start off extremely weak, but with enough money and time, you can buff them up
until they're unbeatable.  (I wouldn't dare send Tank Thrasher into Gold class
without seriously buffing him up first!)

However, like with so many other things, some training options are better than
others.  And there's also an insidious force constantly at work to undermine
your efforts, something I call the "training buffer" (which I'll explain
below).  So you need to spend wisely.  I'll show you how.

Attributes -
There are four attributes...actually, three "regular" attributes and one "stat"
attribute, as follows.

Strength: The boxer's overall toughness.  The higher the strength, the more
shots he/she can take before going down.  Strength also determines how well the
boxer blocks; a very strong boxer can stop even Cruise Missiles cold.  It does
NOT in any way affect the strength of the boxer's punches (that's up to each
individual boxer) or the amount of power used up by punches (which is a
function of stamina).

Stamina: Energy, juice, staying power, whatever you want to call it.  The
higher the stamina, the faster the power bar recharges and the less power used
by each punch.  Stamina also dictates how long Rumble Mode lasts.  Furthermore,
stamina has to be above a certain level to do most of the specials.  This is
the hardest attribute to raise to the maximum.

Dexterity: How quickly the boxer moves around the ring, sways, jumps back, and
recovers.  In addition to training, winning a match increases this.  This is
the easiest attribute to raise to the maximum.

Then there's Experience.  I'm not sure what this affects, if anything; it's
most likely a "help everything" stat.  At any rate, it always maxes out after
15 wins, so you don't need to worry about it.

Trainings -
Here are the training modes, their prices, the default attribute increases
(100% training value), and my opinion of each.  Sometimes doing automatic
training will increase a stat by .1% higher than the stated value.

Rumble Aerobics ($500)
Stamina .2%, Dexterity 5.0%
Objective: Do the button taps and joystick movements that appear on the screen
as the ball bounces on them.  (Hiphopmania players will be on familiar
territory.) The tempo of the ball never changes, and the margin for error is
pretty generous, so getting the maximum 150% should be easy.

My opinion: Useless.  The big boost goes to the attribute that doesn't need it,
and the one you REALLY need to pump up gets a minuscule increase.  Unless you
like watching the boxers go through the paces or are one of those players who
has to master every part of the game, forget it.


Sway Bag ($1,000)
Stamina .3%, Dexterity 6.5%
Objective: Memorize the order of the sways as the trainer gives them to you,
then do them.  Remember to *hold* the joystick in the appropriate direction
until you actually do the sway.  You can keep it held for multiple sways.  One
mistake and your session ends.  If you want, you can write down the order of
the sways to save yourself a lot of trouble.

My opinion: Same problems as Rumble Aerobics; too little Stamina boost, too
much Dexterity.  Furthermore, since you only get once chance, it's not easy to
get a decent score.  Again, if you're seriously trying to get your boxer into
fighting shape, disregard this.


Speed Bag ($1,500)
Stamina 1.2%, Dexterity 5.0%
Objective: Punch the bag until it hits the ceiling; the more hits you get, the
better your training score.  The best way to do this is to alternate left and
right straight punches; not only does this consume the least energy, it keeps
the bag centered and easy to hit.  Remember to always punch the bag as it's
moving away from you, not towards you, and get a good rhythm.  The best
possible result is 49 straights and a final hook for a 150% rating.

My opinion: This is THE training for building stamina.  Dollar for dollar, this
gives you the biggest stamina boost of all the trainings, and that alone makes
it an absolute must.  This is one of the two essential trainings (the other one
being Heavy Bag).


Heavy Bag ($2,000)
Strength 3.6%, Stamina .7%, Dexterity .5%
Objective: The trainer will call out a punch, which will also appear on the
bag, and you have to do it before time runs out.  You get less time the further
you progress.  Three misses and the training ends.  You should have no problem
getting at least 30-35 each time, 40 is a very good score, and 50 is difficult
but not impossible.

My opinion: Of the three strength-building trainings, this is the best deal,
and its effect on the training buffer is minimal.  The Stamina and Dexterity
boosts are also an added plus.  I recommend using this to boost ALL your
boxers' strengths to the maximum.


Weightlifting ($5,000)
Strength 7.3%, Stamina .5%
Objective: Hold the A button down to raise the white indicator bar and release
it to lower it, getting at as close to the green lines as possible.  The bar
continues to move a split second after you start or stop pressing the button,
so getting the timing right is a challenge.  The more accurate you are, the
faster the green efficiency bar fills up, and the more reps you can do. 
Anything above 22 is a great score.

