Characters from Nintendo's arcade-style boxing series, Punch-Out!!, as well as its spin-off Arm Wrestling. Keep in mind that the identity of some of these characters are spoilers.

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Main Characters

Little Mac

Appears in: NES, SNES ^note, and Wii
Voiced by: Charles Martinet (SNES), Matt Harty (Wii), Kosuke Toriumi (Super Smash Bros.)

A scrappy young pugilist from the Bronx, New York. Possibly influenced by Rocky Balboa.

Acceptable Breaks from Reality: In real life, Mac would never be allowed to fight people outside his own weight class (which would be junior flyweight if the WVBA's weight classes are analogous to the WBO's; only Glass Joe would be in the same weight class), whom almost all of his opponents are. But no bother: it's awesome to knock the stuffing out of these seeming ten-foot behemoths with your star punches.
Adaptational Badass: In the NES game, he's able to beat Mike Tyson (who, while a strong fighter far beyond Mac's weight class, is still only at the peak of a normal human far as strength goes). In the Wii game, he's able to defeat, and tank hits from the likes of Mr. Sandman (who can punch down a condemned building) and Donkey Kong (who once punched the Moon itself out of orbit).
Ambiguously Brown: In the Wii game, where he sports a pretty dark complexion. He's typically assumed to be Italian-American, like Rocky Balboa.
Artistic License – Sports: Little Mac weighs only 107 lbs, putting him as a Junior Flyweight by WBO standards. Only one fighter matches this weight class, and that's Glass Joe. This was averted in the original arcade game, as Mac was equal in size to his opponents and presumably similar in weight, with his size being cut down for the NES version so the player could see the enemy (as the system's restrictions made it too taxing to make Mac's sprite see-through).
Badass Normal: He's puny compared to his competition and has no gimmicks (minus his Star Punch and his Giga form in the multiplayer mode). Doesn't stop him from rising to the top.
Brooklyn Rage: Downplayed. He hails from the Bronx, and, while he is not bad-tempered (or ill-mannered) he is a spirited fighter who will punch his way to become the champion. Averted in Fight Night Round Two (and thus, implied in Super Punch-Out!!), where he's instead billed as being from Seattle, Washington.
Character Catchphrase: In the SNES game, he says "Piece of cake" when winning without being knocked down, "Got him" when winning after being knocked down once, "Too close" when winning after being knocked down twice, and "Right on!" after winning a title.
Characterization Marches On: In the NES game, Little Mac is shown to be rather lacking in confidence and complains a lot between rounds, saying things like "I can't win, Doc!" and "He's hurt me Doc!" In SNES, he is confident or feels lucky to have won, depending on how well he has done. In Wii, while not having any lines, his body language and animations show him way more confident and determined. He is also shown to have a higher degree of willpower, as he can potentially recover from a knockdown that would otherwise result in a KO or TKO. These aspects carried a bit over into Smash as well.
Charles Atlas Superpower: Even if he's Weak, but Skilled, he's still durable enough to tank hits from a boxer who can level a building with only his fists, as well as a giant gorilla, and strong enough to punch out both.
Chick Magnet: Winning the World Circuit belt makes him popular with the ladies as evidenced by Title Defense Super Macho Man's intro, but Little Mac isn't interested.
Combat Pragmatist: Downplayed. While he won't break the rules to win (even if his opponent is blatantly cheating), he still has his moments. Little Mac's opponents will often try to taunt him, or cheat to heal themselves, giving Little Mac enough time to open up a can of whoop-ass on them. So keep in mind that if you drop your guard against Little Mac, even for a moment, he will make you regret it.
David Versus Goliath: Mac is quite a bit smaller than the majority of his opponents, who aren't even in the same weight class; even Glass Joe is slightly taller and heavier than he is. That doesn't stop him from fighting and winning.
Death of a Thousand Cuts: Unless he nets himself some Star Punches, his only method of dealing with opponents is hitting them with weak individual punches, a lot.
Determinator:
- No matter how gigantic and intimidating his opponents are, he never backs down. Well displayed when you first face Mr. Sandman in the Wii version: as he's walking towards the ring, Doc Louis looks at him terrified, but Mac simply gives an undaunted grunt and gets to it, leaving Doc to smile proudly at his pupil.
- See Heroic Second Wind below for a more traditional application of the trope.
Fragile Speedster: Compared to everyone else in the league, at least. The other fighters require a Death of a Thousand Cuts to take down, whereas Mac has to get by with lots of dodging lest he be KOed in just a few hits, especially against the later/stronger fighters. Even Glass Joe is stronger than him if you let Joe hit him.
Glass Cannon: He can't take many hits, and his normal punches do fairly scratch damage compared to how hard his opponents hit, but his Star Punch technique can pack enough pain to deck his opponents within seconds, especially when they are stunned.
Graceful Loser: While he certainly isn't happy about it, he won't make any qualms about giving up his belt in Title Defense mode, regardless of who beats him.
Guest Fighter: His SNES appearance in the GameCube port of Fight Night Round 2, as part of a licensing deal with EA.
Hair Color Dissonance: While Mac's hair is unmistakably black in the NES game, his hair in the Wii installment is pretty difficult to describe. Official artwork makes his hair look greenish black, but in-game, it varies depending on which circuit you're playing on. It's bluish in the Minor and Major Circuits, but becomes a lighter brown in the World Circuit and Title Defense.
Healing Factor: While it's never explained in the game, Little Mac can psyche himself up after knocking down his opponent, between rounds, or even giving himself a Heroic Second Wind when on the verge of consciousness, all restoring his health bar.
Heroic Build: All that training made him positively ripped.
Heroic Mime: In the Wii version at least. Averted in other games.
Heroic Second Wind: In the Wii version, he can stop himself from being knocked out. After slamming up against the ropes, he can barely catch himself by slamming a foot against the ground in front of him. He then proceeds to throw his head upwards at his opponent, a thoroughly pissed-off look on his face, followed by an inaudible roar with his fists akimbo, restoring a massive portion of his health, before resuming the match. In the Title Defense Challenges in Exhibition Mode, this action is required to complete one of Mr. Sandman's challenges.
Improbable Age: He won the WBVA title at 17 when most real-life international boxing organizations (especially in America, where Little Mac is from) don't allow those under 18 to compete with adults.^note
Kid Hero: Well, technically, Little Mac is in his late teens, but he might as well be a kid since Little Mac's still a minor.
The Last Dance: A non-lethal example. The ending of the Wii game has Little Mac choose to make one last performance in Mac's Last Stand; defeating boxer after boxer until he loses three times and retires from his successful career.
Made of Iron: Downplayed, due to his Fragile Speedster nature, but the kid can take some surprisingly serious hits and keep on trucking. Aran Ryan can clock him using gloves loaded with horseshoes in them, but Little Mac will still keep swinging.
Meaningful Name: "Little" Mac is at best a flyweight and is by and large the shortest and youngest character in the game.
Muscles Are Meaningless: When you think about it, it would take a lot of strength to make the likes of King Hippo even flinch.
Pintsized Powerhouse: Hardly tiny, but at 5' 7" he's the shortest character in the game. And he used to be even smaller, being only 4'8" in the NES game. And he only weighs 107 lbs, making him a flyweight at the heaviest.
Progressively Prettier: In his original appearance on NES, Little Mac flatout looked derpy, while being the size of a dwarf. On SNES his appearance was radically altered, and while certainly a lot more attractive-looking than his NES appearance, it's a bit too stereotypically animesque, looking too much like a bootleg Trunks. When the Wii game came around he was based back on his NES appearance, but this time has a more youthful and significantly more handsome-looking face with more defined features, a more appealing and less plain hairstyle, is clearly more muscular, and was sized up about a foot. When he was included as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. series he would keep his Wii design, but be made even more muscular and chiseled-looking.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs:
- One of Mac's special attacks in the SNES game is a series of rapid-fire regular punches.
- Downplayed in the Wii version. He doesn't have the same special attack as in the SNES era, but he is capable of throwing a combo of regular punches much faster than his opponents do.
Real Life Writes the Plot: Why is such a young, small man taking on much bigger foes? The hardware limitations of the NES meant a direct port of the arcade games was impossible (the NES couldn't have a see-through player character). The solution was to have the player character be so short that the opponent could still be seen behind him.
Real Men Wear Pink: He trains in his pink tracksuit, and does not kick a single ass less in it.
Shoryuken: His 3-star punch in the Wii version sees him lift off the ground with his hit.
Shout-Out: His SNES version looks a lot like Trunks while in Super Saiyan mode. Extra hilarity: he's wearing boxing trunks.
Signature Move: The Star Punch. According to Doc Louis's Punch-Out, Doc Louis invented it and taught it to Mac. Mac perfects it in the Wii version, being able to perform a Two-Star and even a Three-Star Punch.
Silent Bob: Mac only ever grunts and cheers in the Wii version, but the looks on his face clearly indicate what he's thinking. While his opponents Trash Talk him between rounds, Mac's Death Glare simply tells his opponents to put their punches where their mouths are.
Spirited Competitor: Judging by the way he glares at his opponents between rounds and grins triumphantly when he wins, it's clear Mac loves what he does. Unlike literally every one of his opponents, Mac doesn't Trash Talk his rivals before a match or when they're down, instead doing warmups to keep himself ready for the next bout.
The Un-Favourite: For some reason, Referee Mario is harder on him than the other opponents. Indeed, there are some matches he will never rule in Mac's favor, no matter how many points he scores.
Weak, but Skilled: Despite being one of the shortest and least ripped boxers in the series, he's skilled enough to take on the likes of Mr. Sandman, Mike Tyson, and even Donkey Kong.
You Can Barely Stand: During some of the fights, if you don't get knocked down or take that many hits, you can see Little Mac between rounds resting with a confident look on his face and eager to get back out to fight. However, if you take enough abuse, you instead see a bruised-up Little Mac hunched over trying to support himself with an arm on his knee. Just one look at him and you can tell he's really giving it everything he has to try and win this fight. If he wins a fight like this, instead of a jumping, whooping Little Mac, he stands in the middle of the ring holding a glove against his gut in pain. He then looks up at the crowd with a meek smile and weakly holds up a hand in victory. Doc Louis has to help him a bit.
Doc Louis: (holds Mac's arm higher) He can always take a whoopin'! Ha ha ha ha!
You Don't Look Like You: While most redesigns keep his classic look of black hair, a black tank top and green shorts, he's a blonde in white and blue in the English version of the SNES game and Fight Night Round 2.

Doc Louis

Appears in: NES, Wii
Voiced by: Riley Inge (Wii)

Mac's portly trainer and a former world heavyweight champion, he likes to joke around during Mac's fights, with occasional advice.

Acrofatic: He's still a good fighter despite his weight. Notably, the formerly downloadable Doc Louis' Punch Out game shows that despite being retired and out of shape, Doc still has the fastest jab in the franchise at a lightning-fast 15 frames (a quarter-second). That's faster than Mr. Sandman's Dreamland Express!
All There in the Manual: The fact that he is an ex-Heavyweight Champion is only mentioned in the supplementary material.
All There in the Script: Supplementary materials reveal his first name to be Jerome.
Berserk Button: In his WiiWare game, just try to punch the chocolate out of his hands. He'll make you regret it.
"NOOOO! Now you've done it! You won't like Doc when he's angry!" (growls as he takes off his training coat, pain ensues)
Big Fun: He's a tubby guy who's almost always joking around. He treats Little Mac as much a close friend as he does a protege.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: "Join the Nintendo Fu... I mean Club Nintendo today, Mac!"^note
Disco Sucks: He says "Gonna let you in on something, Mac. Disco's dead, Rock and Roll soothes the soul." during the fight against Disco Kid.
Eccentric Mentor: Has shades of this in Wii. He has a penchant for humor even during corner breaks, and a pretty clear love for everything chocolate. He's still a pretty strict coach though, as seen in the training montages. There's no doubt his tutelage worked wonders for Mac.
Formerly Fit: He was the champ back in his heyday, but he took to liking chocolate in his retirement and isn't as in shape as he used to be. He still packs a mean punch, though.
Known Only by Their Nickname: In the games themselves, he is only ever called Doc.
Koan: A few of his between-match quotes.
"What's your favorite Ice-Cream Koan, mine's chocolate."
Like a Son to Me: Clearly thinks of Mac this way, best shown in Wii in the title victory animation, where Doc gives Mac a big bear hug and proudly puts him on his shoulders.
The Mentor: He's a former boxing champion who helps Mac train and sometimes gives him advice.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: It was a bizarre coincidence that the NES version of Doc◊ looked remarkably like Reginald Veljohnson. Wii takes this similarity and runs with it by having him voiced by a sound-alike.
One-Hit Kill: His Star Punch, in Doc Louis's Punch-Out, knocks Mac down in one hit if it connects.
Parental Substitute: For Little Mac.
Product Placement: Ocassionaly plugs the Nintendo Fun Club or Club Nintendo.
Retired Badass: Former heavyweight champion. He may be older, less fit, and slower than he used to be, but let his Star Punch connect once, and you will learn why he was the champ.
Signature Move: The Star Punch. According to Doc Louis's Punch-Out, he invented it and taught it to Mac. Getting hit by it is a One-Hit Kill.
Woowee! I invented the Star Punch!
Stout Strength: Doc may have put on a few pounds since his own days in the ring, but he can still hit like a ton of bricks. He is one of only four fighters in the Wii game with an instant KO, in the form of his Star Punch.
Trademark Favorite Food: The Wii version gives him an affinity for all things chocolate, especially chocolate bars.
Now listen up, son! I'm going to tell you a secret... I love chocolate bars!

Challenger

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out!!, Arcade Super Punch-Out!!, Arm Wrestling

A green-haired pugilist and arm wrestler with no name.

Brought to You by the Letter "S": Has a V on his tank top in Arm Wrestling.
Calling Your Attacks: His ringside manager barks out each of his moves as he performs them.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: The original main character of the series, replaced by Little Mac (unless he's just an early portrayal of Little Mac).
Lantern Jaw of Justice: He's got a pretty big jaw there.
No Name Given: Just Challenger, but you can give him any three initials you choose.
Visible Invisibility: Inverted. The Challenger is visible to the in-game opponents but becomes a wire-frame person during matches so the player can see the opponent. He solidifies when holding up his championship belt.
Weak, but Skilled: Same deal as Mac; his attacks don't hurt much, but he's skilled enough to take down some powerful opponents.

Referees

The Referee

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/referee_punch_out.png

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out, Arcade Super Punch-Out, Wii
Voiced by: ???^note (SNES), Riley Inge (Wii)

The normal ref for the WVBA.

Butt-Monkey: In the Wii version of the game, he gets slapped around by Aran Ryan, Bald Bull, and Super Macho Man. If Mr. Sandman beats you in Title Defense, Sandman will also proceed to humiliate the ref, though it isn't clear if he does so on purpose. Despite being in the same circuit as these boxers, only Soda Popinski seems to have nothing against the ref.
Character Catchphrase: A couple of them:
- "Knock out!" when declaring a KO. If he makes a ten count without you getting your opponent's knockout animation, you'll see him waving his hands to signal that the fight's over.
- "TKO!" when declaring a TKO while you get your opponent's special knockout animation. If you score a TKO but don't get the special animation, the referee will appear onscreen waving his hands and saying "It's over, it's over!"
Easily-Distracted Referee: Even for the Flexible Tourney Rules of the WVBA, he doesn't seem to notice any of the flagrant cheating under his watch. Or maybe he doesn't want to piss any of the boxers off. Said cheating includes Aran Ryan's illegal headbutt, elbows, and glove whip, Soda Popinski's instant-recovery soda, Great Tiger's use of magic, Bald Bull's charging uppercut, and King Hippo's manhole cover shield.
Everyone Has Standards: In spite of the various rules of boxing getting broken without any input from the ref, one rule he isn't willing to see broken is attempting to fight before the bell sounds, as shown by Aran Ryan's round intermission.
No Name Given: Just the Referee.
The Silent Bob: Zigzagged in the Wii game. His voice can be heard when he's counting someone down or declaring a (T)KO. However, he is silent in all other cutscenes. The one exception to the latter is in Aran Ryan's pre-round cutscene in Title Defense, where he is heard saying "Come on, back up, back up" to Ryan.

Mario

Appears in: NES

Mario from the Super Mario Bros. series shows up as a Special Guest referee in Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (or Mike Tyson), having apparently taken some time off from saving Princess Peach from the Koopas.

Special Guest: Mario takes a break from hero work to serve as a referee.

Challengers

Introduced in Arcade Punch-Out!!

Glass Joe

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out, NES, SNES^note, Wii
Voiced by: Christian Bernard (Wii)

The guy with the glass jaw and outrageous French accent. Along with Gabby Jay, Joe holds the WVBA record for most career losses.