My opinion: A double-edged sword.  It'll max out strength quickly but kick in
the training buffer even more quickly, which'll make it very hard to build the
boxer's stamina to a decent level.  And it's expensive.  Unless you have a lot
of money and aren't concerned about stamina, stick with the Heavy Bag.


Vitamin Training ($10,000)
Stamina 1.2%, Dexterity 10.5%

My opinion: A complete ripoff.  Way, waaaay too expensive for the benefits it
confers; even the Sway Bag is a better deal.  Do.  Not.  Ever.  Pick.  This.


Rumble Mass Nutrition Regime ($25,000)
Strength 14.5%, Experience 7.5%

My opinion: The strength increase looks nice until you see the price tag.  And
increasing *experience*, which always maxes out anyway (how exactly does a
nutritional supplement do this, BTW?), is pointless.  And don't forget the
dreaded training buffer.  Ripoff.  Do not pick.  Stick with the Heavy Bag.


The training buffer (no relation to Michael Buffer) -
Know how some fighting games have something called a combo buffer, which
reduces the effect of long combos by making later hits in it less powerful? 
Well, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing has something like that, only it effects the
benefits of the training you put your charges through.  After a certain amount
of training, you'll notice that you're getting less increase for the same
effort.  If you continue training, the benefits may decrease even further, to
the point where training becomes almost useless.  I'm not sure why Midway
included this strange feature...maybe to prevent us from trying to max out the
stats (*I* certainly wasn't deterred) or make training more "realistic", but
it's there, so you should be aware of it.

From my experience, this buffer is affected by both the number of times you
train and the amount of increase per training session.  The type of training
doesn't matter; a 4.0% strength increase in Heavy Bag is treated exactly the
same as a 4.0% increase in Weightlifting.  Each boxer has a separate buffer, so
giving, say, Bruce plenty of Weightlifting sessions (as I did one Championship
Mode a long time ago) won't hurt anyone else's training.

The buffer can get *really* nasty.  Normally Speed Bag starts off with a 1.2%
increase to Stamina, which is eventually buffered down to .7%.  In the
aforementioned Bruce example, at around the time his stamina neared 90%, the
increase went down to .4%.  And at the 96% mark, it was down to .1%!  Which,
needless to say, made maxing out his stamina (which I definitely wanted to do)
a practical impossibility.

Even the lowly Speed Bag is not immune to heavy buffering if you get big scores
from manual training.  In my Championship Mode run, I used this for Boris,
Butcher, and Salua (I also did all manual training on the Heavy Bag).  I got
nearly 150% each time, with a few scores of 148% and 146%.  Not until I did
this many times did I switch to automatic.  For all three, by the time I had
almost maxed out dexterity, I saw the Speed Bag go down to the dreaded .4%. 
Fortunately, I was still able to take them to 100%, but it still sure as hell
gave me a scare.

Anyway, now you know.  So don't just train hard, train *wisely*, and remember
that laziness (i.e. automatic training) isn't always a bad thing!


6. Championship Mode overview
-----------------------------
So you've just started your gym.  You've put up a shiny new sign, three
green-as-grass pugilistic hopefuls have signed up with you, and after all the
initial expenses you have $1,000 to your name.  You're faced with the task with
turning these rookies into tough, experienced warriors capable enough to fight
their way up the ranks, attract new boxers to your stable, and eventually
become champions.

And it's suddenly dawned on you that you haven't the slightest clue as to how
to do this.

Well, rest easy, friend.  I've been there myself (several times, in fact). 
Follow my lead and fame and fortune will be within easy grasp.

I'll start with the basics.  Priority One no matter what is money.  Without
money, you can't train; without *lots* of training, your boxers are going to
get creamed (maybe not in Bronze class, but pretty likely in Silver and
definitely in Gold).  Of course, you need money to pay for title fights as
well, but this isn't a concern unless your boxers are losing, and if you train
them enough, they won't lose.

The main source of money is prize fights, and for this reason you will be
fighting a lot of them.  If the fight is one which you have at least a good
chance of winning (nearly all of them will be), bet as much as possible on the
fight.  For some strange reason, the betting limit is $20,000, which sounds
good until you realize that just one Rumble Mass costs more than that, so get
all you can out of every fight.  All fights pay even money (not 2-1 like the
instructions claim) no matter what, so there's nothing wrong with entering your
best boxers into prize fights.  Incidentally, title fights are also worth
money; there's a purse equal to twice the entrance fee for the winner of each
(in effect, the entrance fee is a fixed "bet").

Once you have decent funding, the time has come to start training in earnest. 
Always work on strength first because it's easy to build up.  Since it affects
how much damage the boxer takes, it's also essential, even more so than
stamina.  Again, the best choice for this is Heavy Bag; use the weights only if
you're not concerned about stamina.  After strength come dexterity and stamina.
 Dexterity will max out quickly; stamina is another matter.  You'll need a lot
of time with the Speed Bag, not to mention a healthy chunk of money (over
$140,000 to max it out).  In the early going, you won't have that kind of cash,
so save the serious stamina-building for later.  You almost certainly *will*
want to build stamina to 100%; you can fire punches nonstop at that point,
which is invaluable in Gold class.

As for the fights themselves, Bronze class is a cakewalk; you can throw out
nearly anything and it'll connect.  This is a good point to try out all your
fancy specials and get a good feel for them.  Silver is somewhat tougher; the
opponents are stronger and defend better.  You have to work a bit to get those
specials in, and some very slow attacks may become useless altogether.  The
opponents in Gold are incredibly strong and have ironclad defenses (even Cruise
Missiles and Blackheart Spears won't faze them).  Here's where your simple,
dependable, and FAST basic punches really shine.  You need them because almost
nothing else will connect, and you need a lot of them...that's where your
stamina training comes in.  Pound your opponents relentlessly and even Kemo
Claw can prevail.  It's POSSIBLE to win in Gold class without high stamina, but
very hard.

Remember that each boxer's contract permits only 20 fights per class, so you
have to graduate them at some point.  As soon as the number fights remaining
becomes one less than the boxer's rank, title fights become imperative.  If you
lose at any point, it's impossible to win the class championship, so do prize
fights for the remainder of the contract.  That boxer will start over at the
bottom, but with a fresh 20 fights, and more training money to make the next
championship run easier.  Contrary to what the instructions say, boxers' stats
do *not* reset to zero when they're re-signed (whew!).

Finally, train your best guys first!  And be sure to get a lot of prize fights
out of them, especially in the easy Bronze class.  You don't want the gym's
financial health to rely on Nat Daddy.

That's pretty much all you need to know as far as the basics go.  On to
specific strategies:

The quick, dirty method (my favorite) -
1. At the beginning, select Boris or Butcher.  (Save Afro for later.)
2. Choose Prize Fight and bet your entire $1,000.
3. The best strategy is to use the big single shot (Wild Ride for Butcher,
Justice Axle for Boris) repeatedly.  Just stay at arm's length and fire away. 
If the opponent closes in, jump back (Bk + L) and resume swinging.  Wait until
you've knocked him/her down once before starting Rumble Mode.  When you do,
throw a few jabs or straight rights, then unleash the Rumble Flurry.  Don't
worry about Rumble Mode running out (which will happen quickly because your
boxer has no stamina); he'll complete the Flurry even if it does.  At the
bottom of Bronze, your opponents' strength is virtually nil, so it shouldn't be
too hard to put them away.
4. Win three more prize fights, betting as much as possible each time (you can
switch between the two B's if you like).  You should now have $44,000.  From
this point on, *never* let your cash dip below $20,000, and bet the maximum for
every prize fight.
5. Now's the time to start training.  Pick Boris or Butcher again and select
Heavy Bag training on manual.  You should be able to consistently get scores of
35 or better; if not, switch to automatic.  Continue with the Heavy Bag until
you're down to $20,000.
6. Win another prize fight (which should be really easy now), train some more,
and win one more prize fight.  You now have enough money to max out strength. 
Once you do, switch to Speed Bag.
7. Keep at it until your starter has won 10 prize fights (meaning he has 10
fights remaining on his contract).  Raise his stamina to at least 40%.
8. Now go for the title fights.  With 100% strength, plenty of dexterity, and a
healthy amount of stamina, he should beat all ten Bronze opponents handily. 
This raises him to Silver class, gives him a brand-new contract, and adds Salua
to your stable.
9. Build up your other "B", prize fight until he has ten wins, and make him
Bronze champion as well, bringing Angel aboard.