Adaptation Dye-Job: Joe had brown hair in the arcade, blonde on the NES, and reddish-brown on the Wii.
Ambidextrous Sprite: His bangs are usually longer on the right^notehis right, not ours, but some angles flip it to the left to keep at least one eye visible.
Anti-Mentor: Glass Joe is most definitely not the person somebody should go to for boxing lessons, yet he is the one who served as Gabby Jay's boxing instructor. If Gabby Jay's record is any indication, Joe's training only made Gabby out to be just as bad of a boxer.
Athletically Challenged: In each game, he will be your first opponent. A French boxer who has the worst offense and defense of any boxer and has a total record of 1-99 (it's stated that his sole win was from an "accident"). It's said that he has a medical condition that makes him easily knocked out. And as such, for the most part, he's a pushover in the games he appears in.
Atrocious Alias: That he's willing to go by the name "Glass Joe", even shouting it during his introductions in the Wii version, shows a measure of self-awareness.
Glass Joe: (with all the confidence in the world) Bonjour, bonjour! Je suis Glass Joe! Ha ha! ^noteHello, hello! I am Glass Joe! Ha ha!
Butt-Monkey: He's weak even when compared to the stereotypical depictions of the French. Even his sole appearance in Captain N: The Game Master has him get knocked down... by his own shadow!
Characterization Marches On:
- In the NES game, he was a pathetic loser who whined about wanting to retire since he was too old for fighting, said this was his last match, pleaded with Little Mac not to hit him in the jaw, and even asked if he could take a nap between rounds. He was such a crybaby that it was easy to just feel contempt for him.
- In the Wii version, Joe's become a friendly, cheerful guy who greets the crowd before the match starts. He's also a Determinator who will not give up, no matter how many beatings he takes. He's even gotten a competitive streak, telling Mac between rounds that he's "coming for him", and is a legitimate threat in Title Defense with his fake-outs, delayed punches and protective headgear. While some of his between-match dialogue could be taken as whiny — he says that his gloves are too tight, and that his doctor told him Mac is bad for his health — it comes across more as humorous Self-Deprecation.
Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys:
- This is played straight in the NES game, where his between-round lines vary from "I want to retire!" to "Can I take a nap before the fight?"
- Subverted in the Wii version: while he fits the "French weakling" stereotype, he's not a coward, he never surrenders, and he never gives up, as his 1-99 win/loss record will evidence. Unlike in the NES game, he displays a fairly positive attitude. Sure, he's a loser, but he's an honest loser. His Smash Bros. trophy makes note of this.
  [...]he's lost more bouts than most have fought in, and yet he never surrenders.
Cycle of Hurting: In the Title Defense fight in Wii, you can Star Punch Joe to stun him, gain a star at the end of the stun period, and immediately Star Punch him again in an infinite cycle.
Defeating the Undefeatable: According to the Official Nintendo Magazine, Glass Joe's sole win came from a "freak accident" against Nick Bruiser, the fearsome world champion with a 42-0 record in Super Punch-Out!! (how Nick still has an undefeated record if that's the case is an entirely different subject). Sure enough, checking the default leaderboard times for fighting Nick shows his entry on the bottom.
Determinator:
- For a guy whose main trait is how bad of a boxer he is, he certainly deserves kudos for still being in the ring. Even Doc Louis states that he deserves some respect for how "he can always take a whoopin'". Unless you've hit him in some very specific conditions, Joe will keep getting up before he's counted out until you trigger a TKO. In fact, even his more cowardly NES version will get up instantly, at 1, if you counter his taunt punch successfully but imperfectly.
- In the Wii version, assuming you don't go for the TKO or an instant KO, his contender fight takes 5 knockdowns before he's down for good. You won't encounter another opponent who gets up that many times until Major Circuit champ Don Flamenco, and the only Contender mode fight to get up more times is the World Circuit champ Mr. Sandman (6 to knock out). Glass Joe may be weak, but he doesn't quit easily.
- It's worth noting that he's gone through 100 matches. Most real-life professional boxers fight around 70 matches at most before retiring.
Determined Defeatist: Especially so in the Wii version. Even though he's plenty aware of his own reputation as the weakest boxer of the entire WVBA and has lost more matches alone than most real-life boxers ever get to fight in across their entire careers, Glass Joe still absolutely refuses to give up.
Dirty Coward: Joe was definitely this in the NES version, where he was such a sad, whiny crybaby — to the point where he'd repeatedly state his intentions to retire and even ask if he can take a nap before the next round — that it was easy to feel one hell of a lot of satisfaction in making him eat mat. Averted in the Wii version, where Joe's a lot more brave, upbeat and confident in himself, but still clearly way out of his depth.
Dork in a Sweater: His intro cutscene for Contender Mode, as well as a promotional comic strip, depict him in a black turtleneck, establishing him as a soft, non-intimidating opponent.
Endearingly Dorky: Joe has shades of this in the Wii version, being a surprisingly cheerful and friendly guy who wears a sweater, is passionate about his coffee and pastries, and despite his low staying power (and being clumsy enough to trip over his own feet on his way into the ring), he never gives up.
Exhausted Eyebags: Joe has some pretty heavy eyebags.
Flanderization: Inverted in the Wii version. While the other boxers have their stereotypical traits dialled up to eleven, Glass Joe became less of a stereotype. Instead of being a Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey, he's instead portrayed as a determined but weak boxer.
French Jerk: Averted. In the NES version, Glass Joe is a whiny crybaby, while in the Wii version, Joe is actually pretty friendly, has a competitive — if still quite dorky — attitude, and actually becomes more competent during Title Defense.
Handicapped Badass: It turns out that the reason Glass Joe is such a pushover is that he's got a medical condition that makes him more easily knocked out. When he wears headgear in his title defense bout (which softens blows to the head), he becomes MUCH more formidable. Sure, he's still the easiest guy of the Title Defense fights, but you'll get a rude awakening if you underestimate him.
Harmless Villain: In NES, most of Mac's opponents talk trash to him between rounds, but most of Glass Joe's comments involve him whining about how he's too old to fight and wants to retire, begging Mac not to hit him in the jaw, or asking if he can take a nap before the next round.
High Hopes, Zero Talent: As pointed out by his Smash Bros. trophy, he's lost more bouts than the other boxers have even fought in, and insists on continuing to fight despite his crippling medical condition. The Wii version emphasizes the "high hopes" part; he enters every match with undeserved confidence, and he's utterly overjoyed to actually win for once in his Title Defense victory cutscene.
Instant-Win Condition:
- In NES, perfectly timing a hit after his taunt will result in this. Failing to time it results in a one-hit knockdown instead.
- In Wii's Contender: Three-Star Punch him after his "Vive la France" taunt for an immediate KO.
- In Wii's Title Defense: Another three-star punch after his taunt will still KO him. Since he has two versions of this taunt ("Vive la France" and "Libertè"), this can be done in two different ways. You can also automatically KO him if you jab him 50 times, (you can jab him by landing a Star Punch). Both of these insta-win conditions are required for two of his Challenges in Exhibition mode.
Irony: Despite how many stereotypes are used in the games, contrary to the typical French depiction as Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys, Glass Joe is the BIGGEST Determinator in the game by a long shot.
Jobber: His record is an astounding 1-99.
Leitmotif:
- The first part of "La Marseillaise", France's national anthem, as his introductory theme.
- The Wii version gives him a remix of the Main Theme in the form of a jaunty, classy French tune with a bass and a few soft notes on the accordion.
Made of Iron: He somehow manages to be this and Made of Plasticine. Despite all the punishment he's taken, he has somehow managed to avoid becoming a drooling vegetable. Doc acknowledges this by saying that "he can always take a whoopin'".
Made of Plasticine: Somehow a mix of this and Made of Iron as stated above. Glass Joe may be a Determinator, but his stamina is low, and even he knows it.
Glass Joe: Attention à mon menton! Ne frappe pas mon menton!^noteWatch my chin! Don't hit my chin!
Meaningful Name: Obviously a play on "glass jaw," a term referring to boxers who can't take a punch to the chin or jaw without falling down. It doesn't stop him, though.
Nice Guy: Compared to the other fighters, he's pretty friendly. In fact, he tries smack-talking Mac in Title Defense, and then quickly adds a part at the end so as not to cause offense.
Glass Joe: Mon docteur a déclaré que tu es mauvais... pour ma santé.^Translation
Oh, Crap!: In Wii...
- After being hit particularly hard, he sometimes drops the French equivalent of this: "Oh, zut!".
- Attempting to hit him with a Star Punch will make Joe place his hands on his face with his mouth wide open in disbelief.
One-Hit Kill:
- In NES, hit Joe after he steps back and taunts. If timed right, the one-hit knockdown punch can instead become a OHKO.
- In Wii, hitting Joe with a Star Punch after the second knockdown of a round will knock him down for the TKO. His "Vive la France" taunt trick also comes back from NES; alternatively, if hit by a Three-Star Punch when he returns from the taunt, Joe will eat mat.
The Pollyanna: In the Wii version, he's pretty energetic and optimistic for a guy who gets floored almost every time he fights.
Punny Name: Glass Joe has a glass jaw. In the more general sense, he's also very fragile, like glass.
Puzzle Boss: Becomes one during his Title Defense bout in the Wii game, when he wears a padded helmet. In order to land any punches on his face, you have to knock it loose first with a Star Punch.
Riddle for the Ages: Just who did he get his one win against? An issue of the Official Nintendo Magazine claims it came from a "freak accident" against Nick Bruiser, but since his record remains perfect, this brings up a lot of ambiguity.
Redheads Are Uncool: In the Wii game, he's redheaded, and just as much of a loser as always (at least until he gets his headgear).
Self-Deprecation: Some of his dialogue between rounds in the Wii version might seem like he's complaining — among them, asking Mac not to hit his chin, and saying that his gloves are too tight or that his doctor told him Mac is bad for his health — but Joe's friendlier, more upbeat personality and Determinator nature make it come across as this trope instead.
Single-Stroke Battle: In NES, if you hit Joe after he steps back and taunts, there is a chance Joe will be knocked out.^note Since Joe does nothing before said taunt, it's possible this blow will be the only one in the fight, and you can actually do this in the first minute of the match.
Stereotype Flip: He might be a Frenchman, but he won't surrender so easily, even when he is losing badly.
Sudden Video-Game Moment: An usual example of one within a video game. When you knock Glass Joe down in the Wii version, he makes 8-bit "knockdown" sounds akin to the NES version as he staggers around and eventually falls... in a near-identical manner to the latter game, no less.
Throw the Dog a Bone:
- One of Glass Joe's challenges in the Wii game? Let him win. It's a lot harder than defeating him, actually, since the win has to be by Decision after knocking him down three times. Also, in Title Defense he actually has a hard fight for once, and can become champion if he wins it.
- In a meta-sense: If you look at the world record speed runs for the NES game, you'll notice Glass Joe has the sixth-fastest time to be defeated. Five of Little Mac's fights can be defeated more quickly than him, and it takes until Great Tiger to meet the first person that can outlast him.
Took a Level in Badass: In the Wii version's Title Defense mode, his doctor fears for Joe's safety, so he prescribes Joe some headgear, which completely eliminates head damage unless you dislodge it with a Star Punch — which by the way, deals nowhere near as much damage as before, comparable to Bear Hugger and King Hippo. He even greets you very smugly. Deservedly so.
Glass Joe: Je viens te chercher!^TranslationI'm coming for you!
Trademark Favorite Food: In the Wii game, it's bread — specifically baguettes and croissants, two French favourites — to the point where in an official tie-in comic,◊ he has the WVBA Title Belt remade to include a big silver baguette on it during his Dream Sequence. He also has some Drink-Based Characterization in his love of coffee, another well-beloved French treat.
Visual Pun: His Contender cutscenes show him drinking coffee. In other words, you're seeing Glass Joe with a cup of joe.
Vocal Dissonance: Joe looks scrawny and wimpy, making his pleasing baritone voice in the Wii version all the more surprising. His voice actor, Christian Bernard, was an announcer for Radio-Canada for years.
Wake-Up Call Boss: You know Title Defense mode is hardcore when even Glass Joe can kick your ass. The player has been facing increasingly faster opponents from Major Circuit onward. They have just beaten Mr. Sandman, who demands quick reflexes if Sandman even looks like he's moving. And then you fight Glass Joe again, who has much slower punches, and a number of delayed ones, which can lead to Damn You, Muscle Memory!. If you're not on your wits, Joe will get you.
Warm-Up Boss: In every game he's in, he's the first opponent, and the easiest to knock out. But then Title Defense comes in Wii...

Piston Hurricane

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out, SNES

Cuban-born Piston Hurricane is an agile boxer that can send Mac reeling with his "Hurricane Rush" punch combo.

All There in the Manual: This explains some of his backstory: a terrible storm destroyed his home, causing him to walk the streets of his hometown until the chance to become a professional boxer came along.
Butt-Monkey: He's the only boxer in the SNES Super Punch-Out to get knocked down properly in the end credits montage (barring Bob Charlie's inexplicable dizziness and Mad Clown falling on his ass of his own accord). After one punch. And while other boxers get beat up in the montage too, they still stay up... even Gabby Jay.
Expy: His arcade incarnation was basically a direct lift of Apollo Creed.
The Generic Guy: Compared to many of the other WVBA boxers.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: His nickname and Cuban heritage bring to mind Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a real-life boxer whose career was cut short by a prison term.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: The Hurricane Rush/The Piston Punch.

Bald Bull

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out, Arm Wrestling, NES (Major Circuit champ), SNES (Minor Circuit champ), Wii
Voiced by: Erse Yagan (Wii)

A heavyweight from Istanbul, Turkey. Telegraphs his punches very easily, but very few have been able to get back up from his "Bull Charge" maneuver. In the NES version, he is the Major Circuit champion. He also moonlights as a professional arm wrestler under the name "Mask X".

Achilles' Heel: His stomach. He doesn't hold up well to getting a hook to the gut in either the NES or Wii versions of the game, and it's how his signature move is stopped in every game. The Bull Charge is very dangerous, but if you manage to aim and land a punch at just the right time when he does it, you'll knock him down quickly.
Adaptational Badass: Goes back and forth since he gets fought in so many games, but is notably the Major Circuit Champion in the NES game, then third ranked in the World Circuit in both there — when you fight him again later on — and the Wii game.
Alliterative Name: Bald Bull.
Animal Motifs: Bulls, of course! He charges like one (hence "Bull Charge"), and bovine noises are heard when you punch him in the gut or after a Star Punch.
Ax-Crazy: In the Wii version, he is seen bashing his head into a post repeatedly for no reason, and snorts and bellows like a man possessed as he fights. Also, his dialogue in-between rounds has him threatening to eat Little Mac. It's at least implied to be just an act, though.
Badass Boast: He's got a good one on why he's got his name.
Bald Bull: Ben de onun kemiklerini çatır çutur kırmassam bana da 'Bald Bull' demesinler! ^Translation
Bald Head of Toughness: He's called "Bald Bull" for a reason. In most games he appears as a Wake-Up Call Boss, has a One-Hit Kill attack in the form of the hard-to-dodge/counter Bull Charge, and in the NES game's World Circuit, is the only opponent who's immune to typical knockouts, requiring either Star Uppercuts or perfectly countering the Bull Charge to fell him.
Bald Bull: My barber didn't know when to quit... Do you?
Berserk Button: The paparazzi. As seen in the Wii game, they constantly invade his personal space and pester him when he's training or even when he's bathing at a spa^note. If you are a reporter, whatever you do, DON'T disrespect his personal space or you'll learn it the hard way.
Bullfight Boss: During his "Bull Charge". Dodging it won't help you, as he'll either shorten the time it takes for him to charge, or keep doing it until one of you is down. You have to take a risk and meet him head-on. In the Wii version at least, he'll do it three times before stopping, but the attack will still floor you in one hit.
Character Focus: An odd and inexplicable case. In the original arcade game, the announcer usually only says the opponent's name at the start of the fight. For whatever reason, Bald Bull gets an extended introduction ("Ladies and gentlemen! Introducing, in the red corner, Bald Bull!"). Only Mr. Sandman gets a similarly long introduction, which can be excused by him being the champion and, effectively, the final boss of the game.
Combat Pragmatist: In Arm Wrestling, he will try to headbutt you and take advantage of your dazed state. If he is successful in doing this five times, it's an instant loss. This comes back to bite him should the player dodge his headbutt and rip off his mask, as the shock allows the player an instant win.
Combat Sadomasochist: To the extreme in the Wii game. This is the guy who repeatedly bashed his head against a post, punched himself in the head several times, and let actual bulls ram him before a match (granted, this was done to train up immunity to being hit in the gut, which was a serious handicap for him). If you see his defeated stance in Title Defense mode, the dejected Bald Bull just stands there, hitting himself in the head. He's just as brutal to himself as he is to anyone else.
Death or Glory Attack: His Bull Charge. If it connects, the player's going down. If you counter with a gut punch at just the right moment, though, it will knock him down on the spot. That being said, he'll back up and try again if the player dodges.
Determinator:
- In the NES game, in the Major Circuit, he's the only boxer alongside Great Tiger who will never stay down for a 10 count. In the World Circuit, Bald Bull won't touch that mat unless he's taken down with a Star Punch or during his Bull Charge.
- In Wii, Title Defense Bald Bull functions much like his NES World Circuit counterpart, except countering his Bull Charge won't knock him down either! Fortunately, you get a Star from countering the Bull Charge, meaning you can still knock him down as he recovers from that blow.
Dramatic Unmask: Possible in Arm Wresting; that's the only way to defeat him in that game.
WOW !!
BALD BULL !!
Evil Laugh: Does this after shrugging off a punch that would otherwise floor him in Title Defense mode. He also does it if you lose to him by KO in the SNES version.
Facial Markings: In Arm Wrestling. For whatever reason, the indentation of the letter "X" is still on his forehead even when he gets his mask pulled off.
Graceful Loser: Ironically, he seems to take losing to Mac in the Wii version pretty well. In his Title Defense cutscene, instead of fuming over his loss or becoming dejected like several of the others, he's instead shown training for the rematch.
Gratuitous English: When stating his name, he does so in English. The rest of his dialogue is in Turkish.
Guest Fighter: In the spin-off Arm Wrestling, in a mask no less.
Hair-Trigger Temper: Bald Bull is not quite as bad as Mr. Sandman — who, for the record, demolished a building with his own fists out of rage at Mac defeating him — in this regard, but he evidently has one; especially if you don't respect his personal space.
High-Pressure Emotion: In the Wii version, he turns red with rage and snorts steam from his nose when about to do the Bull Charge.
Hoist by Their Own Petard: In Arm Wrestling, he occasionally attempts to headbutt you once he's in trouble. However, if the player dodges, they can then yank his mask off and pin his arm while he's recovering from being exposed.
Hot Blooded Side Burns: Especially noticeable since they're the only hair on his head other than his bushy eyebrows and mustache.
Instant-Win Condition: In Wii...
- If you take no damage during the fight, counterpunching his Bull Charge with a Three-Star Punch will earn you an instant KO. In Title Defense mode, you can instead counterpunch his Bull Charge with a regular hook first, then hit him with the Three-Star Punch as he recovers from almost being knocked down.
- In Title Defense, using two separate star punches to counterpunch his Bull Charge, or using three three-star punches to knock him down will also work, even if you use them in separate rounds.
Jerk Justifications: If the paparazzi were constantly hounding you everywhere, even while you're bathing, you'd probably be angry all the time, too.
Jerkass: He gives the most harm to the Referee if he wins in Title Defense, furiously chasing him around the ring and headbutting him into the air much like a real bull, leaving him dangling off the top rope. Additionally, he nonchalantly throws his obviously very heavy dumbbell into the audience before Rounds 2 and 3 in Contender; that would kill someone in real life.
Bald Bull: Little Mac? (laughs) Yani 'İşe yaramaz Mac! ^Translation
Bald Bull: Hey Doc, Mac'e dayak yemeyi mi öğretiyorsun? ^Translation
Kayfabe: There are hints that his "wild man" personality is at least partially an act for the crowd. In his intro movies, he's remarkably calm; it takes a while for him to get mad at the paparazzi for disturbing his privacy as much as they did. Between rounds, he speaks in a jovial tone and even casually cracks jokes at Mac and Doc. Once the bell rings, however, he's suddenly snorting and bellowing like a madman again.
Leitmotif: A Middle-Eastern version of the Main Theme with emphasis on Pungi.
Let X Be the Unknown: As Mask X in Arm Wrestling.
Lightning Bruiser: Has quick and powerful punches, and plenty of health to boot. Taken even further in the TD rematch in the Wii game, where his uppercut almost seems to come out of nowhere, and a Star Punch is required to knock him out. He's considered That One Boss for a reason.
Made of Iron: He's the only character in the Wii version who doesn't get even slightly tossed into the air after getting knocked down (even Mr. Sandman gets lifted a bit off his feet when he gets knocked down). He just stumbles a bit. Then there are his rematches in the NES and Wii (Title Defense) games. Even if you completely drain his stamina meter, he'll stop himself from falling down and come at you all over again. The only way to stop him? A Star Punch (or countering his Bull Charge, at least in NES).
Mask Power: When he was Mask X in Arm Wrestling. You even defeat him by yanking his mask off.
Meaningful Name: His name is not because he is from IstanBUL, but rather came from the popular saying "Strong as an Ox" (an ox is a castrated bull), which translates in French to "Fort comme un Turc" (literally "Strong as a Turk").
Muscles Are Meaningful: Next to King Hippo, Mad Clown, Mr. Sandman, and Bear Hugger, Bald Bull is the heaviest boxer with a whopping 298 lbs of pure muscle.
Mythology Gag: There are two references in the Wii game to his appearance in Arm Wrestling. One is Doc saying that if you can't beat him in boxing, maybe you can in arm wrestling. Another, more subtle one is the paparazzi that is always around, most likely a reference to him wearing a mask while in Arm Wrestling. He needed the mask so he didn't attract attention.
Nerf: He's the champion of the Minor Circuit in the SNES game, and as such he's much easier to defeat than in the other games. He lampshades it with his post-game quote as having "pulled his punches".
One-Hit Kill:
- His Bull Charge (for you), or getting counter-punched during it (for him).
- In Title Defense mode in Wii, this is double subverted in that counter-punching him only gives you a star... but Star Punching him immediately after he finishes laughing off your efforts knocks him right down.
Puzzle Boss: Somewhat for the second time you fight him in the NES and Wii games. No matter how little health he has, he doesn't go down to a regular punch (unless you hit him in a Bull Charge); you can only knock him down with a Star Punch. And he always gets up at 9.
Recurring Boss: The most recurring in the whole series. The only game he doesn't show up in is arcade Super Punch-Out!!, giving him a total of five appearances as an opponent if one counts his appearance in Arm Wrestling as Mask X.
Shout-Out: The "Mask X" Mask design is similar to that of legendary wrestler "The Destroyer".
Sir Swears-a-Lot: In the Wii version, he actually mildly swears repeatedly in Turkish^note.
Sore Loser: In his post-game dialogue in Super Punch-Out!!, Bald Bull back-handedly states that the protagonist's victory against him wasn't as impressive as it initially seemed. It also provides a bit of a Hand Wave as to why he's notably easier there (as Minor Circuit champ) than in most other games.
Bald Bull: Don't look so proud. I pulled my punches when we fought.
This Is Gonna Suck: Before Little Mac throws a Star Punch, Bald Bull releases a dejected sigh as his eyes widen.
Training from Hell: He prepares for his Title Defense bout by letting real bulls charge into him to build up his endurance and keep himself from getting knocked down.
Turns Red: The more he's hit, the more aggressive he becomes. And he literally turns red while readying his Bull Charge in the Wii version, snorting out steam as well.
Use Your Head: He will headbutt and bite you in Arm Wrestling.
Wake-Up Call Boss: More than any other boxer in any of the Punch-Out!! games.
- In the arcade game, he was a huge jump in difficulty from the previous boxer (Piston Hurricane).
- He's even more like this in the NES version. Compared to every other boxer you fought up to this point, Bald Bull was freaking huge, and just looked like he was prepared to kick your ass, and his Bull Charge often ensured that he did exactly that.
- Even in Arm Wrestling, he's the first boss to pose any serious difficulty, albeit more on account of how weak Texas Mac and Kabuki are.
- Finally, he's the champion of the Minor Circuit in the SNES Super Punch-Out!!, where he plays the same role he did in the arcade game by being a huge jump in difficulty from the previous boxer (Piston Hurricane again, oddly enough). He is the first opponent to be able to knock you down instantly with his Bull Charge.
- He avoids this in the Wii version, however, on account of being fought so late.

Kid Quick

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out

One of the two left-behinds of the arcade games, he is a quick but pretty easy boxer with no special moves.

Afro Asskicker: Has an afro and is a boxer.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: With Disco Kid as a suitable replacement, who would also sport an afro in Title Defense.
Fragile Speedster: He moves quickly, but isn't as strong as some of the other boxers.
The Generic Guy: This is probably why he was replaced/retooled into Disco Kid.

Pizza Pasta

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out

An Italian boxer, who was the other left-behind character. He uses a grab move to drain your KO meter.

Alliterative Name: Pizza Pasta.
Bear Hug: How he does his draining technique.
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Hasn't appeared at all since the very first arcade game, likely because his personality begins and ends with his name. Similarly to how Kid Quick was retooled into Disco Kid, Pizza Pasta was seemingly reworked into Aran Ryan for Super Punch-Out!!.
Meaningful Name: According to Genyo Takeda (developer of the arcade game) and Satoru Iwata, there's a deeper meaning to his name — he sticks to you like cheese on pizza and pasta.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Strongly resembles Italian-American boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, who was the WBA Lightweight champion at the time Punch-Out!! was in development.
Punny Name: He's from Italy and he's named after Italian food.
Villainous Widow's Peak: It comes with his stereotypical Italian appearance.

Mr. Sandman

Appears in: Arcade Punch-Out (champion), NES, SNES (Major Circuit champ), Wii (World Champion)
Voiced by: Riley Inge (Wii)

One of the big daddies of the WVBA circuit. His punches hit hard enough to make his opponents see stars, but has a particular weakness to body blows.

Adaptational Attractiveness: The Wii version gives him a noticeable redesign, making him less cartoonishly jowly and tightening up his proportions.
Adaptational Wimp: In the NES game, he's ranked second in the World Circuit under Super Macho Man, and is the Major Circuit champ in Super.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: In the Wii version, Mr. Sandman is at the top of the WVBA food chain with zero losses to his name, and he believes himself to be unbeatable. This can be seen in his first fight, as he taunts Mac at every opportunity and when Sandman knocks Mac down. Since he still has this tendency in the rematch fight, it could be argued his taunts are as much a psych-out technique as pure arrogance.
"Tell your face... to leave my fists alone!"
"This title is mine, Mac. You ain't never gonna take it!
Badass Normal: This is especially noticeable in the Wii version. Most of the other boxers have some sort of gimmick: getting hopped up on caffeine (Soda Popinski), training with animals (Bear Hugger and Bald Bull), using magic (Great Tiger), or being rich and famous (Super Macho Man). Mr. Sandman's gimmick is simply being a boxer. And he's very good at it. His only real quirk is the "Sandman" motif, which is all about sending his opponents off to Dreamland — that is to say, unconsciousness. The NES game does bring this trope into question, as the speed of his Dreamland Express in that game is hardly "normal".
Big "NO!": Right before being Star Punched in the Wii version's Contender Mode.
Boring, but Practical: Mr. Sandman has no special tricks or cheats in the Wii game. He doesn't rely on magic, animal trainers, or being really fat. He is simply the best boxer in the World Video Boxing Association. It's even more apparent in the original arcade game, where he doesn't even have his Dreamland Express attack.
Charles Atlas Superpower: He's able to level buildings by sheer training and strength alone. Between rounds, he flexes his biceps by curling the ring ropes. Anyone who's ever pulled a ring rope knows this is impossible.
Composite Character: In the Wii version, his new attacks, such as his wink followed by a blow, are taken from Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream in the NES version. He also has green accents from said boxers to go along with his gold color motif.
Creepy Shadowed Undereyes: Gained these for his Title Defense bout. He must've lost a lot of sleep after losing to Mac.
Damn You, Muscle Memory!: A unique quirk of Mr. Sandman in the NES and Wii versions is that when stunned, he instinctively protects the same area you first stunned him with (IE, if you start with a punch to the head he'll protect his head, or if you start with a body blow he'll protect the body). The standard strategy of stunning boxers and then freely wailing on them thus has to be thought out a bit more, as doing so will end combos before they can begin.
Death Glare: In his Title Defense intro, he leers at Little Mac something fierce.
Death or Glory Attack: In the Title Defense fight in the Wii game, after Mr. Sandman has been knocked down twice in a single round or a minimum of three times overall, he will throw a barrage of 14 very powerful and very fast uppercuts that come in bursts of three, five, then six, and at no point can it be countered. It doesn't take many to bring Mac down (in fact, the very last one can instantly knock him down). However, if the player survives, Mr. Sandman will burn out and leave himelf wide open for Mac to lay a serious beatdown on him.
Defeating the Undefeatable: In the Wii version, not only does he have a 31-0 record, his intro shows him punching out every other boxer in the game. Later, the prelude to his Title Defense match shows him punching down a building in rage after he sees a poster with Little Mac on it.
Determinator: Mr. Sandman is the only boxer who cannot ever be knocked down for a count of ten in the SNES version, even with cheats. He has to be TKO'd to beat him; which is a bit ironic, considering that this was the weakest form of the character, but it effectively serves to set up the "stops holding back after two knockdowns" gimmick he has in that game.
Establishing Character Moment: Almost every fighter in the Wii version has a four-scene intro describing them. Mr. Sandman's Contender mode intro has over three times as many scenes that scroll rapidly and shows him destroying every other boxer Little Mac's fought so far and winning the World Circuit title from Super Macho Man. His Title Defense intro is only four scenes long, but it shows him destroying a two-story building with his bare hands.
Evil Sounds Raspy: More of a rival than an outright villain, but his Wii game voice is quite deep and gravelly.
Expository Hairstyle Change: He has a crew cut in Contender mode. After he loses the World title to Little Mac, he cuts his hair into the shape of a Z to symbolize how he puts opposing boxers to sleep.
Fair-Play Villain: Surprisingly, yes; of all the boxers faced in the Wii version, he's one of only two boxers (the only other one being Piston Hondo) that abides best by the rules of boxing. He doesn't bring in foreign objects, he uses nothing but legal punches, he doesn't attack the referee or the crowd, and he walks into the ring wearing basic boxing shorts and gloves. The only violation he commits is fighting the vastly underweight Little Mac and his shorts in Title Defense might break the dress code, but by Punch-Out!! standards, that's a glowing record. The only thing he uses is sheer strength and skill — and that's all he needs.
Faux Affably Evil: Seemingly invoked. By the time of Title Defense in Wii, he has embraced his lower popularity compared to Mac following his dethroning as champion, and instead talks in a fake jovial tone as a form of intimidation. His quote after a new round starts sums it up perfectly...
"Hey, Mac baby! Brush your teeth? (glares at the camera) It's bedtime...!"
Final Boss: Of both the original arcade game and the Wii game.
He's Back!: Mr. Sandman was the last boss of the original arcade Punch-Out!!, but was reduced to a (still damn challenging) contender in following releases. In the Wii version, he's back to last boss status, and with good reason, since he is downright scary. It also allows him to take Tyson's place as the final challenger.
Important Haircut: For the rematch against him in Wii's Title Defense. It's a very similar haircut to what Mike Tyson himself had back in the day, with a twist: the uncut hair forms a "Z" on his head.
Instant-Win Condition: In Title Defense in Wii, after he misses his uppercut barrage past the second knockdown, if you somehow have a star after the ordeal, said Star Punch will put him to sleep for good.
Jump Scare: One of his moves in the Wii version is to go "BOO!" to try to startle you, then drive his fist to your face when you fall for it. Of course, this can potentially backfire on him, as a well-timed jab when he's doing this can earn you a star. Or if your reflexes are godlike enough, a well-timed Star Punch will knock him down.
Lantern Jaw of Justice: The guy has a jaw like a concrete slab, most prominent in his Super Punch-Out incarnation.
Leitmotif: The Wii version remixes the Main Theme during his fight into a fast-paced rock and roll version with loud guitar and a pounding beat.
Lightning Bruiser: To quote Doc Louis: "Sandman's fast and strong, he ain't the champ for nothin'!".
Meaningful Name: He's called Mr. Sandman because he punches his opponents so hard that they fall unconscious. One image of his introduction even shows Super Macho Man taking a snooze after being clobbered by Mr. Sandman's punch.
Mirror Character: Shades of this in the Wii version. As a straightforward, no-frills boxer who dominated his way up the ladder, he's a lot like Little Mac. Hence his shared voice actor (and catchphrase, "Mac Baby") with Doc Louis, who speaks on Mac's behalf.
Mythical Motifs: His name is a reference to the European folklore creature of the same name. But unlike the other gimmick boxers, his motif is more of an indirect allusion to his prowess as a boxer, namely that he'll punch you so hard that you'll be falling unconscious.
Nerf: In Super Punch-Out, he's the champion of the Major Circuit. This is far and away the weakest incarnation of him, but even so, he can still be tough if you don't see his gimmick there coming.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: As an insanely tough, relentless black boxer from Philly, he's quite similar to Joe Frazier. The Wii version adds some Mike Tyson (e.g., his hair style in the rematch) as well.
- He also has some Muhammad Ali in him in his Contender self, such as his hair style, cocky demeanor and even the record Ali had—31 wins—before his first defeat (incidentally, it was to Frazier).
No-Nonsense Nemesis: He's one of the most serious opponents of the bunch, and as such his only taunts are to fake Mac into dodging so that Sandman can take advantage of the vulnerability.
Oh, Crap!: In the Wii version, dodging his punches might cause him to say "Uh oh!", and his reaction to a Star Punch in Contender is a Big "NO!".
One-Hit Kill: Two examples against him and one in his favor in the Wii version:
- A Star Punch as he does the "Boo!" taunt, or just before he lands the first uppercut from his Dreamland Express, will knock him down instantly. This is true for both Contender and Title Defense.
- The last wink-guided uppercut he throws during his rage uppercuts will instantly knock Mac down if he's hit by it. If he manages to dodge it, though, Sandman will succumb to fatigue and Mac can then punch him repeatedly to deplete his HP. A Star Punch during this phase will KO him instantly.
Paint It Black: In Title Defense mode, Sandman gets trunks and boxing gloves largely colored black.
Retcon: In the arcade and NES versions, Mr. Sandman is from Philadelphia, PA. However, in the SNES manual (not the actual game), he's listed as being from New York, NY. The Wii version restores his hometown as Philadelphia.
Scary Black Man: As the WVBA Champion, you better believe he is. The Wii version dials this, thanks to the voice acting and how he also leveled a building with his bare hands after Little Mac defeated him for the championship.
Shout-Out: His Wii incarnation is as close as you can get to having Mike Tyson in the game as is allowable. Especially in Title Defense. He even does the nightmarish wink-then-punch attack.
- Mike Tyson was well-known for his "peek-a-boo" boxing style. If Mr. Sandman's gloves-over-eyes stance before his uppercut rush isn't enough to evoke this, peeking out briefly to shout "BOO!" definitely is.
Sickening "Crunch!": Getting punched by Sandman in the Wii version will cause you to hear Little Mac's bones snapping.
Sore Loser: His Title Defense self, and looking at him after his first defeat in the opponent select screen will show that he is shaking in rage.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Mr. Sandman fills the role of Tyson in the Wii game, especially his Title Defense version who sports a buzzcut and black trunks.
Terms of Endangerment: In his NES and Wii appearances, he stands out as the only character in the game apart from Doc Louis to address Mac as "Mac Baby".
13 Is Unlucky: Possesses this motif in the Wii version. He is 31 years old (flipping both numbers yields "13"), has 31 KOs on his record (again, flip it and you get "13"), he is faced as the 13th opponent in both Contender and Title Defense modes, you start both fights against him with 13 hearts, and he throws 13 regular wink uppercuts during his flurry of them after the second knockdown in Title Defense — the 14th one is a One-Hit Kill. It's also worth noting that his Contender introduction cutscene is 13 images long (whereas the other boxers' introduction cutscenes (including his Title Defense introduction cutscene) are only 4 images long). On a meta - and honestly disturbing - note, the frame perfect world record for beating Mr. Sandman in Super Punch-Out turns out to be exactly 13.13 seconds.
Took a Level in Badass:
- When compared to the other games, he is still in the World Circuit but weaker than Super Macho Man. After this, he deserves his Championship.
- In the Wii version's Title Defense mode, not only are his attacks faster and stronger, but after two knockdowns, he unleashes a brutal series of uppercuts that can knock Mac flat on his back unless dodged. In his slideshow, the way he "trained" before the rematch is... by leveling down a building with sheer strength and rage alone.
Villainous Breakdown: During his Title Defense match in Wii, being knocked down twice in one round or three times altogether will prompt him to throw a long string of uppercuts. If Mac can dodge them all, Mr. Sandman will become exhausted and leave himself wide open for a counterattack.
Wilfully Weak: His SNES manual entry notes that Mr. Sandman has a habit of holding back — which explains why he's so much weaker there compared to his usual Final Boss status — until he's in danger of losing. It's at that point (namely, after he gets back up the second time) that he unloads on you.
Wink "Ding!": Quite the dangerous example in Wii. In his Title Defense match, he adopts Tyson's infamous "wink-then-punch" technique from the NES game. Once you hear a little "ding" noise, you'd better dodge immediately. Or immediately punch him in the eye he winks for a free Star.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Says this if you face him in TD or Mac's Last Stand mode when the champ (Mac) makes his entrance.

Introduced in Arcade Super Punch-Out!!

Bear Hugger

Appears in: Arcade Super Punch-Out, SNES, Wii
Voiced by: Richard Newman

A huge Canadian lumberjack that would love to give his opponents Bear Hugs. He lives in the wilderness with all them woodland critters.

Adaptational Badass: Is fought very early in both of his first two appearances, but somehow gets to the Major Circuit in the Wii game.
Animal Motifs: Bears, natch. He's big, eats a lot, sleeps quite a bit, and is seen using the ring post as a backscratcher, not unlike how bears scratch their backs against trees.
Badass Boast:
"Now, I have the strength, mmm-hmm, of a bear!" (sips his enormous jug of maple syrup) "Mm, that's good!"
"Hey, hoser! I'm gonna hit you so hard, yer gonna see Northern Lights, eh!"
Bears Are Bad News:
- This is his motif in all games he's present. Played with a bit in that, between rounds, he's much friendlier.
- Subverted in Wii when he encounters an angry bear in his opening montage... who then becomes his coach. Or already was his coach and was roaring at him for slacking on his boxing training.
Big Eater: He can outrival King Hippo or a serious Piston Hondo in training in this regard: especially in his Contender intro, where he's first seen polishing off a truly humongous breakfast and washing it down with one of his huge jugs of maple syrup.
Big Fun: He even stops to dance occasionally. In the middle of a boxing match.
Big "NO!": TIIIM-BEEEEEER! (tree thud)
Boisterous Bruiser: This big guy loves to throw his weight around.
Calling Your Attacks: Both before ("NEED A HUG?" "CATCH-N-RELEASE!") and after ("Salmon Arm!" "He scores!") his attacks.
Canadian Equals Hockey Fan: "He scores!", "Hat trick!", etc. He also plays hockey as part of his training in Title Defense.
Carpet of Virility: Has chest hair in the shape of a pine tree.
Confusion Fu: In Wii's Title Defense, he gains a squirrel friend who helps him by occasionally signaling to him to delay an attack.
Crass Canuck: Downplayed. Out of the ring, he is a boxer who chops wood, fights bears in his free time, and is a Big Fun guy towards Little Mac. But when he steps on the ring, he's about as bearlike as his name and lifestyle would imply, being a Big Eater and a big sleeper who scratches his back on the ring post, belches into the camera, taunts Little Mac like a schoolyard bully, and speaks most of his lines in a boisterous guffaw. He also packs a real wallop when he fights, with his signature move being a Killer Bear Hug.
Cuddle Bug: He's adapted his hugging habit to combat. He gives powerful bearhugs as attacks, and makes references to hugging during some taunts, even claiming he's "a hugger, not a fighter".
Discard and Draw: In the Wii version, he traded in his body blow immunity for a more diverse repertoire of attacks.
Fat Bastard: Subverted; he's actually pretty friendly when he's not slamming you to the ground.
Fat Comic Relief: Especially in Wii. He's almost attacked by a bear in Wii's opening montage if not for the bear becoming his coach, he falls asleep between rounds, his taunts are childish and don't tend to be threatening, and when knocked down in Title Defense his squirrel companion has to wake him up by jumping on his belly.
Fighting Clown: Wii version Bear Hugger is a big silly lug of a man who spends a considerable amount of ring time goofing off (he literally starts his fights with a childish taunt) and making fish jokes, but he still hits hard and hits fast, and is not to be underestimated.
Friend to All Living Things: In the Wii version, he befriends squirrels and a bear.
Gasshole: Belches at the camera after having some maple syrup just before the round starts in Contender Mode.
Growling Gut: His stomach rumbles during one of his intermission animations, right before he dozes off.
I Shall Taunt You: Has a tendency to taunt in a rather childish manner in Contender Mode, which can give you stars if you hit him — and if you already have a Star Punch, hitting him when he taunts you will instantly knock him down.
Jiggle Physics: His gut has a noticeable bounce to it during certain animations.
Kevlard: If you punch him in the belly in the SNES version, he'll just stick his tongue out at you. He does take damage if you punch him in the belly in the Wii version, but unless you stun him first, you can't get combos from it.
Killer Bear Hug: His signature move, of course. It does a One-Hit Kill or an absurd amount of damage (depending on the game) and can only be dodged by ducking (or countering with a well-timed jab in Wii).
Leitmotif: A banjo-and-harmonica version of the Main Theme at a fast, jovial pace.
Manly Facial Hair: He has a thick beard to complement his rugged lumberjack image.
Mighty Lumberjack: This lumberjack is strong enough to chop down giant trees with just an axe, and train with a bear.
Moose and Maple Syrup: Currently provides the trope picture. He lives in the woods, calls his opponents "hosers", drinks maple syrup, has chest hair in the shape of a pine tree, plays hockey as part of his training, and will sometimes say "eh?" when he misses with an attack. This is more obvious in the Wii game, which was actually made in Canada, so it seems as though the people at Next Level Games like making fun of their own nationality.
Mountain Man: He lives in the Canadian wilderness and is a mountain of a man, but unlike most examples, he gets along with animals.
Nice Guy: Compared to the other fighters, at least. His taunts are less threatening and almost reach Cloud Cuckoolander territory.
"I'm a hugger, not a fighter. Take off, eh?"
Oh, Crap!: His face when he whiffs a Killer Bear Hug says it all. It's complete with an audible gulp too!
One-Hit Kill: On both ends of the trope.
- In the arcade Super Punch-Out!!, the Bear Hug move is an instant-knockdown attack. Subverted in SNES Super Punch-Out!! and Wii.
- Contender in Wii: Counterpunching any of his attacks or taunts with a Star Punch will automatically knock him down.
- Title Defense in Wii: Like Von Kaiser, a Three-Star punch while he's stunned automatically knocks him down, regardless of how much health he has.
Prefers Raw Meat: "I like raw fish."
Retcon: Although it was All There in the Manual and not the game itself, he was supposed to be a carpenter from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in the SNES game. In Wii, he is a lumberjack from Salmon Arm, British Columbia.
Ridiculously Cute Critter: In Wii Title Defense, he wears a toque hat that houses a squirrel wearing boxing gloves, complete with ridiculously cute sound effects.
Self-Deprecation: As mentioned above, the Wii game was developed by the Canadian developer Next Level Games, and in that game he's more stereotypically Canadian than in the previous games.
Sleepyhead: Tends to nod off from time to time, like the Title Defense fight loading screen or his win animation in Contender.
Stout Strength: He may be fat, but he's strong enough to train with a bear and his bear hug attack does a ludicrous amount of damage.
This Is Gonna Suck: Before taking a Star Punch in the Wii version, he grimaces as he mutters "Aw, no".
Took a Level in Badass:
- Meta-example; he went from being the opening opponent in the second arcade game to the second boxer of the game in the SNES version, to a Major Circuit fighter in the Wii version. Apparently, bears make really good boxing trainers.
- In Title Defense in Wii, his defenses are increased, his moveset is expanded, he can't be stunned for major damage unless you unleash a Star Punch during his initial stun, he is guaranteed to recover from knockdowns with the aid of the squirrel in his hat, and he is the only boxer who will always dodge a Star Punch unless he's stunned; plus, even if you land one, he takes them a lot less badly than before. Better learn when to counterpunch and save those Star Punches for when he's stunned.
Trademark Favorite Food: Regularly drinks maple syrup straight from the bottle. Also likes raw fish.
Warm-Up Boss: His SNES version teaches you how to duck and retaliate after the enemy counterattacks. Once you learn these, Bear Hugger suddenly becomes a pushover.

Dragon Chan

Appears in: Arcade Super Punch-Out, SNES

A kickboxer from Hong Kong who bears more than a little resemblance to Bruce Lee.

Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: His quote when you first face him in SNES clearly demonstrates such. Bonus points for being from China, where Kung Fu originates from.
"You will find yourself face down... when you wake up."
Bilingual Bonus: His ringman speaks only in Chinese, which predates the Wii version having boxers only speak in their native languages. His name is also a Shout-Out: Jackie Chan's stage name incorporates the character for "dragon".
Bruce Lee Clone: Bears an uncanny resemblance to Lee. He has the noises down, too.
Combat Pragmatist: He kicks in a boxing match.
Funny Bruce Lee Noises: Whenever he punches and kicks. He also gets a slightly longer and hilarious one when knocked down.
Healing Factor: If you let him meditate mid-fight, he'll recover a quarter of his health. Power-punching^notehim, or even just punching him in the gut while he's doing this cancels it out, and may even send him down.
Ironic Echo: As seen in Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy, his ego is inflated and he claims you'll wake up face down. His quote at the end of the game, though?
"When I woke up... It was me lying on the mat."
Kiai: He's implied to be yelling one during his triangle kick by his sprite.
One-Hit Kill: His flying triangle kick is an instant knockdown if it connects.
Shout-Out: To both Bruce Lee (in look) and Jackie Chan (in name).
Wake-Up Call Boss: In the SNES version. By then, the only difficult fight had been Bald Bull, and even he had the risky Bull Charge that let you knock him down instantly. Dragon Chan, by contrast, has a few devastating flying kicks that only leave him vulnerable to a combo afterwards, sidesteps before he attacks so you can't counterpunch and have to dodge (counterpunching was very useful against Bald Bull and Bob Charlie beforehand), can heal himself and is overall the first genuinely difficult fight.

Soda Popinski/Vodka Drunkenski

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soda_popinski_spirit.png

Appears in: Arcade Super Punch-Out, NES, Wii
Voiced by: Ihor Mota

Soda Popinski comes from Moscow, Russia, usually with a bottle of soda in his hands. As opposed to most of the other fighters, he is a lefty, making him a bit harder to read.

Achilles' Heel: His scientifically-brewed soda makes him hit a lot harder and faster every time he drinks from it... but as long as you have quick reflexes and don't get hit, you will also be able to land increasingly more punches after a stun.
Alcohol Hic: Or soda-hic more like. Regardless, his voice clips in the Wii version have a sort of drunken slur to them that isn't entirely noticeable if you don't speak Russian.
Bald Head of Toughness: The third-ranked fighter in the World Circuit, in the Wii version. He also trained by bringing soda pop crates from outside to his gym, while wearing nothing but his boxing ensemble.
Badass Normal: Aside from being left-handed and the whole soda schtick, he's a fairly normal boxer. Granted, in his Title Defense rematch intro cutscene, he gets special soda made in a lab that lets him pull a truck using his teeth, so it's likely that by this point he's either doping or just on one hell of a sugar rush.
Berserk Button: In the Wii version, he gets mad if you Star Punch him or knock him down, but he goes absolutely ballistic if you knock the bottle out of his hand. Once that happens, steam pours out of his ears as he throws loads of fast uppercuts in succession.
Boisterous Bruiser: When he's not trying to punch your face in, he's either laughing heartily or enjoying a drink. In the Wii version, his victory animations include him doing a Cossack dance (in Contender) and a juggling act (in Title Defense).
"Ха-ха! Я могу победить тебя даже с одной рукой, привязанной за моей спиной!"^Translation
Bowdlerise: In the arcade, he was named "Vodka Drunkenski", but in the NES version, this was changed to "Soda Popinski" (and yet the references to him being drunk were left in somehow). The Wii version also uses "Soda Popinski", but it seems to actually be soda this time — the bottle is clearly plastic like a soft drink bottle (because it crumples instead of shattering when Soda crushes it, and also from the noise it makes as it falls when he's defeated), and the bubbles that appear during the match resemble soft drink fizz instead of the froth of some alcoholic drinks. He does still have some references to being drunk, however, as he at one point tells Little Mac (in Russian) that he will crush him, but the dialect in which he says it sounds like he intends to run over Mac with his car, as well as the fact that he speaks with a subtle slur that implies he's a little inebriated. Hilariously, getting drunk on soda actually made him even more memorable than if he had just been your standard drunk Russian.
Can-Crushing Cranium: Albeit with a bottle instead of a can.
Crazy-Prepared: This dude always seems to have at least one soda bottle on his person... which makes you wonder where he keeps them. Soda takes it even further in his Wii Title Defense bout, when he brings three whole crates of his scientifically-enhanced super soda into the ring with him.
Cheaters Never Prosper: One of Soda Popinski's Title Defense Challenges requires you to let him drink his soda as much as he wants, then beat him.
The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: He can recover health during his intermission sequence on the Wii version. You can do the same thing (once per match), but he can do it in every intermission. At least they're skippable, and if you skip them quickly, he will recover a lot less health.
Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Soda Popinski is the first boxer who fights left-handed, marking the point in the games where you need to start relying less on instinct and more on strategy.
Drunk on Milk: Or on soda, rather. And by that, we mean completely sloshed by soda. His speech also includes a bit of a drunken slur.
Drunken Master: He may be drunk on soda, but he's still a very tough boxer.
Early-Installment Weirdness: In the arcade game, he's right-handed.
Evil Laugh: Popinski does it more than any other challenger in the NES version, and has a variation of it in his Contender intro in Wii when he guzzles down one of his sodas and crushes the bottle against his forehead.
Exposed to the Elements: His opening cinematic shows him trudging through a snowstorm wearing nothing but his boxing gear, a hat, and an open coat. He loses the coat in the second frame.
Frothy Mugs of Water: More like Green Bottle of "Soda", but the trope still fits.
Futile Hand Reach: When you knock him out with the special KO animation in the Wii version, a semi-conscious Soda will attempt to reach for his dropped bottle of soda, but it slips out of his hand and rolls away.
Gentle Giant: Downplayed. He may be trying to punch your lights out, but he is a boxer. Aside from that, he's not nearly as hostile as some of the other World Circuit boxers, and in the Wii version, he's the only one who never attacks, harasses, or manhandles the referee in any way, and his intermission quotes are on the Boisterous Bruiser side. That said... don't touch his soda, or he'll go berserk rather fast.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: Duel Screens noted that, in the Wii version, his speech has "a bit of a drunken slur". It's a miracle that the censors didn't pick it up!
The Giant: Standing at 6'6", he's the tallest character with a confirmed height, only just taller than the 6'5" Mr. Sandman.
Glorious Mother Russia: Evokes several stereotypes of Russians; he's tall, positively ripped and boisterous, his fighting nickname has the suffix "-inski" at the end, part of his training is by being Exposed to the Elements and wearing the minimal Russian attire when out in the cold — since Russia is well-known for being cold as hell — his speech has a bit of a drunken slur to it, and the special enhanced soda made for him in Title Defense invokes Soviet Superscience.
Gratuitous English: Similarly to Bald Bull, he speaks in Russian, but speaks his name in English.
Hammerspace: Where exactly does Soda keep his bottles?
Healing Factor:
- If you let him take a drink from his bottle of soda mid-fight — or during his intermission cutscenes — on the Wii version, he'll recover an enormous chunk of his health. Stopping him from doing so is often a key part of a winning strategy against him.
- When he gets knocked down, it only takes a single drop of soda to get him back on his feet.
Husky Russkie: This Russian boxer is one of the biggest and toughest fighters in the series. In his Wii incarnation, he's the tallest confirmed character in the game at 6'6".
"Я Сода Попинский! Я задавлю тебя!"^TranslationI'm Soda Popinski! I will crush you!
Leitmotif: "The Song of the Volga Boatmen" as his introductory theme. The Wii version remakes that and his version of the Main Theme as a full-blown Russian orchestra, complete with an all-male choir.
Lightning Bruiser: Not only is Soda the tallest boxer in the game, but he also throws some quick punches.
Little "No": In the Wii version, knock him down enough times without a TKO or KO animation and he'll eventually run out of soda. His response is a little "Nyet".
Mother Russia Makes You Strong: Very strong, considering only Mr. Sandman and presumably Super Macho Man were able to beat him until Little Mac came along.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: He brings soda into the ring to instantly recover after being knocked down, and in Title Defense, he is doping on a special soda to enhance his strength. The referee doesn't feel the need to call him out for this.
Oh, Crap!: The Boisterous Bruiser, Husky Russkie, Giant Soda Popinski still covers himself while calling for help in Russian ("Ох, помогите!"^TranslationOh, help!) when Little Mac unleashes a Star Punch... only to come back angry at the hit.
One-Hit Kill:
- NES: The uppercut delay will cause Soda to be knocked down by the next Star Punch.
- Wii, Contender: A delayed hook, followed by a delayed jab on the opposite side, followed by a Star Punch will knock him down immediately. So will unleashing a Star Punch during his taunt (when he stands proud and laughs).
- Wii, Title Defense: If the last punch in a jab combo is a Star Punch instead of a jab, Soda will get knocked down, regardless of how much health he has. The jab counter has to be 5 or higher for this to work.
Power-Up Food: His Soda in the Wii version, as getting even a drop of it in his mouth while downed gives him the strength to kip up immediately and if you let him drink it during the fight he'll heal. In Title Defense mode he gets an even stronger, scientifically developed brew.
Punny Name: "Soda pop", with the stereotypical Russian name suffix "-inski" in his name.
Purple Is Powerful: In Title Defense, his red ensemble is replaced by a purple one.
Red/Green Contrast: In the NES and Wii games, he wears all red, and his soda bottle is green. In the arcade Super Punch-Out!!, he wears bright green gloves and boots with his red trunks whenever you fight him again after becoming World Champion.
That Russian Squat Dance: One of his victory animations, his Contender one specifically.
A Sinister Clue: Subverted. He's left-handed and an antagonist due to being an opponent, with an Evil Laugh to boot, but he still seems like a decent guy.
Soviet Superscience: How his Title Defense's soda pop was engineered.
Took a Level in Badass: Played With. In Title Defense, the scientifically-brewed soda he drinks makes him even more aggressive and allows him to hit even harder than usual, in addition to recovering his stamina. He also has new attacks to contend with. However, not getting hit will allow you to land increasingly more punches each time you stun him.
Trademark Favorite Food: Soda Popinski loves soda. He can't get enough of it. Drinking a single drop can refill him with energy immediately. Also, when you punch him, you hear fizzy noises, presumably because he's somehow that full of soda. He brings three whole crates of it into the ring during his Title Defence bout.
Training from Hell: Part of his routine in Contender consists of carrying large crates of soda while Exposed to the Elements. Somehow, he never catches a cold. Guess Mother Russia indeed makes one strong.
Turns Red: Pink, too!
Unstoppable Rage: In the Wii version, Soda gets very angry if you knock him down, hit him with a Star Punch, or punch his soda out of his hand. When that happens, he literally turns red and vents steam before throwing loads of uppercuts in quick succession.
Vodka Drunkenski: The Trope Namer for drunk Russian guys and a textbook example, even if Bowdlerization means he's getting drunk on soda. Even after that, Soda's lines in Wii have a subtle drunken-esque slur to them that's hard to pick up on if you don't know the language.

Great Tiger

Appears in: Arcade Super Punch-Out, NES, Wii
Voiced by: Sumit Seru (Wii)

A mystic from Mumbai, India. His special attack is the "Magic Punch", which takes on different forms depending on the game, but always involves him splitting into clones of himself and fooling Mac by having both him and his clones "attack" at once.

Animal Motifs: Tigers, as per his ring name. The NES game shows a skinned tiger in his corner, he wears tiger-striped pants in Wii (orange ones in Contender, white ones in Title Defense), compares himself to a tiger in his mid-round dialogue in NES, and positions his fists when fighting in a way that resembles a pouncing feline. A tiger roar sound effect also plays when he does his ear clap move, which can also be appropiately described as a pounce attack.
Artistic License – Sports: While this is prevalent throughout the series, Great Tiger is particularly notable as he outright uses magic to teleport around and split into clones, which would almost certainly get him banned from ever competing in a boxing match because of how much of an unfair advantage it gives him.
Awesome, but Impractical: His Magic Punch in NES and Mirage Dance in Wii.
- The Magic Punch is a series of teleporting punches, and you can't dodge the move or else you risk getting hit by the next — you must block all six hits. Successfully holding the line, however, leaves Great Tiger dizzy, causing any punch to be a One-Hit Kill. Makes you wonder why he opens Rounds 2 and 3 with this move.
- The Mirage Dance is, to put it simply, multiple Rushing Magic Attacks followed by a tornado punch. Successfully avoiding the entire move, again, leaves Great Tiger dizzy, letting you bring the pain; using a Star Punch is even a One-Hit Kill.
Baritone of Strength: In the Wii game, he speaks with the deepest voice of all the boxers next to Mr. Sandman. He's easily one of the tougher opponents in the game as well, if you haven't figured out how to deal with his attacks.
Bilingual Bonus: He's speaking fluent Hindi in the Wii version, and never uses a single English word unlike some of the other boxers. During Contender, he refers to himself using a Hindi title.
"मैं हूं शेर सिंह।."^Translation
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The color that the jewel in his turban flashes is the tell. It will blink yellow when you have an opportunity for a Star, red when you don't and he will do a jab, and in Title Defense, green or blue when he performs a left or right uppercut, respectively, and white in his earclap^note.
Determinator: In the NES game Great Tiger will never stay down for a 10 count no matter how badly you're beating him, a trait only shared in that game by Bald Bull in his first fight. To beat him, you must win by TKO or by decision.
Doppleganger Attack: He summons copies of himself while doing his Mirage Dance in Title Defense in Wii. As shown by his round intermission animation for Title Defense, the clones have some degree of sentience, as they have a conversation amongst themselves before the real Great Tiger puts them back into his gem.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: In one of his Title Defense intermission quotes, he tells Little Mac to go drink his mother's milk before coming back. The pose he makes and the context are obvious — he's telling Little Mac to get breastfed.
Just a Kid: In both of his Title Defense intermission lines, he states this towards Mac in Wii.
"हुह! तुम सिर्फ एक बच्चे हो, तुम एक बाघ से भी नहीं लड़ सकते!^Translation
"हा हा हा! इस बचे को बोलो की अपनी माँ का दूध पिके आई!^Translation
Instant-Win Condition: Title Defense version only. During his Mirage Dance, counterpunch his clones (instead of dodging them), duck his tornado punch, and then use a Star Punch (of any intensity) while he's stunned to feed him the mat.
Leitmotif: The Wii version gives him an Indian sitar version of the Main Theme with echoing notes to make it feel more "mystical".
Magicians Are Wizards: Both the NES and Wii games mention that Great Tiger is an accomplished magician. However, his tricks are less "smoke and mirrors" and more "actual supernatural powers".
Magic Misfire: Implied in his special KO animation, especially if you hit him during his Rushing Magic Attack; as Great Tiger stumbles back, the jewel in his turban flashes as his spells go haywire, before being knocked out.
Midair Bobbing: He bobs up and down while he's floating.
Mystical India: He rides a magic carpet, he wears a turban, he has a tiger motif, and he's from India.
One-Hit Kill:
- In NES, successfully blocking his Magic Punch leaves him dizzy; any punch you throw will knock him down.
- In Contender in Wii, hitting the real Great Tiger with a hook mid-Rushing Magic Attack (from the side he comes) results in an instant knockdown.
- In Title Defense Wii, dodging the Mirage Dance clones, ducking the tornado punch, and then unleashing a Star Punch will quickly knock him down.
Power Crystal: The jewel on his turban. Like several examples of this trope, it's located on his forehead as a symbolic Third Eye.
Power Echoes: Several of his quotes have a natural echo to them, especially while he is using magic.
Power Floats: His magic powers allow him to do this in the Wii version.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: In his arcade appearance, he does a punch rush similar to Piston Hurricane.
A Sinister Clue: Referenced; one of Great Tiger's Challenges in Contender has Little Mac beat him with only punches from his right hand.
Teleport Spam: All over the place.
Third Eye: His jewel is evocative of one; it's located on his forehead, it's the source of his magical powers, and it even "blinks" when he's about to attack.
This Is Gonna Suck: Compared to every other boxer in Wii, Great Tiger doesn't even vocalize when Little Mac throws a Star Punch. He simply covers himself in preparation.
Token Wizard: He is the only boxer in Arcade Super Punch-Out, NES and Wii versions that show the ability to use magic.
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, his magical powers have been expanded, allowing him to assail Mac with more illusory clones to throw him off. He also gets more aggressive after every knockdown, so the best strategy when dealing with him is to get an instant KO on him as quickly as possible. Finally, don't be fooled by him not dodging Star Punches on occasion — he can still do it and counterpunch you to boot!
Uncertain Doom: His special KO animation in Title Defense has his teleportation powers go out of control for a few seconds before he's just... gone, not even down on the canvas. Whether he just teleported to somewhere offscreen (e.g. into the stands) or vaporized himself entirely is not clear. Granted, he is seen back in the ring after his match, but still.
Villainous Lineage: In the NES game, Doc mentions that Great Tiger's father was also a skilled magician. Presumably, he learned all his magic powers from him.
Wake-Up Call Boss: In both the NES version and the Wii version, he's considered the first fighter to present a challenge. In Wii, you can't dodge his uppercuts by dodging to any side — you must dodge the way they come (to the left for right uppercuts, and to the right for left uppercuts), which is true for his individual uppercuts and his Rushing Magic Attack.

Super Macho Man

Appears in: Arcade Super Punch-Out (World Champion), NES (World Champion), SNES (World Champion), Wii
Voiced by: Mike Inglehart (Wii)

An egotistical Hollywood bodybuilder who is the World Circuit champ in most games. His spinning clothesline punch is his greatest and fastest attack.