The rest is up to you.  You can stick with one or both B's to Gold class or
start training Salua or Angel right away.  Wait until you have plenty of money
before maxing out Boris and Butcher's stamina (since there are many others who
need training), but make sure you do it at some point.  After Salua and/or
Angel, my recommended order of training is Jet, Faz, Lulu (you MUST build up
Lulu ASAP!  Spare no expense!), and Jimmy.  Save Tank, Kemo, and Nat for last
(sending them out with anything less than 100% strength is suicide).  Don't get
impatient, don't try to do too much at once, and keep those funds nice and
high, and you'll do fine.


The somewhat quick, really dirty method -
1. Start with Boris or Butcher.
2. Save your game and bet everything you have on a prize fight.  If you win,
save again; if not, load and try again.
3. When you have $44,000, hit the Heavy Bag on automatic; fight two more times,
and max out strength.
4. *Continue* prize fighting and betting the maximum each time until the
contract runs out.  Since you boxer is already at the bottom, this doesn't hurt
him at all.
5. Fight ten more prize fights, start training with the Speed Bag on automatic,
then take ten title fights for the class championship.
6. Train any of the other three boxers, again doing nothing but prize fights
until the contract runs out, then move him up to Silver.  You can figure out
the rest from here.


The slow, unbelievably dirty method -
1. Create a gym, giving it any name you want, and save it to several slots on
your memory unit.
2. Create a second gym, save it a different slot, and take on all the other
gyms in exhibition fights, betting $1,000 each time.  Win however you like.
3. Overwrite all the copies of the original gym with the second gym.
4. Create a third gym, take on the copies of the second gym in exhibition
fights, and win all their money.
5. Repeat until you have a gym with a lot of money.  Save that gym to the last
slot on the memory unit and one other slot.  Delete all the others.
6. Create your "regular" gym, win all the money from the extra copy of your
cash cow, and train all three of your initial boxers.  When you need more
money, go to the gym in the last slot, save it to another slot again, and win
the money.  It's okay to let the money in your regular gym go below $20,000,
but never let it completely run out.
7. Do the same with all the other boxers as they join your gym.  This way, it's
possible to build everyone up to 100% in all stats before their first real
fight.  From there it's an easy 30 Title Fights and the championship.  (Doncha
just love this game?)


7. Notes on Arcade Mode
-----------------------
Well, it's pretty much the same as Championship Mode...except that the fights
are all "fair".  In other words, your opponents have exactly the same stats as
you.  Which, needless to say, makes it a LOT harder.  For starters, taking one
to give one no longer works; avoiding damage is critical here.  You won't be
able to block everything (c'mon, can you really see a jab or left body fast
enough to get your guard up in time?), but be sure to block the slower,
stronger punches.  Use sways, ducks, and jumpbacks against heavy artillery like
the Wild Ride and Cruise Missile.

Having a powerful combo or Rumble Flurry helps, and having a fast jab is even
better.  Often a series of jabs or straight rights is better than the Rumble
flurry.  Something that can keep your opponents at arms length is also good.

All the 5th tier characters are great for Arcade Mode.  Angel is also a good
choice, and Faz, although limited, is still pretty good.  If you can master
Selene's tricky style, she's a great choice.  Don't try it with the 2nd tier or
lower boxers unless you have a serious death wish.

Beating Arcade Mode on Easy (Bronze class) is tough enough...but it becomes a
real struggle on Medium (Silver).  And Hard (Gold), well, that's simply the
ultimate challenge of this game.  It's so hard, only the most elite of Ready 2
Rumble players will have even the slightest chance of beating it.

That's why I don't care for Arcade Mode.  ;-)

Footnote: I *did* manage to beat it on Bronze with Faz Motar...set at one
knockdown and 180 seconds per round.  Even then, there were a couple of scares.
 I'm not touching the harder difficulties anymore.


8. Miscellaneous/wish list
--------------------------
* Did you notice that *every* boxer in this game is right-handed?  It's true;
check out their stances and punches.  In real life, it's almost unheard of for
any group of 17 boxers to not contain a single southpaw.

* There are two other boxers for the other versions of this game, Gino Stiletto
on Playstation and JR Flurry on N64; both replace Jimmy Blood.  (I don't have
the faintest idea why Midway did this, so don't ask.) I actually rented the PSX
version a long time ago, but, pressed for time, I didn't find out much about
Gino.  From what I've heard, he has weak specials, but his basic punches are
good.  I don't own or know anyone who owns an N64, so unfortunately, I don't
know a thing about JR.  Sorry.