Adaptational Dye-Job: While his character portrait in the NES game has his usual hair color (greyish/silver), his in-game sprite has black hair due to palette limitations.
All-American Face: Started that way (sorta), but acts like a Heel in Wii (e.g. knocking the ref over).
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's one of the rudest, most arrogant boxers around.
Attention Whore: Unlike Bald Bull, he clearly relishes the attention he gets from the press. Doesn't stop him from acting like a dick towards them. During Macho Man's intro in Title Defense, he tries to pose under a spotlight that keeps moving away from him, which results in him stamping his feet in a tantrum.
"WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME?!"
The Bully: Compared to the other top dogs in the WVBA World Circuit, Super Macho Man easily has the nastiest personality of them all. You first start seeing shades of it in the SNES version, and then he fully embraces it in the Wii version, to the point where he attacks the referee and arrogantly sneers at the much smaller Little Mac to "stay down" when he knocks him to the mat.
"Fighting hurts my gorgeous body, but trashing wimps makes it all worthwhile!"
The Casanova: The chicks dig him. It helps that he's rich.
Cool Shades: "Oh, these sunglasses? You can't afford these sunglasses!"
Combat Pragmatist: His Clothesline attack closely resembles a "haymaker punch": this is a particular punch where the arm is "whipped" sideways from the shoulder with minimal elbow bend. It's considered illegal in boxing because it is that powerful and realistically, it leaves you wide open if you miss.
Death by a Thousand Cuts: One of Super Macho Man's Title Defense Challenges will have you KO him in Round 1 without gaining a single Star.
Eagleland: Flavor 2, especially in the Wii version.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: At the very least, being just a Heel and all, his Title Defense intro has him getting increasingly furious about Little Mac casually turning down all the fame and fortune he sees being offered to him. If he wins, he'll come close to understanding why.
Evil Counterpart: In a game full of national sterotypes, he represents the negative aspects of the USA while Little Mac represents the positive - Mac is a brave and scrappy underdog who fights his way to success through hard work and grit, while Super Macho Man is a smug, arrogant, wealthy bully who feels entitled to love and adoration.
Expy: Reportedly of pro wrestler "Superstar" Billy Graham. Also bears a resemblance to (and sounds a lot like) Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair (the latter moreso in the SNES and Wii appearances). His name is probably a reference to Randy Savage, aka Macho Man.
The Fighting Narcissist: He isn't just arrogant; he wants everyone to love him while being arrogant.
Foil: To Aran Ryan in the Wii version. Both of them speak English and are the two boxers that the crowd explicitly boo at in the World Circuit. However, while Aran Ryan is mostly immune to getting stunned without counterpunches, none of Super Macho Man's attacks can be counterpunched, forcing Little Mac to go back to basics with the dodge and attack strategy.
Gold Tooth of Wealth: In the Wii version, Super Macho Man has a gold tooth to show how rich he is. He's so rich that when you knock him out, dollar bills fly off him.
Green-Eyed Monster: In the Wii Title Defense intro, he's jealous of all the fame and attention Little Mac is getting, especially when the latter doesn't even want it.
Hair Color Dissonance: His hair is silver-blonde, but looks gray. One wouldn't be mistaken for thinking he's older than he claims he is (27 years old in SNES and Wii).
Hated by All: In the Wii version. Despite how loved he claims to be, the crowd can always be heard booing him in his intro and victory sequences, which isn't something that happens to any of the other boxers (although Aran Ryan has stuff thrown at him in between rounds during his Title Defense match is pretty close). Whenever you knock him down, the crowd cheers harder than they do for any of the other boxers.
Heel: In the Wii version, contrary to his belief, he is the most hated of all the characters. The crowd boos him more loudly than even the blatant cheater Aran Ryan. Likely because Ryan is at least open about it while Super Macho Man expects everyone to praise him as the ultimate Face no matter how he acts.
Instant-Win Condition: Contender version only. When he uses his Triple Clothesline, a Three-Star punch in between his second and third spin will put him down.
Jerk Jock: He may be a Nouveau Riche party animal, but all the bodybuilding and exercising isn't just for show. He's constantly training, which makes him one of the highest-tier boxers in every game he appears in.
Jerkass: While most of the fighters are jerks in some manner or another, Super Macho Man is in a class of his own, especially in Title Defense. You just have to glance at him arrogantly swatting the referee aside and showboating to the paparazzi to fully get the picture.
"Get outta my way... IT'S SHOWTIME!"
Large Ham: Comes with the full-of-himself superstar territory.
Leitmotif: Naturally, a 90s surfer rock version of the Main Theme in the Wii version.
Mirror Character: To Don Flamenco in Wii. Both of them are The Fighting Narcissist and lack any serious curveballs come their Title Defense matches, but make up for it by vastly improving their existing tactics. Both of their Title Defense intros involve them destroying an image of Little Mac. Don Flamenco definitely has more of the crowd on his side, though.
Muscle Beach Bum: As you'd imagine for a huge, vain and excessively-tanned bodybuilder who fights in speedos and hails from California — Hollywood or Los Angeles, depending on the game — this aesthetic is played to the hilt for the guy. Super Macho Man's SNES bio outright mentions that when he isn't boxing, he can often be found training at Venice Beach.
Nerf: Unlike Bald Bull and Mr. Sandman, Macho Man retains his category in the SNES game (he's still the champion of World Circuit), but he's still easier to defeat than in other games because his more powerful attacks (including the spin punch) are only performed after he's knocked down twice.
Non-Idle Rich: So rich, in fact, that when you knock him out in the Wii version, dollar bills fly off him.
No-Sell: None of Super Macho Man's attacks can be counterpunched.
Oh, Crap!: Notably tries to defy this in Wii when Little Mac throws a Star Punch, by trying to beat Mac to the punch... which doesn't work. Points for trying, though!
One-Hit Kill: On both ends of the trope in Wii.
- In Contender, Star Punching him in between his second and third spin will do this to him. Alternatively a Three-Star Punch changes it to an OHKO.
- His Title Defense's Triple Clothesline is this for you.
Pec Flex: His trademark taunt. He steps it up in the Wii by flexing his glutes at the player, too.
Pre-Final Boss: Is set up to appear as the final boss in every game he's in, but only in the arcade version of Super Punch-Out and the Gold Edition of the NES game (Where Tyson/Mr. Dream is not present) does he get to properly play the role. On the Wii, he is the fourth opponent of the World Circuit... except the World Circuit happens to have five opponents. On both the NES and SNES, he is indeed the World Circuit champion, but in the retail version of the NES game, you fight one more boxer after him, and on the SNES, the World Circuit isn't even the final circuit.
Produce Pelting: In Title Defense mode on the Wii. Guess he's not so much an All-American Face in that version anymore, is he?
Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: SUPER! MACHO! MAAAAAAAAAN!
Retcon: While it's downplayed compared to Mr. Sandman going from a Philly native to a New Yorker between the Arcade/NES and SNES games (then back again on the Wii), Super Macho Man was originally written as hailing from Hollywood, but the SNES manual stated that he's from Los Angeles and frequently trains at Venice Beach; then the Wii version reverts it back to Hollywood. Not that it makes a huge amount of difference either way, given both cities are in California and only about six miles apart.
Small Name, Big Ego: Big Name, Bigger Ego would be more accurate, but the spirit is still here. In a series where nearly everyone is cartoonishly full of themselves, Super Macho Man sticks out even then as an arrogant bastard. As his Title Defense intro and victory show, he lives for the fans' approval.
Smug Snake: He's definitely one of the tougher boxers in the series, but his skill is utterly dwarfed by his ego.
Sore Loser: He gets very angry after his loss to Little Mac, and his intro video in Title Defense has him jealous of Mac's fame, and further enraged that he'd graciously decline the perks of it.
Spin Attack: His trademark move, the Macho Spin Punch, comes in two flavors. He either throws a single punch that hurts a lot, or he rears back and throws multiple punches (called the Clothesline in the Wii version), each one of them being an instant knockdown except in the Wii version^note. He also gains a spinning uppercut in Title Defense. His knockdown animation involves him spinning before falling on the mat and when KO'ed, he literally spins through the air.
Surfer Dude: He always had shades of this, but the Wii version takes it further beyond: his theme is surf music, and he says things like "Dude!" and "BOGUS!" when he misses and announces one of his combos with "HANG TEN!".
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, his attacks hit faster and harder, and the timing for getting stars off of him becomes much stricter. He's also the only opponent in Title Defense to lack both an instant knockdown or instant knockout trick to exploit.
Took a Level in Jerkass: While he was always characterized by his arrogance and vanity, his Wii incarnation stands out as a smug, obnoxious, wealthy asshole who treats everyone around him like dirt.
Totally Radical: In the Wii version, surfer slang and all.
Younger Than They Look: He's in his mid 20s, yet apparently due to the California lifestyle, constant sun exposure, and his grey hair, looks like he's in his late 40s to early 50s. ^note

Introduced in NES Punch-Out!!

Von Kaiser

Appears in: NES, Wii
Voiced by: Horst Laxton (Wii)

A Berliner bruiser with an obvious facial tic and a high amount of military tropes added to his character.

Badass Boast: One of his pre-round taunts is "Ich bin eine kampmaschine! Mein name: Von Kaiser!" ^Translation
Character Tics: He twitches like a malfunctioning wind-up toy now and then in his Wii incarnation. He also makes clock-like noises (such as saying "Kuk-uck!") at random times. Overall, he comes across almost as a machine with more than a few screws loose.
Death or Glory Attack: During his Title Defense match, his Spin Attack. After recovering from being knocked down, he wildly screams and punches himself in the head to psyche up, before charging at Little Mac with a furious punch. If it lands, it will knock down Little Mac, no matter how much health he has. If it misses, Von Kaiser is left open for a massive counterattack.
AAAAAAAAATTACKEEE!!!
Germanic Efficiency: The mindset behind this quote:
"Ich? Deutsche Präzision. Du? Windmühle."^Translation
Groin Attack: Part of what drives him to a psychotic meltdown in his Contender intro cutscene: one of his students punches him right in the crotch, while they all laugh at him.
I Want My Mommy!: He asks for his mommy as a "taunt".
"Wo bist du denn? Mami!" ^TranslationWhere are you? Mommy!
Important Haircut: In Title Defense mode, Kaiser gives himself a flat-top haircut to indicate he got over his psychological handicap.
Instant-Win Condition: In Wii's Contender version only — a Three-Star Punch during his "Mommy!" taunt will instantly put him down. This is exactly how his five-punch challenge is done.
Kaiserreich: His mechanical and honor-bound attitude, military attire, and "Ride of the Valkyries" leitmotif all mark him as a proud WWI-Prussia German stereotype.
Leitmotif:
- The main portion of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" for his introduction.
- The Wii version gives him a remix of the Main Theme in the style of a military march.
Mad Eye: Sports one during the last image of his Title Defense movie.
Oh, Crap!: He will try to take cover and yell "HILFE!"^TranslationHELP! or utter "Oh, nein..."^TranslationOh, no... if Mac throws a Star Punch in Contender in Wii.
One-Hit Kill: In Wii...
- Contender: Hit him with a Star Punch during his "Mommy!" taunt or while he's already stunned. The latter is required to complete a challenge that involves giving him a TKO in a certain amount of time.
- Title Defense: Hit him with a Three-Star Punch while he's already stunned. Finding a star from all seven possible ways, then hitting him with a Star Punch, will also work.
- Also in Title Defense, he starts using his Spin Attack against you, an attack that will knock you down if it hits no matter how much health you have left.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Played for Laughs in the Wii version, where he obviously suffers from PTSD from being beat up by his child students at his boxing academy. Getting beaten by Mac apparently knocks him out of it.
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, he recovers completely from his trauma and takes his fight more seriously. He can now fake attacks to confuse Mac and has one of the few one-hit knockdown moves in the game.
Von Kaiser: "KAMPFSTIEFEL!"^Translation
This Is Reality: One of his between-round taunts in Title Defense mode:
"Dies ist Boxen, Little Mac! Keine tattenkaffee!"^Translation
The Von Trope Family: Just in case you weren't sure about his nationality.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Upon reading that Little Mac won the World Circuit championship. Cue Von Kaiser cutting his hair and taking several levels in badass.

Piston Hondo/Honda

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/piston_hondo_0.png

Appears in: NES (Minor Circuit champ), Wii
Voiced by: Kenji Takahashi (Wii)

A boxer from Japan who promises to give Mac a "TKO from Tokyo". Holds the Minor Circuit belt in the NES game.

Adaptational Badass: Downplayed. Where as the Wii game makes him part of the Major Circuit after previously being in the Minor Circuit, he's the first one you fight.
Bare-Handed Blade Block: Does this as part of his Training from Hell in Title Defense's slideshow.
Big Eater: Also does this in his Title Defense slideshow. Justified due to his Training from Hell.
Big Ol' Eyebrows: A part of his tell, too.
Bilingual Bonus: His headband in the NES game said "Nippon ichi", which translates to "Japan's best". In the Wii game, it says "Ichiban", which means "the best", likely to avoid any confusion with a different use of the phrase "Nippon Ichi".
Boring, but Practical: His Hondo Rush is nothing more than a series of quick punches... that each take away a good chunk of your health and are nearly impossible to evade and are better blocked or even better countered.
Bring It: After displaying he Took a Level in Badass in his Title Defense intro, he glares at the camera as he moves his eyebrow and flashes the most confident grin ever, clearly challenging you.
Consummate Professional: He's among the more serious and realistic boxers in the series. In addition to actually adhering to the rules of real-life boxing (a rare feat in the franchise), he holds one of the best records (26 total wins, 18 wins by knockout, and only one loss) in both of the games he appeared in.
Cultured Badass: As seen in the Wii version, he's not only an accomplished boxer but also highly knowledgeable in traditional Japanese culture; sometimes giving advice to Mac in the form of proverbs.
Shintō mekkyaku sureba, hi mo mata suzushī. ^Translation
Niku o kirasete, hone o tatsu. ^Translation
Te o agete, ōdan hodo o watarimashou. ^Translation
Cutscene Power to the Max: You know that move he does in the opening of his Title Defense match? Yeah, he never does that in the fight.
Dramatic Wind: Wii's Japanese version only — his special KO animation has wind howling in the distance as he stumbles back.
Easter Egg: In Contender in Wii, Piston Hondo is the only boxer who has six intermissions: his usual two where he talks in proverbs, another two where he shows off sushi ingredients, and a third set of two where he gives general advice.
Eyebrow Waggle: He has a habit of doing this as one of his punching tells. Wii adds to it by sometimes waggling one eyebrow at a time.
Face of a Thug: Downplayed; while not ugly per se, his face constantly displays a constant scowl. However, as supplementary material shows, he is a very humble person.
Four Is Death: One of Hondo's Title Defense challenges is to beat him after blocking 44 jabs, and in the NES game, his Hondo Rush attack consists of four jabs. Four punches is also the minimum amount to KO him in Contender mode.
Gratuitous Japanese: The NES game has one of his dialogs being made up of random Japanese words. This is averted in the Wii game; despite being a studio in an English-speaking part of the world (Next Level Games is located in British Columbia, Canada), dialog is spoken instead of written and only characters with English as their native language speak it, with boxers from non-English-speaking countries speaking the native language of their country. Not only does Piston Hondo speak real Japanese instead of random words; his seiyuu, Kenji Takahashi, is actually Japanese rather than an American or Canadian speaking surprisingly good Japanese.
Honor Before Reason: He bows in the middle of a boxing match! Of course, he learns his lesson and he can avoid the coming blow much faster in Title Defense mode.
Instant-Win Condition:
- In NES: whereas it was a One-Hit Kill in his first fight, he won't get back up if you counter the Honda Rush during the second fight.
- Contender in Wii: a Three-Star Punch while he bows or to counterpunch the Hondo Rush will give you the win.
- Title Defense: A Three-Star Punch while he switches sides to perform an uppercut is also an instant KO.
I Shall Taunt You: Subverted. While bowing, he looks at Little Mac, which would normally be disrespectful in Japanese culture. However, martial arts combatants bow while making eye contact if they are within striking distance, as a sign of prudence. During the opponent selection, he does properly avert his eyes while bowing to Mac/the camera... in Contender mode; he plays the trope straight in Title Defense mode by keeping his eyes forward.
Japanese Politeness: One of the most polite, less ill-willed boxers in the series, and he hails from Japan. He even seems to have a bit of keigo in his speech, given he refers to him as "sessha"^note.
Kiai: Usually yells these in Wii. Taken to its awesome conclusion in his Title Defense match's opening, where he meditates before the fight, then as a gong sounds in the distance, he gets up and...
(cue Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs) TORYA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-YA-TORYAAAAA!
Leitmotif: "Sakura" as his introductory theme, given its distinct, traditionally-Japanese feel. The Wii version gives him a proper Japanese rendition of the main theme as well, complete with shamisen.
Martial Arts Headband: One of his defining physical characteristics.
Meaningful Name: Hondo is an archaic name for Honshu, the main island of Japan. Considering the fact that the game in which he goes by that name depicts him as extremely polite with a huge sense of honor, it fits, especially since his hometown of Tokyo is in the southeastern part of Honshu.
Nice Guy: Hondo bows and politely introduces himself during his Contender match in Wii, and despite his vicious style, doesn't visibly bear any ill will towards Little Mac following his losses. Valiant's comic shows he also raises funds to build hospitals and schools in his home country.
Piston Hondo: (bows respectfully) Sessha, Hondo to mousu. ^TranslationThis humble one is called Hondo.
One-Hit Kill:
- In NES, counterpunching the Honda Rush knocks him down.
- In Wii, Contender: Star punching him while he's bowing, and properly counterpunching the Hondo Rush, will do the trick.
- In Wii, Title Defense: Hit him with a Star Punch as he switches sides to perform an uppercut; or, during his upgraded Hondo Rush, hit him with a Star Punch when he twitches his eyebrow (easier said than done). Both of his taunt and Hondo Rush tricks also work, though they're trickier to perform; the Star Punch trick is valid during his actual bow, and the timing to counter the Hondo Rush for this instead of a star is very strict.
Otaku: The player isn't meant to see the pages, but the magazine he's reading between rounds in the Wii game is actually a slightly edited version of the Sailor Moon manga.
Perpetual Frowner: Just look at that scowl! He sure takes his boxing seriously. That said, he does crack a smile or two during his intermissions.
Punny Name: In the NES version, his last name's Honda. Which is why he's nicknamed "Piston" — like the pistons in a Honda car's engine.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: The Hondo Rush, and especially his Title Defense intro.
Real Men Wear Pink: Hacking the camera in the Wii version and looking at the book Hondo holds between rounds reveals he's reading manga — specifically, Sailor Moon.
Self-Deprecation: This would definitely count for Hondo. He's shown to be the most stereotypical Japanese super-warrior imaginable, training by catching swords and outrunning bullet trains, yet he's merely the lowest-ranked boxer of the second circuit who can't defeat Bear Hugger, who trains by chopping down trees and guzzling maple syrup. Just think about it: Which country are Piston Hondo and Nintendo the publisher/producer of the Punch-Out series from? And which country are the studio that developed this game and the next opponent from?
Shoo Out the Clowns: He is the first opponent in Wii to take his training seriously, as his slideshow shows — he is meditating in his temple, puts on his hachimaki, then puts on his gloves.
Shout-Out: In the NES game, he asks if NHK's cameras are running and says "hello" to Tokyo.
Shown Their Work: Multiple:
- He's staring at Mac when he bows during a match, which is a very disrespectful sign in Japanese culture, at least under normal circumstances, as it implies you don't trust the person you're bowing to enough to take your eyes off of them. However, martial arts combatants bow while making eye contact only when they are within striking distance. In this case, Piston Hondo is being careful... and sure enough, Mac can punch him while he's doing this for a star.
- During intermissions in his Title Defense match, he can be seen reading a book. A careful look at his eye and head movements suggests he's actually reading it right-to-left, as one correctly should for Japanese-formatted reading.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Replaced Piston Hurricane, though to Hondo's credit, he's at least more distinct from his predecessor than Gabby Jay is to Glass Joe.
This Is Gonna Suck: His reaction when Little Mac unleashes a Star Punch in Contender is to sum up how he "screwed up big time".
Masaka! ^TranslationImpossible!
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, his moveset is expanded to include enhanced versions of his Hondo rush that make use of delayed punches, a powerful uppercut combo after recovering from a knockdown, and the ability to fake Mac out by changing what side he launches an uppercut from. His vulnerability while bowing is also reduced.
Piston Hondo: Ko ketsu ni irazunba, ko ji o ezu. ^Translation
Trademark Favorite Food: Sushi, it seems. Heck, it even flies out of his head when you hit him! You see Hondo eating TONS of it during the intro for his Title Defense match, and in some of his Contender round intermissions, he'll even take out a wooden tray and show off several neatly-prepared ingredients from it in a nod to his infamous "Random Japanese" from the NES version.
Training from Hell: His intro video for Title Defense has him in serious training. He's blocking swords with his bare hands, eating his own weight, and then some, in sushi, and running at the same speed as a bullet train.
Writing Around Trademarks: Originally in the NES game, he asked if the NHK camera crew was filming the match^note, but likely due to trademark reasons, he says "my camera crew" in the Wii and Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console versions. In addition, his surname was changed in the Wii game from Honda to Hondo, likely due to fears of a lawsuit from the Honda motor company — however, the new surname isn't meaningless (regardless of whether the meaning was intended).

Don Flamenco

Appears in: NES, Wii (Major Circuit champ)
Voiced by: Juan Amador Pulido (Wii)

A flamenco dancer from Madrid, Spain, who decided to bring his show to the boxing ring. He loves to goad Mac into attacking him, and after he blocks the blow, he'll take a wild swing (sometimes calling out the name of his girlfriend Carmen). Flamenco is the Major Circuit champion in the Wii version.

Adaptational Badass: Probably the biggest example in the Wii game- he goes from dead last in the Major Circuit's ranks to being the champ.
Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's one of the cockiest opponents in Wii, treating the match more like a big show where he's the star guaranteed to win rather than a competitive fight. His defeat seems to deflate his ego a bit, as he fights harder and takes it all much more seriously the second time around.
Baldness Angst: His hair is receding at age 23, so he wears a toupee to cover it up. Knocking his toupee off will cause him to fly into a rage.
Beat Them at Their Own Game: Don's general tactic when fighting is to goad opponents into throwing a punch, dodge, and counterpunch — the same thing you’ve been doing up to that point.
Berserk Button: When his toupee is knocked off in the Wii version, revealing his balding head. He even starts turning red, and he can't be stunned until you've hit him enough times.
Bring It: He taunts Little Mac into attacking him with this motion. In the Wii version, he says things like, "¡Anda, anda!", "¡Venga, venga!", "¡Vamos, vamos!" (all of which mean "Come on! Come on!"), or "¡Venga, ven a por mi!" (which means "Come on, come at me!").
Combat Pragmatist: In the World Circuit rematch in the NES game, he will constantly force you to punch at him as he just stands there blocking, right until you're tired —and thus unable to hit him back— when he unloads on you with several fast and hard punches.
Combo: In Title Defense mode for Wii, the further the fight goes, the more he'll start to chain together his attacks, up to 3 in a row, without a break even when dodged. If one of those chained attacks hits, it makes it much harder to dodge the following attacks.
Counter-Attack: His primary schtick. He will first taunt Mac into throwing a punch, dodge or block, and counterpunch.
Cycle of Hurting:
- In his first encounter in the NES version, it's possible to beat Flamenco using an endless 1-2 combo of jabs to the face.
- In Contender mode, the combo is "left jab, right hook" or vice-versa. In TD mode, the combo is "left jab, right hook, left jab; right jab, left hook, right jab; left jab..." or vice-versa.
Dance Battler: With Flamenco as his theme.
Dashing Hispanic: He's a Spanish bullfighter with flamboyant poses, and is popular with the ladies if his intro is any indication.
Dodgy Toupee: To hide his premature balding.
The Fighting Narcissist: In Wii. He starts as an arrogant fighter who goads Little Mac into attacking before making any moves himself. However, the minute after his toupee is knocked off, he flies into a rage and begins throwing more punches.
Foreshadowing: Anyone paid close attention to his slideshow in the Wii game? Look at the way he punches the bull into orbit; that's how newbies can beat Bald Bull and his Bull Charge as well as complete a certain challenge against him.
Formula-Breaking Episode: His World Circuit fight in the NES version. All of the surrounding final fights in the game are against Lightning Bruisers who throw incredibly powerful and fast punches that are difficult to time and just getting hit a couple times will get Mac sent to the canvas. Don is a completely different fighter, a much smaller boxer with limited power who is more content to sap your stamina, pepper you down with uppercuts and jabs, and likely beat you in a decision if you don't fight smart enough to take him out in time alloted.
Guyliner: Wears eyeliner in both Contender and Title Defense.
I Shall Taunt You: Incessantly taunts Mac instead of fighting, which he does to trick Mac into attacking, giving him an opening for a counter of his own.
Instant-Win Condition: Contender version only. While taking no damage, use an infinite combo of 14 alternate jabs and hooks in opposite directions to knock him down. When he gets up, counterpunch his uppercut, then star punch him for the KO.
Leitmotif:
- "March of the Toreadors"^note from Carmen.
- Appropriately, his remix of the Main Theme in the Wii version is in the form of a Flamenco melody, with castanets and Spanish guitar.
Marathon Boss: The second fight with him in the NES version can turn into this if the player is really unlucky. The Wii version retains this in both modes, but especially in Title Defense, where his more aggressive nature makes it harder to attack back and can often draw the fight out to decision without the infinite combo trick.
Mirror Character: To Super Macho Man in Wii. Both of them are The Fighting Narcissist and lack any serious curveballs come their Title Defense matches, but make up for it by vastly improving their existing tactics. Both of their Title Defense intros involve them destroying an image of Little Mac. Don Flamenco definitely has more of the crowd on his side, though.
Nobody Touches the Hair: Because it's a toupee.
Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond: Despite his exceptional fight record, it's implied that Don isn't quite World Circuit material. In the Minor Circuit, there's an Easter Egg where the player can spot a poster advertising a match between him and Soda Popinski. Given that Flamenco is still in the Major Circuit by the time you fight him, one can assume Popinski won.
Oh, Crap!: Hilariously tries to take cover like a little girl if Little Mac unleashes a Star Punch in Wii.
One-Hit Kill: In Wii, successfully dodging (not ducking) his Rose Flurry's uppercuts, then retaliating with a Three-Star Punch, will put him down for the count. This is true for both Contender and Title Defense.
Paint It Black: In Title Defense, he wears all-black attire, his hair and toupee are now black instead of brown, and he switches his red rose for a black one. The rose changes back to red if he wins.
Prematurely Bald: His hair receded despite being in his late 20s.
Rapid-Fire "No!": One of hiss reactions to a Star Punch in Wii.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: While not evil per se, Don wears a more menacing black and dark red outfit —befitting a flamenco dancer— in his Title Defense bout, and fights a lot more fiercely.
Shout-Out: One of Don Flamenco's quotes in the NES game was "Flamenco Strikes Back! Return of Don!"^note Who knew he was a Star Wars fan?
Something about a Rose: Don loves to keep a rose with him during fights. His Title Defense costume includes a black rose.
Don Flamenco: ¿Es que nunca has visto una rosa negra?^Translation
Sore Loser: He is furious after his loss to Little Mac, even tearing down a poster of Mac in disgust.
Spam Attack: His Rose Flurry is a set of 3-5 hooks in a row. In Contender mode, they'll all come from the same side, while in Title Defense, he'll change up which way they come from.
Took a Level in Badass:
- In NES, you have to fight him twice. The first time, on the Major Circuit, he's a Warm-Up Boss despite having highly damaging punches, since he's so easy to lock into extensively long combos and his blows are so easy to dodge. Then he comes back with a vengeance on the World Circuit and is much, much harder to beat because he has a better balance between defense and offense, and can no longer be trapped into an infinite loop. This applies even in-universe, where his World Circuit ranking is higher than Major Circuit champ Bald Bull.
- Also managed to take a level in badass in the Wii version despite using essentially the exact same method of fighting! Of course, he is no longer restricted to the same old uppercut after blocking your punches anymore, and can do slow uppercuts, fast uppercuts, hooks, or jabs. And of course, Title Defense adds yet another level by doing TWO counters per block and being less vulnerable to exploits than the Contender version.
Toros y Flamenco: His name is Don Flamenco ("Don" either being a more formal version of "mister" in Spanish or, more archaically, being the Spanish equivalent of "sir", thus making him "Mr. Flamenco" or "Sir Flamenco"), and his other career is bullfighter, in which he goes about the same way as boxing, and he's probably better at the former.
Turns Red: Knock his toupée off in the Wii version, and he gets much more aggressive.
Villainous Widow's Peak: Villainous in that he's your cocky opponent anyway.
Wake-Up Call Boss:
- The first fighter in the NES game where wild punches will likely get you nowhere. While the three Minor Circuit fighters are pretty poor blockers, Flamenco (appropriately, being the first Major Circuit fighter) will always anticipate your punches and block them accordingly. Once you have his ridiculously predictable pattern figured out, however, he's almost as easy as Glass Joe.
- Not this in the Wii version though, since he comes after foes that are just as tricky.
Wearing a Flag on Your Head: His trunks in Contender mode are yellow and red — in the same shades and pattern as the Spanish flag.

King Hippo

Appears in: NES, Wii (Minor Circuit champ)
Voiced by: Garry Chalk (Captain N: The Game Master), Scott McFayden (Wii)

A true island of a man, hailing from somewhere in the South Pacific (it's never stated exactly where "Hippo Island" is). Very hard to bring down, but once you do, he won't get back up.

Adaptational Villainy: Equally if not better known for his turn in Captain N: The Game Master as one of Mother Brain's henchmen.
Adaptational Wimp: In Captain N: The Game Master, due to politics about throwing punches in a children's cartoon. Also in the Wii game where he’s regressed to being in the Minor Circuit rather than the Major Circuit- but he's the champ, at least.
Adipose Rex: It's never stated outright if he actually is a king, but he at least styles himself as one and is the fattest boxer in the series.
Agony of the Feet: After Mac knocks the manhole cover loose in the Title Defense mode in Wii, it hits one of his feet as it rolls out of the ring, causing him to yell in pain (and taking off a bit of his health).
Amazing Technicolor Population: Captain N gave him blue skin, for some reason.
Ambiguously Human: Hippo is said to be human, but doesn't look like a normal person. Even if you take the art style into account, he's jarringly different compared to someone like Glass Joe or Von Kaiser.
Angry, Angry Hippos: He's not an actual hippo, but he certainly looks like one, and he's not someone you want to get in a fight with. In the Wii version, he sounds like one, too.
Animal Motifs: Hippos, obviously. He's big and fat, has teeth that resemble hippopotamus tusks, is a Mighty Glacier through and through, and his dialogue in Wii (unlike in NES) is comprised of bellows, akin to a hippo.
Attack Its Weak Point: Hippo takes great pains to guard his navel, which results in his pants being dropped. He even uses a manhole cover (affixed with duct tape!) to protect it in the Title Defense mode of Wii.
Big Eater: Shown eating a whole island's worth of fruit and meat in his Wii intro.
Broken Armor Boss Battle: The second fight with King Hippo has him protecting his belly with a manhole cover. You cannot deal real damage until you figure out how to knock it off.
Comedic Underwear Exposure:
- Exploited as part of his strategy in both games. Hitting his open mouth leaves him vulnerable and exposes his boxers. He will cover his chin, but that leaves his belly exposed, which you can aim for as he pulls his pants up (despite getting beat up).
- In a more traditional example, losing to him in Contender in Wii makes him pound his belly and raise his arms in victory, causing his pants to fall down and reveal Super Star print boxers. He quickly covers himself in embarrassment.
Fat Bastard:
- Subverted in NES, as he doesn't taunt Mac like the other boxers, even asking Mac to go to lunch after the bout.
- Downplayed in Wii. He sees Mac with contempt and even underestimates him on their first fight, but despite his vicious fighting style he is a boxer.
Fat Comic Relief: He brings some some form of laughs in both games he's in.
- His NES appearance doesn't taunt Mac, instead engaging in some comical banter in-between rounds.
- He's also this alongside Bear Hugger in Wii, where despite his vicious nature he's still quite comical given his underpants' tendency to getting exposed.
Fictional Country: While the South Pacific exists, Hippo Island certainly qualifies as this. It's where he comes from.
Glass Cannon: Ironically, in spite of his comparatively large health bar, King Hippo has no staying power whatsoever. He packs a real wallop, but only needs to be knocked down once due to his size; compared with every other boxer Mac faces, who can get up multiple times. It's especially noticeable against the similarly large Bear Hugger and Mad Clown.
Gonk: King Hippo is a very strange-looking man, even within the context of the game's cartoonish art style.
Goofy Print Underwear: Sports Super Star print boxers in Wii.
Instant-Win Condition: In Wii...
- Contender: Counterpunching his double smash combo will... knock off his crown. Counterpunching him again will do the trick. You can also simply duck the move and Star Punch him instead of jabbing his mouth.
- Title Defense: Counterpunching the double smash will only give a star. Instead, duck and dodge his smash and slam combo, then Star Punch him instead of jabbing his mouth.
Jiggle Physics: Seen in glorious slow-mo as he stumbles back, during his KO animation.
Leitmotif: The Wii version gives him a "tribal" rendition of the Main Theme with heavy drums and a "jungle" flute.
Mighty Glacier: Sure, he's slow and clumsy, but if he actually hits you, it hurts (in the NES version, getting hit with three punches will take you down, two if they're both overheads). And in Wii, while he won't get up from a knockdown, he has a ton of health to make up for it.
Misplaced Wildlife: Downplayed since he isn't an actual animal, but he's a Pacific Islander with a Hippo Animal Motif, despite the fact that hippos aren't found anywhere near the Pacific.
Non-Standard Character Design: As you can see, he definitely doesn't look like any normal human, even compared to the rest of the cast. It even extends to his nationality, which is the only one that is fictional (barring re-releases of the NES game, which feature Mr. Dream from Dreamland).
The Noseless: As a part of his distinctive appearance, King Hippo is the only boxer in the series that lacks a nose.
Oh, Crap!: At least he's smart enough to know he's screwed when Little Mac throws a Star Punch in Wii.
Parts Unknown: Technically, since nobody knows just where Hippo Island is supposed to be.
Plumber's Crack: King Hippo needs to pull up his pants; his butt crack is on display in his Contender cutscene.
Primal Chest-Pound: A variant — he pounds his belly in victory if you lose to him in Contender in Wii.
Ring-Out Boss: Falls out of the ring when you beat him in Wii, and Mac is instantly declared the winner. Truth in Television- if a boxer falls out of the ring, they get twenty seconds to get back in or they lose by knockout, and clearly he isn’t going to get back in.
Stout Strength: He's the fattest boxer in the series, along with some of the strongest punches. However, his girth means he can't get back up after being knocked down.
This Loser Is You: Implied. Although Hippo's place of origin can't be tracked down, we know he lives in the South Pacific. In real life, the Pacific area is known for its very high levels of obese people.
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, he shores up his defenses with a manhole cover protecting his gut. This makeshift shield can be removed (and doing so will take a small chunk of his stamina away), but you will still need to contend with new attacks in his moveset, and he will open his mouth less often, providing fewer opportunities to lay into him. When he prepares an overhead punch, trying to Star Punch him also reveals he did learn how to dodge them; even if you land one, he takes them much better than before.
Underestimating Badassery: Before their first fight in the Wii game, Hippo derisively laughs at Mac upon seeing him, obviously considering him too small to be a threat to him.
The Unintelligible: Unlike the other fighters in the Wii game, he just makes grunts, which sound a lot like an actual hippo's.
Wake-Up Call Boss: In both the NES and Wii versions, he's the first boxer that can't be beaten by the standard dodge-attack strategy. In the latter version, you have to hit him with a shot to the jaw to expose his weak point (his navel), and if you get carried away and throw another high punch he will cover himself again. This means you need to show both tactical intelligence and restraint to beat him.
Where the Hell Is Springfield?: All we know is that Hippo Island is somewhere in the South Pacific. Which doesn't really narrow it down.
Wild Samoan: He has the trappings of one, but he's from the fictional "Hippo Island" rather than Somoa itself.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: In the Wii version, after donning his crown and raising his arm to the crowd, he actually turns around to see Mac and gets an incredulous look on his face before laughing at having to fight him. "Small opponent", big mistake.

Mike Tyson/Mr. Dream

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mike_tyson_and_mr_dream.png

Appears in: NES (Dream Match)

One's a famous Real Life boxer who is a devastating one-hit knockout fighter in the game. The other is his Head Swap replacement with the same skills and a better record. Both appear as the Final Boss depending on the game's version.

Badass Normal: As an accurate portrayal of a real-life champion boxer, he doesn't rely on any dirty or supernatural tricks. He's just an astonishingly talented and strong boxer who can feed Little Mac the mat with one uppercut.
Breaking the Fourth Wall: He makes references not to Little Mac's fists, but to the player's fingers (as in, the fingers pressing on the NES controller).
Final Boss: Of the NES game.
Graceful Loser: After defeating him, he compliments you on your swift finger speed.
Guest Fighter: For a given definition of "originating from a preexisting franchise", Tyson is the only character in the NES game who wasn't created specifically for the Punch-Out!! series, being a real-world champion boxer whom Nintendo signed a licensing deal with.
Head Swap: Mr. Dream is, mechanically speaking, literally exactly the same fight as Mike Tyson, just with a different head and a Race Lift. This is convenient for speedrunners who can't get hold of a copy of the Mike Tyson version, as he and Mr. Dream aren't differentiated on the leaderboards.
Heroic Second Wind: After surviving the first 90 seconds of his One-Hit KO Dynamite Punches, Tyson/Dream slows down a lot in the later 90 seconds of the first round by only throwing hooks, and then in the second round he expands his repertoire but follows a pretty predictable pattern and doesn't hit quite that hard, while you get to throw a lot more offense at him than in the first round. However, in the third round, Tyson/Dream will get considerably more aggressive, hit harder, and become far more random than any other opponent in the game, making you have to rely almost on pure reaction to dodge his blows. Also in the third round once he does his Dynamite Hook sequence, if you fail to block all four he'll just keep punching without any opportunity to stop him until you go down. Better TKO him in Round 2, as doing so in Round 3 or surviving for a decision victory is a brutal ordeal.
Lightning Bruiser: Especially in the opening, where he unleashes a flurry of lightning-fast uppercuts that will knock you down in one hit. "His style is impetuous", indeed.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Mr. Dream greatly resembles Rocky Marciano, a heavyweight boxer who had never been defeated in his career.
One-Hit Kill:
- For the first 1:30 of the match, Tyson/Dream throws very fast uppercuts that knock you down in one hit.
- The player can possibly knock Tyson/Dream down in one hit too; when Tyson/Dream is standing there blinking before unleashing a series of Dynamite Hooks, the player can punch them in the face for free. Normally this just gives the player a star, but if the punch is landed on a specific early frame it will instantly knock Tyson/Dream down regardless of their health.
Parts Unknown: Dreamland for Mr. Dream.
Scary Black Man: It's Mike friggin' Tyson, and at the top of his game too.
Shown Their Work: It's hard to prove it was intentional, but the digital Tyson is a pretty good match of the real one's fighting style. The first round is an absolute nightmare as he sends out a flurry of One-Hit-Knockdown uppercuts, but if you can survive those first 90 seconds... well, he doesn't exactly become easy, but he starts to block more while resorting to weaker jabs to try and get a hit in. Indeed, the real Tyson won half of his bouts in the first round, but would get winded quickly after that and loved to hide behind his gloves. That's not to say the difficulty is entirely front-loaded though, as he'll pick it back up in the third round and become more difficult there if you can't TKO him before then.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute:
- Mr. Dream is one for Tyson.
- Mr. Sandman fills the role in the Wii game, especially his Title Defense version.

Introduced in SNES Super Punch-Out!!

Gabby Jay

Appears in: SNES

Glass Joe's protegeé: another French boxer who, along with Glass Joe (his only career win), holds the WVBA record for most career losses.

Boisterous Weakling: Despite being considerably older (and no better at boxing) than Glass Joe, Gabby Jay is much more spirited, confident, and eager to enter the ring. This 56-year-old man never backs down from a challenge. He was also a middle-aged cafe worker when he suddenly decided to become a boxer, despite not having any training before then.
Bring It: Says "C'mon!" during a match against him.
Butt-Monkey: His "trainer" is Glass Joe, a boxer with a win-loss record of 1-99. That alone is enough to qualify.
Character Catchphrase: He opens the bouts shouting "Yay!", and if he wins, he exclaims "Yay! Yay! Yay!".
Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys: Subverted. Unlike Glass Joe, he refuses to retire until he wins at least one more match. He only became a boxer because he felt a sudden random desire to do so.
Determinator: "I'll never retire! I can win at least once more. C'mon!!"
High Hopes, Zero Talent: The manual says that he worked in a cafe near the Eiffel Tower until, for some inexplicable reason, he decided to become a boxer. He got "training" from Glass Joe, and it was all downhill from there.
Jobber: He has the exact same record as Glass Joe.
Perilous Old Fool: Like Hoy Quarlow, he's quite aged for a professional fighter. Unlike Hoy, Gabby Jay isn't some wily old master of combat. He's exactly what you'd expect a middle-aged, poorly trained novice to be.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Replaces Glass Joe (whom he beat, ironically, for his only win, with an identical 1-99 win-loss record) in Super Punch-Out!!. Of course, Joe's his trainer, so it makes more sense than a Japanese boxer (Piston Hondo/Honda) replacing a Cuban boxer (Piston Hurricane).

Bob Charlie

Appears in: SNES

A Jamaican boxer with rhythm, Bob can shuck and jive past opponents and deliver a nasty whirlwind punch.

Captain Ersatz: Of Dee Jay, who is also a Jamaican Dance Battler who talks about feeling the rhythm.
Confusion Fu: The only thing that stops him from being a complete pushover like Gabby Jay, Glass Joe, and Kid Quick is his ability to bob, weave, dodge, and otherwise avoid and fake out his opponent. Counterpunch if you want to demolish him.
Dance Battler: Downplayed initially, as he's just rhythmically avoiding shots from Mac. After some time, however, he'll shimmy to the back ropes and either do his whirlwind punch or... do a weird hop dance back to Mac.
Dreadlock Rasta: Befitting his laid-back, free-spirited personality and his Jamaican heritage, he wears his hair in dreadlocks. Overlaps with Dreadlock Warrior, since he's a boxer and all.
Face Fault: If you knock him out, he may stagger to his feet at the count of 9, go whooh whooh, then collapse face first to the mat.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: To Bob Marley, due to being from the same country and having similar names.
Signature Laugh: "Hooh! Hooh!"
Spectacular Spinning: His whirlwind punch.

Masked Muscle

Appears in: SNES

A masked Mexican wrestler who frequently resorts to dirty tactics in the boxing ring, such as spitting and headbutting his opponents.

Alliterative Name: Masked Muscle.
Combat Pragmatist: Spitting in the face of an opponent, and doing a massive headbutt.
Cool Mask: Comes with being a masked wrestler.
Genre Refugee: If he were in an actual pro wrestling match, his fouls would seem less egrious, and he would probably make a great heel. But this is a boxing match.
Go for the Eye: The guy tends to spit in his opponents' eyes to gain an edge. He's actually using The Great Muta's "Asian mist" — even though he's Mexican and Muta is Japanese.
Gratuitous Spanish: Uses some Spanish words in his dialogue.
Heroic Build: Although he isn’t heroic in the slightest, being a body clone of Super Macho Man means he's absolutely jacked.
Macho Latino: A boxing Masked Luchador from Mexico with the same muscular build as Super Macho Man.
Masked Luchador: His entire gimmick.
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Anyone with the nicknames "Amigo to None" and "Crown Prince of the Cheap Shot" is bound not to be a very swell person to fight.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: Oh brother, does he use this trope.
"Cheater? I don't know what you're talking about, amigo."
Use Your Head: One of his attacks is a headbutt.

Aran Ryan

Appears in: SNES, Wii
Voiced by: Stephen Webster (Wii)

A rather unpredictable Irish fighter. In his Wii incarnation, he stands still even less and comes back in Title Defense mode with a clearly illegal loaded-hidden-boxing-glove-on-a-rope.