* I don't get the profiles at all...so much of the information is downright
silly or just plain *wrong*.  I've never seen the computer Bruce use "cowardly
hit-and-run tactics"; on the contrary, he's one of the most aggressive CPU
opponents.  (When I play him, I use plenty of "hit" but almost no "run".)
Jimmy's "devastating" left hook is actually one of his worst punches; even his
ranged left uppercut is better.  And there's absolutely nothing baffling about
Kemo Claw, other than how this no-talent powderpuff got to be one of the hidden
boxers.  (Yes, he's that bad...)

* Despite what Michael Buffer says, Salua Tua is not "bloated".  He actually
has little body fat and hardly any gut to speak of.  This is not uncommon for
sumo wrestlers, by the way, especially retired ones.  (Sorry if this is a bit
nitpicky, but I get *so* tired of sumotori being stereotyped as out-of-shape
lardbuckets who can't fight.)

* A few of the boxers are based on actual people.  Butcher Brown is, of course,
a dead ringer for Mike Tyson, right down to the "What, you thought I was gonna
lose?".  Jet Chin is based on Bruce Lee and similar kung fu movie stars; even
the name's taken from Jet Li.  Salua Tua is kinda based on Akebono (in addition
to his sumo background, he's quite tall), and the voice sounds a *lot* like
Marlon Brando.  I think Boris Knockimov is based loosely on Andrew Golota.

* No, I have no idea why you can't save options, nor why there's no autosave
feature.  It's just something you have to live with.

* Midway screwed up when it came to designing special punches and combos.  Only
a few are really effective, and only a few others are of any use at all.  I
almost never used *any* specials in Gold class simply because I could never
connect with them and they didn't do enough damage.  I admit it, there's
something a little out of place about an 8 foot tall demon standing still and
jabbing his opponents into submission...but I didn't have anything better. 
Better specials for almost everyone would have made a lot of Championship Mode
fights a lot more interesting and added some depth to the game.

* They also screwed up training as well.  IMHO, Rumble Aerobics and Sway Bag
could have been tossed altogether (with Speed Bag they're redundant), the
automatic trainings should have been *vastly* improved, and there should have
been an exercise specifically for building stamina.  And the stupid training
buffer was a *terrible* idea.  No one's who's serious about beating
Championship Mode is going to be deterred, while players who honestly did their
best in Weightlifting are in for a rude shock.

* Also, I wish expenditures were handled a little more realistically...c'mon,
think about it, TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS for ONE USE of a heavy bag??  Then again,
maybe that isn't such a bad deal, considering that it costs nothing to maintain
the gym, get to and from the ring, feed and house the boxers, etc.  If I were
designing the game, I'd use something that made more sense... "Rumblepoints",
I'd call it.  So Rumble Aerobics would cost 1 Rumblepoint, Heavy Bag would cost
4 Rumblepoints, entering a Silver class title fight would cost 6 Rumblepoints,
etc.  And then say in the instructions that all expenses are already taken care
of by the organization or something.

* The betting limit is too low, especially with all the Speed Bag sessions
needed to build up stamina.  $50,000 would have been more reasonable.

* Lord, do I *hate* the effin' cornermen.  Nothing but whine, whine, whine, and
they don't even say anything *useful*.  "Throw your fists!  Block!  Move!"
Yeah, like I couldn't have figured that out on my own...they're a complete
waste of oxygen, and I can only guess why Midway would include them.  Complete
blunder on their part.  Sheesh.  I always turn them off the instant the first
bell sounds.  They're that annoying.

* Some of these problems were addressed in Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2. 
Although not necessarily the way I would've wanted.  But that's a subject for
another FAQ (my next one, in fact).

Okay...that's all.  Now get out there and rumble!

*****************************************************************************
*****************************************************************************

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Midway for creating a truly unique and fun boxing game,
GameFAQs for hosting this FAQ, and the makers of the Dreamcast for making the
best home console of my generation.  (Hear that, Sony?  Yeah, I'm talkin' to
YOU!!) I am quite sincere when I say that this FAQ could not exist otherwise.

As always, I'd like to take the opportunity to plug my website.  It's
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/dkwff, and it's home to nearly every
videogame-related creative endeavor I've undertook.  You can find all my FAQs
there as well, including the ones GameFAQs didn't publish (c'mon, CJayC, I
don't see what's wrong with them!).

This FAQ is copyrighted (C) 2001 by Darrell Wong.  Do not try to claim it as
your own.  Okay, you probably don't want to anyway, but just in case.