Adaptational Jerkass: In Super Punch-Out, he says a few taunts toward Little Mac likely to intimidate him, but at least he respected the rules of boxing. In Wii, his taunting goes straight toward unsportsmanlike insults, cheats to try to inflict more pain on Little Mac, fights with the crowd, and even knocks out the referee.
Arc Number: Seven. After being knocked down, it takes Aran Ryan 7 seconds to get up. Mac starts the fight with 7 hearts and can land 7 punches after stunning him. One of his challenges involves landing 7 Star Punches on him during the course of the fight, which will instantly KO him, and another requires the player to win the fight during the 7th minute (that is, the first minute of Round 3).
Artistic License – Sports: Every boxer is guilty of this, but his Wii incarnation easily takes the cake by a wide margin.
- Most of his dirty tricks would earn any real-life boxer a long (if not permanent) ban from the sport, and he makes no effort to hide them. Bumbles McFumbles put together a video counting the rules infractions committed by the Wii boxers. The second-highest is Great Tiger, with 8. Aran has 19, later found out to be an even 20 in a follow-up video due to him smashing a camera that was WVBA property. The only boxer in the series who comes close to breaking as many rules as Aran does in Wii is Donkey Kong, who is, as Bumbles exactly puts it, a literal wild animal^note.
- His greatest infractions involve loading his boxing gloves with horseshoes (Contender) and constructing a flail out of one of his old gloves (Title Defense), both of which constitute multiple rule breaks on their own (Somewhat due to things brought into a fight with intent to cheat, and actually going through with it with each item are separate infractions)... and that's before he even uses them in the ring!
- His use of elbow strikes and headbutts derives from Irish collar-and-elbow wrestling. While such moves are valid there, they wouldn't be allowed in professional boxing... and definitely not in a world circuit. These would constitute a foul, and under a more competent referee, would result in warnings, point deductions, and an eventual disqualification.
- Ironically enough, this is actually Averted in SNES Super Punch-Out, his game of origin, where Aran is instead The Generic Guy and keeps it completely clean in the ring, in a massive contrast to him stuffing horseshoes in his gloves, smuggling in weapons, and physically assaulting the referee in Wii. You can't say him grabbing you is cheating- this is a clinch, an entirely legal thing to do in boxing. He also only tries to clinch after being hit with a super punch, which is also within the rules- boxers often clinch to recover when they’re having trouble staying up.
Ax-Crazy: The Wii version. In the cutscene before the fight, he's putting horseshoes into his gloves. Then before Round 2 or 3, he's seen punching himself to psyche himself up. Here's to hoping he doesn't have those horseshoes still in the gloves. Later on in Title Defense, he's seen picking fights with the audience and trying to take a swing at Mac before the round begins — even attacking the referee when he intervenes to stop him — and outright smuggling in a weapon.
Berserk Button: The SNES manual states that he became particularly irate when his school bullies said anything about his mother.
Big "NO!": Screams this when he misses with his glove on a rope.
Blood Knight: He's so eager to brawl that he starts jumping around and taunting Mac on the intro screen. Both of his between-round quotes in the first fight firmly cement this:
"Fightin's like BREATHIN', Mac!"
Keep hittin' me! I love it!
Camera Abuse: If he wins in Contender Mode in the Wii version, he laughs crazily and then grabs the camera, headbutting it and causing it to smash to pieces.
Characterization Marches On: SNES Aran Ryan? Not much of a personality to speak of. Wii Aran Ryan? An insane, complete lunatic. He was also one of the few characters in the SNES game to actually adhere to boxing rules; clinching is a legal technique, although using it too much and not fighting can lead to disqualification. In the Wii game, most of the things he does in the ring are blatant violations of the rules; elbow strikes, headbutts, stuffing his gloves with horseshoes, and a weapon.
Cheaters Never Prosper: Using a proper Star Punch to counter some of his cheating moves will instantly knock him down (or in the case of his Rope Attack, knock him out).
Combat Pragmatist: Horseshoes in his gloves, headbutts, elbow strikes, a boxing glove flail... all he has to do now is kick Little Mac in the crotch and he'll have broken every rule in the book.
Combat Sadomasochist: He's enjoying the whole "people getting punched in the face" thing way too much, and it doesn't seem to matter who's being hit. Land a hit on him? Deranged laughter. Take a hit from him? Gleefully vicious leering. On the other hand, a Star Punch is too much even by his standards and cues a yell of pain, and his wide eyes and anguished groan makes clear that he does not enjoy his special TKO fate of getting tangled in the ropes and having his legs seemingly pop out of place repeatedly.
Composite Character: In the Wii game, Aran's elbow attacks are coincidentally similar to "illegal" moves the Bruiser Brothers used in Super Punch-Out (SNES). He also has a headbutt like Masked Muscle and brings a weapon into the ring like Hoy Quarlow, befitting his revised dirty-fighter personality.
Confusion Fu: His Wii incarnation jumps all over the ring, making him hard to predict, and the only way to land a combo on him is to counter his attacks. His blatant cheating plays into this, too.
Counter-Attack: In the SNES version, Ryan's "Shamrock Squeeze": where after a brief delay, he clinches you, takes some of your stamina to restore his own, and then pushes you back to throw an uppercut. Time it right and you can counter his clinch for massive damage, which will make him try to clinch you again. He only does it if he's hit by a KO Punch. In the Wii version's Title Defense, he'll always come up with a counterattack to one of yours that would normally be used to stun him. To land combos on him, you need to hit him out of his attacks (or as Doc puts it: beat him to the punch), rather than dodging and countering as usual
Deader than Dead: From a gameplay standpoint, at least. When Aran performs his Last Ditch Move in Title Defense in Wii (which is, at zero health), he can be hit him with a star punch as he swings for a one-hit KO that gets him upside down on the topes.
"Eureka!" Moment: When he wore out his old gloves, he dumped them in a trash can that happened to have a piece of rope in it, giving him the idea for the flail that he uses in Title Defense.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Implied; the manual◊ mentions that he became especially irate when his school bullies made mention of his mother.
Fiery Redhead: A redheaded Hot-Blooded boxer who's also completely Ax-Crazy.
Fighting Irish: Beyond the green motif on his boxing outfit, there's also a four-leaf clover on his shorts.
Foil: To Super Macho Man in Wii. Both of them speak English and are the two boxers that the crowd explicitly boo at in the World Circuit. However, while none of Super Macho Man's attacks can be counterpunched, Aran Ryan is mostly immune to getting stunned without counterpunches, forcing Little Mac to learn how to counterpunch instead of simply relying on the dodge and attack strategy.
Freudian Excuse: The Super Punch-Out!! manual states that his mother insisted on the rather unusual spelling of his name, which in turn led to him being teased and bullied at school, which in turn... long story short, it all ends with Little Mac getting clobbered in the face with horseshoes stuffed in a boxing glove.
The Generic Guy: In the SNES version, his personality is nil beyond simply being Irish, clean and reasonably smug. This was changed in the Wii version.
Gonk: Less than King Hippo, but his in-game character model's face is usually contorted into a wide-eyed sneering grin, looking not unlike a homicidal potato. His character art is much less unpleasant.
Hammerspace: He can produce his flail seemingly from nowhere and put it back just as quickly, even when taking a swing at Mac after being knocked down.
Hated by All: Tied with Super Macho Man in this respect in the Wii version, the audience boos him just as much, if not more in his intros and then begins pelting him with trash in his between round scenes in Title Defense. In this case it's justified as Aran cheats more than any other boxer and is seriously blatant about it not to mention he runs his mouth in trash talking even more than Super Macho Man does!
Heel: Disliked by the crowd, who boos whenever he does well and cheers more than usual when Mac takes him down.
Hidden Depths: Aran Ryan's Title Defense victory scene in the Wii version shows him to surprisingly be quite skilled at Irish stepdance for such a bloodthirsty lunatic.
Hypocritical Humor: One of his knockdown insults is asking Mac if he has cheeseburgers, something stereotypically American, in his gloves, when he himself stuffs his gloves with lucky horseshoes, something stereotypically Irish.
Improvised Weapon: His flail, pieced together out of broken boxing gloves (potentially still stuffed with horseshoes) and a rope.
Instant-Win Condition:
- Contender version: Block his headbutt, then Three-Star Punch him for the KO. Alternatively, hitting him with seven star punches will also do the trick (this last one is part of a challenge).
- TD version: Star punching him during his knockdown whip glove move will result in this.
I Shall Taunt You: You can get a Star out of it if you interrupt his taunt.
Jerkass: Probably the most jerkish out of all the fighters in the Wii version, apart from Super Macho Man. He taunts Little Mac (especially if he falls to the mat), makes use of every dirty trick one could imagine, is a firm believer of fighting being like breathing (so, essential to life), picks a fight with the crowd when they — understandably — boo him and pelt him with garbage, grabs and smashes a (presumably very expensive) TV camera with a headbutt if he wins in Contender Mode, and even attacks the referee for holding Ryan back from taking a swing at Mac before the round has begun.
Kick Them While They Are Down: Not literally since even he has some standards, but if Aran Ryan knocks Mac down, he'll squat next to Mac's prone form and yell insults at him until Mac gets back up.
"Ye've probably got CHEESEBURGERS in those gloves, 'ave ye, Mac?!"
"You're pretty like me sister!"
"If ya lie down with dogs, ye'll rise up with fleas!"
Laser-Guided Karma: If you hit him at the right time when he's about to pull one of his dirty tricks, he'll fly back into the ropes and automatically be knocked out. Especially satisfying in Title Defense if you nail him with a Star Punch as he's trying to get you with his whip-glove before going down.
Last Ditch Move: Knocking him down in Title Defense causes him to take one last swing at Mac with his boxing glove whip before going down.
Leitmotif: An Irish jig version of the Main Theme for his appearance in the Wii version, with a fast pace to match his in-game speed and constant movement.
Life Drain: What his clinch does in the SNES version if it succeeds.
Lucky Seven: In the Wii game, everything with him seems to go by a rule of seven. For instance, if he's going to get up after being knocked down, it's always on the count of seven.
Made of Iron: His gimmick in the SNES version was that Mac's normal punches only did scratch damage; only counter-punches and super punches could do much to him. This is one of the few things that have carried over in the Wii version; anything other than a counterpunch won't stun him, and he moves too erratically for you to land a Star Punch without stunning him first.
Marathon Boss: Becomes one thanks to one of his Title Defense challenges, which has you beat him within "the 7th minute of the match", which translates to "the beginning of Round 3".
Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Most fighters leave themselves open after whiffing a punch, letting Mac retaliate while they're open. Doing the same to Aran will just have him bounce backward and counterattack, providing no opening to really pile on the damage. If you want to land another hit, you need to counter his attacks before they're thrown. He gives you a few more traditional windows in Title Defense Mode, but those are often after a counterattack to your counterattack.
Motor Mouth: Doesn't really say much during his fight but when he does it’s usually going a mile a minute. If he talked any faster, you’d think he was ranting in a whole other language.
My Nayme Is: According to the SNES manual, his mother insisted on the unusual spelling of his name.
One-Hit Kill: In Wii...
- For Contender, counter his headbutt with a well-timed Star Punch. Alternatively, hit him with a Three-Star Punch when he taunts.
- For Title Defense, counter his lunging elbow moves with a well-times Star Punch. The timing differs with each version, so it can be extremely tricky.
Nightmare Face:
- The cutscenes in between rounds — and if you lose to him — end with Aran making some pretty psychotic-looking leers.
- Also his expressions in his pre-match beta artwork are pretty terrifying, especially the last panel.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: The headbutts, the elbow slams, the bouncing off the ring's ropes, the whip glove... and the referee allows all of it.
Oireland: Aran, referring to the Player Character having "Mac" in his name:
"YE DON'T LOOK IRISH!"
Palette Swap: Of special note as in Super Punch-Out, as he was Piston Hurricane's palette swap but his knockdown and reeling animations are palette swaps of Bald Bull & Mr. Sandman instead.
Produce Pelting: After pulling out his new trick in Title Defense Mode, the crowd starts pelting him with garbage out of disgust. He threatens them with bodily harm in response.
Psychotic Smirk: Generally wears this expression in Wii. It's even in his official artwork, seen above.
Punched Across the Room: His KO/TKO animation has him fly into the ropes and become tangled in them.
Punny Name: His first name, Aran, sounds like the name for Ireland in the Irish language. However, the Wii game, which has dialog in multiple languages, shows that his primary language is English (not surprising since Dublin isn't part of a region of the country that predominantly uses Irish). Aran Ryan also sounds like Air and Rye, which is a name for rye whiskey, a popular alcoholic drink in Ireland, not to mention that stereotypical cable-knit Irish sweater commonly called an Aran jumper.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Super Punch-Out has one of his special attacks, "Irish Jig", be a rapid flurry of punches that you'll have to block to avoid taking damage.
Redhead In Green: Has red hair and wears green trunks.
Screaming Warrior: The first time you fight him.
"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH! Let's go! LET'S GO!"
Slasher Smile: During his round intermissions in Title Defense mode, he gives a pretty big one to Mac/the player after shoving the Referee into the ropes.
The Spiny: Sort of in the Wii version. Most players will probably be used to the dodge-and-counter method of attacking, as every opponent before Aran required it to become open to attacks (if they weren't already using counter-punches in some cases). This won't work very well against Aran and he's a good way to learn how to counter-punch (meaning, striking the opponent just before they attack). If the player doesn't start using counterpunches on him, it's likely that the match will end in Aran's favor due to the clock running out.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Was a head swap of and had the same moves and win-loss record as Pizza Pasta in Super Punch-Out. Oh, what Divergent Character Evolution can do for a guy!
Taking You with Me: When the Wii version is knocked down in Title Defense, he tries to take a wild swing at you with his loaded glove as he spins around (ultimately subverted in that it can never KO you). Also may count as a Kaizo Trap as, though you retain the ability to dodge, it's not apparent that you are able to dodge during this period.
Trash Talk: One of only two fighters — along with fellow jerkass Super Macho Man — that insults Mac while he's trying to get back up.
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, he expands on his dirty tricks by using one of his horseshoe-holding gloves on a rope as a flail. Not only does it hit hard, but it can also potentially act as a Kaizo Trap when you knock him down.
Use Your Head: Just one of the many dirty tricks Aran will try with you in the Wii version.
Weighted Gloves: Currently provides the trope's picture. As seen in his slideshow, Aran brings lucky horseshoes with him into the fight... stuffed into the fronts of his gloves. And that's not even his biggest cheating maneuvre.
You Fight Like a Cow: Loves taunting his opponents when they're down or during intermissions.
"Me sister hits harder than you, boy!"

Heike Kagero (平家陽炎)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heike_kagero.png

Appears in: SNES

An Osakan kabuki fighter who likes to use his hair as a weapon.

Artistic License – Sports: In most sports, including boxing, long hair is required to be tied back (so it doesn't get in the athlete's eyes or snag onto anything). Thus, Heike should not be able to have loose hair in the ring, much less whip people with it.
Dance Battler: A practitioner of Nihon Buyo.
Doppleganger Spin: His "Mirage Dance" attack makes him much harder to hit.
Dude Looks Like a Lady: Aside from the bare chest, he could easily be mistaken for a woman.
Gorgeous George: Though not a wrestler, he fits the archetype with his general appearance.
Improbable Weapon User: He whips you with his hair.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Uniquely, he can actually use his hair to whip you, which does loads of damage if it hits.
Meaningful Name: Subverted. Heike doesn't really mean anything, it's just a somewhat common surname. Kagero technically means "heat haze," but it is also used as just a name more than used for its meaning.
Noblewoman's Laugh: A common tic of his. He will do it in between rounds, when he defeats you, and in the end credits.
Hoo, hoo, hoo, hooo.
Pretty Boy: Long hair, rather soft facial features (that border on Bishōnen), and a Noblewoman's Laugh as his victory pose.
Real Men Wear Pink: Both figuratively, as he is the most feminine of the boxers, and literally, as his main colours are pink and purple.

Mad Clown

Appears in: SNES

A not-so-nice Italian clown who incorporates backhand punches and juggling balls into his act. Borrows a bit of his repertoire (including an infuriating invulnerability to body blows) from Bear Hugger.

Acrofatic: Can do backflips and frontflips despite his massive size.
Artistic License – Sports: Mad Clown's clown costume and facepaint is completely against any sort of boxing regulation, and the fact that he throws juggling balls at you in the middle of a boxing match is only the icing on the cake.
Beware the Silly Ones: Mad Clown might not look like much with his comical appearance, but he comes equipped with several hard-to-dodge and powerful attacks, a front flipping One-Hit Kill punch, and when knocked down twice, he becomes incredibly fast and dangerous.
Combat Pragmatist: Apart from throwing juggling balls, he also does backhand punches, which is not allowed in real boxing.
Dark and Troubled Past: A more comedic take on the trope. He was originally an established opera singer, but joined the circus after suffering a nervous breakdown on stage. Then, after tiring of the nightly performances of juggling and driving a car that was far too small for him, he turned to boxing.
Fat Bastard: One of the largest fighters alongside Bear Hugger and King Hippo, and the least pleasant of the three. Unlike Bear Hugger who's quite friendly (if boorish) outside of the ring, and King Hippo who is (Depending on the Writer) either quite comic or vicious but not too much of a jerk, Mad Clown's character is much more unapologetically clownish and pragmatic. Even after losing, he's not shown to be taking it well.
Faux Affably Evil: He's more of a rival than a villain, but he otherwise invokes this when in-character. His introductory quotes sound serene, but then you discover you have to fight a Fat Bastard who's unafraid of using many of the dirty tricks in the book.
Fighting Clown: Literally. He's a clown that got into boxing, utilizing his circus act in the form of throwing juggling balls at Little Mac. He also acts in-character as he fights...
"Welcome! Now let's get this show on the road!"
"Huh? Don't you like my show?"
"Go home! The show is over."
Hidden Depths: He was an opera singer before he became a clown, and later a boxing clown.
Improbable Weapon User: Throws juggling balls as one of his attacks, but these mainly serve as a distraction as he prepares a super-powerful front-flipping punch that can take you down in one hit.
Kevlard: Fat enough to completely No-Sell any attempts at body blows with a goofy grin.
Let's Get Dangerous!: When his trainer announces "SHOWTIME!" after being knocked down twice, Mad Clown goes absolutely ballistic on you.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: There's throwing his juggling balls at you, backhanded punches, a front-flipping attack, wearing a clown ensemble complete with makeup... did we miss anything?
Palette Swap: Of Bear Hugger. They even have the same taunting reaction to body blows.
Rambunctious Italian: Being a riff off of Pagliacci, he's really not afraid to show some emotions.
Stout Strength: One of the biggest characters in the series, and has some serious power despite his appearance.
Unmoving Plaid: His shirt has this going on.

Narcis Prince

Appears in: SNES

A narcissistic British Ivy-Leaguer who hails from London, and hates being decked in the face. Guess what his weakness is?

Angry Eyebrows: Narcis has these all the time even when he's not angry, really giving him an air of aloofness.
Badass Arm-Fold: Does this in his introduction and if he wins.
Badass Bookworm: As well as being a high-ranking professional boxer, he's an Ivy League college student.
Berserk Button: His is within easy reach. All it takes is one smack to the face — although he takes great pains to protect it, defending every jab unless you manage to stun him — and then his previously strategic and defensive style goes out the window as he attacks in a blind rage.
Narcis: I won't forgive you if you hurt my face. I just won't do it.
Blinded by Rage: When you punch him in the face, he gets angry. When he gets angry, he gets easier because his near-impenetrable defense is now gone.
Chest Insignia: The "V" on his sweater vest is almost a dead-ringer for the (sleeved) one worn by the nameless protagonist in Arm Wrestling. According to the manual, he claims it stands for "the victory he is sure will be his after boxing in his next match".
Counter-Attack: Is very fond of these. Trying to tag his face while his guard's up often causes him to roll to one side and counter-punch with a fast straight.
Evil Brit: As with most other boxers, he's more of a rival than villainous. That said, Narcis is to date the only British character in the series.
Evil Laugh: If Narcis beats you by knockout, he folds his arms and laughs at you condescendingly.
The Fighting Narcissist: ...which makes you wonder why he took up boxing in the first place if he doesn't like being hit in the face.
Glass Cannon: Narcis takes more damage from face shots than body blows. Once you manage to land a blow to the face, he becomes much faster, hits harder, and becomes more difficult to predict, but his defense suffers. When he's calm, his punches are telegraphed pretty far in advance for that point in the game, although he tends to dodge and counter a lot rather than simply blocking missed shots.
Gorgeous George: A boxing variation. Though not really androgynous, he is very vain, effeminate, and appreciative of his face to the point where he'll fly into a rage with a single punch.
Healing Factor: Somehow, he recovers health after hitting you with certain punches.
Ironic Fear: Or Ironic Berserk Button, as the case may be. He's a professional boxer… who hates getting punched in the face.
Luck-Based Mission: Getting a fast time against him, due to how much of his actions are determined by RNG, more than any other fight in the game. This usually leads to him being a potential run killer in speed runs.
Minor Injury Overreaction: Getting punched in the face causes him to go ballistic.
Narcis: Oh, you! You've hit me face. Come 'ere, now!!
Not in the Face!: His Berserk Button. Pushing it causes him to fight much more aggressively (compared to his defensive style when he's calm) and leave himself open to more punishment (and face punches) for roughly 20 seconds or when someone falls down, whichever comes first.
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: His in-between round lines imply a Posh accent, but after you've defeated him, his end credit line has a dialect more similar to a Cockney accent. This implies that he might be putting the former on to seem more classy, not unlike English Bob.
Pretty Boy: Through and through. In fact, he hates having his face touched — such as being punched in a boxing match — and if (when) it happens, he goes absolutely berserk.
Punny Name: Of the word "narcissist".
Real Men Wear Pink: He's a vain, effeminate snob whose theme music wouldn't sound out of place at a young girl's ballet recital. He's also one of the highest-ranking boxers in the WVBA.
Royal Brat: Implied. His last name is "Prince" and he may be of royal blood and is a vain fighter who hates being punched in the face. He is also rather smug.
Sleeves Are for Wimps: Has no sleeves on his sweater.
Smug Snake: Manages to come off as one of the more arrogant opponents in the series, even with minimal dialogue. Wears a cocky smile practically throughout — besides, of course, when he's angry — leans against the corner post and taps his foot when waiting for you to get up after he knocks you down, and laughs at you condescendingly if he wins. But if you hurt his face, he loses his cool fast and his strategy falls apart.
Unique Enemy: He and Hoy Quarlow are the only opponents in the game without a Palette Swap counterpart. All of his moves and animations are unique to him.
Weaksauce Weakness: Getting punched in the face, which makes him violently angry and hit harder and faster at the cost of losing his usual defense. Considering he's a boxer, it kind of comes with the territory.

Hoy Quarlow (回鍋肉)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hoy_quarlow.png

Appears in: SNES

An old Chinese master who's seen his share of fights over the years. Never leaves home without his trusty walking stick.

Artistic License – Sports: He both kicks and hits opponents with a walking stick in the middle of a boxing match. Neither action would ever be allowed in any sort of respectable real-life league.
Bilingual Bonus: When fully read out in Chinese, his name (回鍋肉, huí guōròu) means "twice cooked pork".
Combat Pragmatist: Most of his attacks involve him either kicking you or attacking you with his stick. In fact, it's rather surprising that the WVBA accepted him since what he least does is punching (and the only two punches he does are illegal anyway).
Evil Laugh: Has a rather impressive chortle if you lose to him.
Graceful Loser: In the credits, he is quite happy to have met such a "spirited" young fighter, and is excited for the chance to spar again.
Made of Iron: Given how old and small he is, the fact that Quarlow doesn't go down with one punch qualifies him as this.
Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught: Exaggerated. His only moves where he uses his hand are an open palm strike and a backhand, neither of which is legal either. The rest of his moveset involves kicks and swatting Mac's face with his cane. Even in a setting like Punch-Out!!, Hoy takes the cake.
Old Master: 78 years old, which makes him the oldest boxer in the series, and has a record of over 60 victories. He's the third-to-last opponent in the SNES game and has more victories than most of the other boxers have total matches! He has the speed of a man a quarter his age, he can take more punches than most men of any age and he can hit like a truck despite his small size.
"Although he may hobble to the ring with the aid of his cane, do not judge lightly the abilities of the old man from Beijing. During his many years of boxing, he has learned all the tricks and is not afraid to use them."
Pintsized Powerhouse: It's hard to discern based on the game's camera angle, but it’s quite possible that he's even smaller and lighter than the protagonist. At 100 lbs, he's seven pounds lighter than Little Mac.
Unexpected Gameplay Change: To deal any sort of reliable damage when he's stunned, you have to alternate your punches (left, right, left, right). He's the first of two boxers you have to do this for, so it can be tough to take him down until you figure it out.
Unique Enemy: He and Narcis Prince are the only characters in the game who have no Palette Swap counterparts. All of his animations and moves are unique to him, and he even carries a weapon with him — which no other fighters in the game do.
Weak, but Skilled: While he isn’t weak by any stretch of the imagination, this guy specializes in agility and quick strikes as opposed to monstrous hits like other boxers.

Rick Bruiser

Appears in: SNES

An appropriately-named champion-level boxer in the Special Circuit. His only career loss has come at the hands of his brother, Nick.

Affably Evil: He's a lot more talkative than Nick, and he actually smiles.
Bald of Evil: The Bruiser brothers are both imposing and bald fighters. Rick even has an Evil Laugh to go along with it, though he is a good sport upon losing.
Boisterous Bruiser: Rick is wry and cheerful, in stark contrast to his mute sibling.
Counter-Attack: After a super punch, he'll lean back, then throw a jab.
Evil Laugh: He does it in his victory pose.
Graceful Loser: In the credits, he's shown to be in high spirits and taking his loss quite well. On the other hand, he does claim that his only previous loss (to his brother) was because he "let him win."
Ground Pound: His Earthquaker punch. It shakes the ring for a moment, preventing Mac from moving, and it's a One-Hit Kill on top of that. The only way to avoid it is to dodge just before he lands.
I Let You Win: He claims that he let his brother defeat him.
The Paralyzer: He can disable one of your arms for 10 seconds, preventing you from blocking or punching with that arm.
Parts Unknown: No one knows where the Bruiser Brothers hail from.
Polar Opposite Twins: With Nick. Brash, aggressive, and egotistical, but also more chatty and accepts losing to Little Mac in the end.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Red to Nick's Blue — he is more affable, talkative, and personable than his brother.
Sibling Rivalry: The fact that he's a little sore over losing to his brother, but doesn't mind losing to the protagonist one bit, seems to imply this.

Nick Bruiser

Appears in: SNES (champion)

Rick's older brother. Speaks a lot less, and hits a lot harder. Rules over the WVBA with a pair of iron fists.

Ambiguously Brown: He is noticeably darker-skinned than his younger brother, and of course, nobody knows where the Bruiser Brothers are from.
Badass Back: He has his back turned to the protagonist when he is introduced, and turns and walks to a corner when he knocks you down or you run out of time.
Bald of Evil: He fits the trope better than his brother. Same lack of hair, but none of the affability or grace upon being defeated. On the other hand, he's a relatively gracious victor.
Blocking Stops All Damage: Frustratingly subverted. His Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs will damage the player even if the punches are blocked.
Broken Win/Loss Streak: The guy had a 42-win streak before he met a certain blonde boxer...
Death Glare: His default expression. The other fighters react with pain and hurt upon being hit. Nick? He keeps his scary scowl.
Defeating the Undefeatable: He has never lost a match in his entire career, so this trope is what you accomplish by defeating him.
Expy: He looks a lot like Sagat from the Street Fighter series, minus the eyepatch and scars. The two are quite similar personality-wise as well, being proud and brutal, but respectful fighters. His quiet nature, imperious manner, and overwhelming punching power may also bring Ivan Drago to mind.
Knight of Cerebus: Unlike the other fighters, he has no colorful gimmicks or cartoony expressions. He keeps a Death Glare expression even when being hit and even his intro quote is absolute silence, to show how serious this guy is.
Lightning Bruiser: Fitting for the final boss, he is at the top of the game when it comes to speed, power, and resistance. He is quick, hits hard, and can recover quickly from being knocked down.
Made of Iron:
- Every opponent in Super Punch-Out has a state where they drift around the ring in a dizzied trance; unlike any other character, Nick will actually recover from this state.^note
- He barely reacts to your regular punches, keeping his stoic expression even though he's taking damage. Only getting hit with a super punch seems to faze him.
- Even if you hit him hard enough to win by knockout, he simply falls to one knee when the count hits ten rather than collapse on the mat like nearly every other boxer in the franchise.
Menacing Stroll: Unlike the other fighters, Nick is never in a hurry to fight, quietly moving from the center to the corners of the arena and vice versa.
No Brows: It contributes greatly to his already imposing appearance.
Not So Stoic: Unlike most other characters, he barely has cartoonish expressions while being hit. However, if you manage to stun him, he’ll stumble and grimace before regaining his composure. There's also his shock at having lost to Little Mac in the credits.
Now It's My Turn: After letting himself get attacked.
One-Hit Kill: Has a jumping punch attack that comes out quick, and is an instant knockdown if it connects.
The Paralyzer: Also has it. Unlike Rick, he will do this to both your arms. And even losing the use of one prevents you from comboing him after a stun.
Parts Unknown: No one knows where the Bruiser Brothers hail from.
Polar Opposite Twins: With Rick. Quiet, quick, and calculating. He's never lost before Mac beat him, so he's having a hard time accepting it.
The Quiet One: He is introduced with a mere "..." instead of an actual quote. Also, he quietly strolls in and out of the fight depending on whether he wins or loses the round.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: Unlike Piston Hurricane's and Aran Ryan's versions, it is not advised that you try to block the entire move, since Nick's is capable of doing damage when blocked and is the only move aside from your super punches able to do this.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Rick's Red. He is much less talkative and personable than his brother and doesn't even smile, to show how stoic he is. However, he doesn't take his loss against Mac well, whereas Rick is a Graceful Loser.
Stronger Sibling: It is telling that Rick's only defeat before Mac came at his brother's hands (though he claims to have let him win).
This Cannot Be!: His reaction upon losing to Little Mac, as shown in the credits.
"I'm so ashamed. How could I suffer such total defeat??"
True Final Boss: The last opponent of the extra gauntlet, the Special Circuit.
Un-Evil Laugh: If you run out of time while fighting him, he turns his back and lets out a rather jarring "HAR!" while walking away.
Victory Pose: He politely bows his head towards the screen if he manages to TKO the player.
Visible Silence: This is his intro.

Introduced in Wii Punch-Out!!

Disco Kid

Appears in: Wii
Voiced by: Donny Lucas

A native New Yorker who appears to be stuck in the '70s when it comes to fashion. Groovy!

Afro Asskicker: In his Title Defense look.
Calling Your Attacks: "Here it comes!" In Title Defense: "Boxercise!", "Rush attack!" and "Speedbag!"
Camp: Oh yeah. His Title Defense incarnation only ramps this up further.
"I am fab-u-lous!"
Campy Combat: His Title Defense rematch in the Wii installment has him taking up a very flamboyant aerobics motif highly reminiscent of Richard Simmons complete with a leotard and afro.
Dance Battler: Title Defense Disco grows an afro and has apparently started training with "Boxercise" tapes, and incorporates jumping jacks into his routine. He is also a better dancer than he is a boxer. While he is 2nd in the Minor League, he has a whole shelf of trophies from dance contests.
Disco Dan: If it's assumed the game takes place in its release year of 2009, then he most certainly is.
Dreamworks Face: Practically his default expression.
Expy: Somewhat resembles a black and blond Richard Simmons in Title Defense.
Fun Personified: One of the most energetic fighters, almost constantly smiling. And even when he seems to momentarily lose his groove, he just finds a new way to get his groove back. Disco doesn't stay depressed for long!
I Hit You, You Hit The Ground: "I have a three-step program for you; I punch you, you fall down, I win!"
Instant-Win Condition: TD version only. A Three-Star Punch while he's winding up for a Disco Flurry will send him spinning to the ground.
Lazy Bum: A variation, in that he is perfectly active when it comes to things other than boxing. His Contender mode intro has him showing off his stereo system and dance trophies while also tearing it up at the disco. This, along with his poor record, suggests that he doesn't actually spend much time training or practicing his boxing skills.
Leitmotif: A disco version of the Main Theme, complete with a 70's bass and synth.
Leotard of Power: In Title Defense, he wears a purple leotard.
My Greatest Second Chance: His Title Defense intro implies he was close to walking away from boxing after getting beat by Mac in Contender mode. That's just when he happened to see a poster advertising the Boxercise program...
Nice Guy: Unlike most of the other boxers in the series, Disco Kid is an overall nice guy whose smack-talk between corner breaks has no ill will, and he doesn't seem to hold anything against Mac, even in Title Defense. In that mode, he just seems sad that he is constantly getting beaten.
One-Hit Kill: A Three-Star Punch as he recovers from an attack you landed, will knock him down in both Contender and Title Defense; this is vital for speedrunning. In Contender only, a Star Punch while he flashes his teeth will also knock him down; surprisingly, even a Three-Star punch won't keep him down this way.
Pinball Projectile: During his knockout cutscene, as Mac punches him away, he spins rapidly, bouncing off each turnbuckle (which light up), before spinning out and face-planting in the middle of the ring.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: His Disco Flurry in Title Defense.
Screams Like a Little Girl: Adds to the Camp issue complimenting his "fabulousness".
Shout-Out:
- In Contender mode, he does The Carlton when you get knocked down.
- His Title Defense victory animation is a fairly obvious shoutout to Flashdance.
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Takes the place of Kid Quick, and the disc data still refers to him as such. One between-round quote from Doc Louis in Title Defense mode includes the line "This kid is quick!"
Took a Level in Badass: In Title Defense, he bolsters his fighting style with "boxercise" techniques. In practice, he has a few harder-hitting moves added to his repertoire, and will also taunt less often.
Turns Red: Sorta. As the battle progresses and he starts nearing a TKO, his attacks come out faster than usual.
Twinkle Smile: Sock him in his pearly whites to get a Star.
Younger Than They Look: He's only 20, making him the second youngest member of the cast next to Little Mac (third counting Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES, sharing the rank with Narcis Prince, next to Heike Kagero).

The Intruder (SPOILERS!)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/donkey_kong_punch_out.png

Appears in: Wii
Voiced by: Takashi Nagasako

Star of the Donkey Kong game series, the ape serves as the Superboss of Punch-Out!! Wii.

Animals Not to Scale: Gorillas are larger than humans, but even taking that into account Donkey Kong is a giant. His height and weight aren't listed, but even when he's not rearing up he's still taller than Little Mac. As Little Mac is 5'7", he is taller than the average gorilla. This means Donkey Kong is taller on all fours than most real gorillas when they rear up.
Boisterous Bruiser: Yeah, he's Donkey Kong after all.
Brought to You by the Letter "S": The DK on his tie and boxing gloves.
The Cameo: DK can be found in the audience during a fight in both arcade titles and the Wii game.
Chekhov's Gunman: He could be seen in the audience. Even in the arcade days!
Combos: After knocking him once, he will start chaining his attacks into another more frequently.
Guest Fighter: He's the first video game character in the series that originated from another.
I Shall Taunt You: Practically a major part of his fighting style. He spends most of his time posturing and making fun of Mac, but then dodges Mac's swings and slams back hard.
Leitmotif: A happy, appropriately jungle-like rendition of the Main Theme, with xylophones and a choir.
Lightning Bruiser: Not only is he very large and extremely strong, he's also quite agile and some of his attacks are deceptively fast.
Mundane Utility: Inverted. Those boxing gloves he wears were originally used for baseball. (In Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers.)
Mythology Gag: Appearing in the audience in the Wii version is likely a reference to his appearances as an audience member in the arcade titles (along with the Super Mario Bros.), as stated above. He's no stranger to fighting in a boxing ring either since that was where the final boss fight of Donkey Kong 64 was staged.
"Oh, Crap!" Smile: It's easy to miss, but if you dodge his attacks or are about to hit him with a Star Punch, he gives one of these as he knows Mac's about to counter.
One-Hit Kill: All of them requiring a Star Punch. Countering both of his leaping attacks with one (when he goes to the back of the ring), countering his low clap attack after a four-hit combo (when he taunts by combing his hair), and a Three-Star Punch to punish a failed roll (when his tie covers his face).
Permanently Missable Content: Potentially. He only appears in Mac's Last Stand; lose three times before encountering him and you lose him forever, forcing you to start a new file over to get another shot. Fortunately, he has a relatively high chance of appearing in the first place, and he's unlocked in Exhibition mode regardless of whether you win or lose.
Smug Super: After all, he is one of Nintendo's most famous icons, and on top of that, his match-up with Mac amounts to a giant gorilla versus a 17-year-old human. As such, he has a knack for taunting Mac at any opportunity, from slicking his hair to blowing a kiss to the audience, right down to baby-talking you.
Superboss: It's only possible to encounter him in Last Stand mode, that is, after playing both Contender and Title Defense. Once you fight him once, however, he'll be permanently unlocked — win or lose.
Unskilled, but Strong: Gaming hero and Superboss he may be, but DK is the one Punch-Out!! opponent who isn't a professional boxer, and it shows - the rest of the opponents telegraph their attacks, but DK doesn't even use actual punches; he slams everything like an actual gorilla. His technique is sloppier than any boxer leading up to him, to the point he can get left completely open by doing a roll just to have his tie land over his face and obstruct his vision! Donkey Kong is ultimately a Guest Fighter who'll leap into the ring for the fun of it, and his constant taunting and sheepish grin when he misses the mark show he knows it. That said, he's still a giant gorilla that even humans as huge as Mr. Sandman would be pulverized by in real life, and his attacks hit as hard as you would expect when they land.
Walking Spoiler: His existence in the Wii version is intended as a huge surprise for players.

Introduced in Arm Wrestling

Texas Mac

Appears in: Arm Wrestling

A burly man in a ten-gallon hat.

Americans Are Cowboys: While the setting of the arm-wrestling tournament is ambiguous, the cowboy hat wearing Texas Mac is the only confirmed American character.
Depending on the Artist: Texas Mac has black hair in his portrait, but blue hair in the actual match.
Everything is Big in Texas: He's built like a truck and rocks a cowboy hat.

Kabuki

Appears in: Arm Wrestling

A traditionally attired sumo wrestler.

Facial Markings: He bears the facial paint style used by kabuki artists.
Stout Strength: He's heavyset and very strong.
Walking Shirtless Scene: As to be expected of a sumo wrestler.

Alice & Ape III

Appeared in: Arm Wrestling

A little girl who entered her robotic companion in the competition.

The Baby of the Bunch: As the only kid, Alice is technically the youngest competitor in the game and the rest of Punch-Out!!, even if she's using Ape III as a proxy.
Brought to You by the Letter "S": Alice has an "A" on her hat.
Gadgeteer Genius: Implied for Alice. While she's not explicitly mentioned to have made Ape III, she's an expert at controlling it and knows its tricks inside-out, which says just as much.
The Kid with the Remote Control: Ape III is more of a proxy than a Robot Buddy, as Alice can be seen controlling him off to the side.
Magnetic Weapons: Literally. Ape III will pull out a magnet, which you have to rip off in order to scramble its circuits and win the match. Miss, and it'll use the magnet to pull its own arm across and pin you for a loss.
The Smurfette Principle: Alice is the ONLY named female character in the entire Punch-Out!! franchise (with the exception of Don Flamenco's love Carmen, who is herself The Ghost until Wii), and she's not even a fighter, relying on Ape III (presumably due to concerns about beating up women).
Telescoping Robot: Ape III's arms have multiple tricks up their sleeves, such as the magnet it can pull out.
Youthful Freckles: Alice has freckles all over her face, matching her young age.

Frank Jr.

Appears in: Arm Wrestling (champion)

A large artificial human who is the final challenger.

Ambiguously Human: It isn't made clear if he is an actual artificial human, like Frankenstein's creature, or a weird-looking (and possibly intentionally made-up) human.
Amazing Technicolor Population: In this case, purple.
Breath Weapon: One of Frank's attack is breathing fire on you.
Berserk Button: He hates if anyone doesn't wait when he asks them to. Trying to pin his arm when he calls for a break will cause him to launch a huge attack that nearly pins you.
Frankenstein's Monster: As the Punny Name suggests, complete with neck bolts.
Heroic Build: ...Damn, he's ripped. Flaunted if the player loses to him.
Punny Name: "Frank Jr." He is an obvious reference to Frankenstein.
Tactical Suicide Boss: He'll hold up his hand and order you to "Wait!" periodically through the match. Depending on which way his eyes move, he may or may not try to blow fire in your face; if you don't dodge this, it's a One-Hit Kill. If he could just do that at any time... Presumably he doesn't because it would be cheating.

Non-Fighter Characters

Von Kaiser's students

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/von_kaiser_students.png

Appears in: Wii

A group of children whom Von Kaiser teaches boxing.

Adaptational Nice Guy: In the official promotional comic they still laugh at Von Kaiser, but actually seem concerned about him before his fight with Mac, sincerely encouraging him and wishing him luck.
Bratty Half-Pint: In Von Kaiser's Contender cutscene, one of the kids gives him a Groin Attack and then laughs at him.
No Name Given: None of them have names.
Strong Family Resemblance: Done with a teacher rather than a family member; they all look like miniature versions of Von Kaiser.

Carmen

Appears in: Wii

The love of Don Flamenco's life.

Pink Means Feminine: She wears a pink outfit.
Satellite Love Interest: Her character is simply "Don Flamenco's girlfriend" and nothing more.
Shout-Out: She is named for the theatre show Carmen.
Unseen No More: After being spoken about in the NES game, she appears in person in the Wii game.

Aran Ryan's family

World Circuit starter Aran Ryan has two known family members; a mother and a sister.

The Ghost: They have not appeared in person, only being mentioned in the SNES game's manual or in passing remarks from Aran.
My Nayme Is: Aran's mother was the one who insisted on spelling her son's name the way it is.
No Name Given: Their first names are never stated.
Small Role, Big Impact: Mama Ryan; barely even a Bit Character, but her decision to give Aran an untraditionally-spelled name sparked a chain of events that resulted in him growing up to become the Ax-Crazy boxer he is today.

Crossovers

Captain N: The Game Master^noteKing Hippo
Super Smash Bros.
- Super Smash Bros. 4 - 45 to 49^noteLittle Mac
- Super Smash Bros. - Assist Trophies^noteLittle Mac
- Super Smash Bros. - Others^noteDoc Louis

Characters / Punch-Out!!

Main Characters

Referees

Challengers

Introduced in Arcade Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Arcade Super Punch-Out!!

Introduced in NES Punch-Out!!

Introduced in SNES Super Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Wii Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Arm Wrestling

Non-Fighter Characters

Crossovers

Alternative Title(s): Arm Wrestling

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Index

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Characters / Punch-Out!!

Edit Locked

Main Characters

Referees

Challengers

Introduced in Arcade Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Arcade Super Punch-Out!!

Introduced in NES Punch-Out!!

Introduced in SNES Super Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Wii Punch-Out!!

Introduced in Arm Wrestling

Non-Fighter Characters

Crossovers

Alternative Title(s): Arm Wrestling

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Index

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