# Does Wii boxing have any relevance to real boxing?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [December 8, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436 "2009-12-08T13:08:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/1 "2009-12-08T13:08:36Z")
Are the Wii boxing games any good for someone who actually practices boxing?
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/2 "2009-12-08T17:37:36Z")
Bump!
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### Author:  [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/3 "2009-12-08T18:41:46Z")
IANMT, but I’d say a resounding no. The last time I played it, I couldn’t get the hooks and uppercuts to work consistently.
For someone about to box for the first time, it might be marginally useful, teaching them to cover up and pick their opponent off. I can’t see it being of any use to an actual boxer.
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### Author:  [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/4 "2009-12-09T00:27:22Z")
Totally anecdotally: The first time I played Wii boxing was at a friends house with a few mates, one of home had been an amateur boxer. I beat him three times in a row - I’ve never boxed but have played games pretty much all my life. His take was, “It’s a lot of fun but it’s nothing like real boxing.” So I’m in the no camp.
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### Author:  [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/5 "2009-12-09T00:37:29Z")
Wii Boxing is about as much like real boxing as Guitar Hero to playing guitar. It’s a fun take on the sport that anyone can enjoy, but it certainly can’t be used for actual boxing practice.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/6 "2009-12-09T00:40:41Z")
I’ve never played, but just from what I know I’d hazard a guess that it isn’t relevant to real boxing. From what I understand, the hand and arm positioning controls the onscreen boxer, but in boxing your hand and arm positioning is only part of the equation. In boxing power comes from the hips - engaging the hips puts the power of the whole body into the punch. “Arm punching” doesn’t have any power behind the punch. If the game only registers what the hands and arms are up to and not the hips and the rest of the body, it won’t mimic real boxing.
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### Author:  [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/7 "2009-12-09T00:48:08Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#):
>
> Wii Boxing is about as much like real boxing as Guitar Hero to playing guitar. It’s a fun take on the sport that anyone can enjoy, but it certainly can’t be used for actual boxing practice.
I resent that. Give me a guitar with one string and five frets, and I’m sure I can get some Nirvana tunes out of it 😛
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### Author:  [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/8 "2009-12-09T01:12:43Z")
The sad thing is you’re probably right.
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### Author:  [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/9 "2009-12-09T05:23:13Z")
Not really (to the OP), when i play, I don’t swing my arms, I find it’s much more efficient simply to flick the wrists. I don’t think that’d serve me well in boxing.
Then again my college roommate used to go and put on boxing shorts, consume vodka and then attempt to play as if he was a Boxer. His tactics seemed to simply be swing wildly and madly at the opponents face until they fell over from simply being unable to block…
I went to bed that night, and when I woke up the next morning, apparently he had beaten the Boxing Trainer and now had access to the Golden Gloves. And none of us could beat him in boxing.
But again- I REALLY doubt that’s how real boxing would play out. If you don’t really exercise much, it might help you with cardio, especially if you do try to do all the punches correctly, but that won’t really get you that far in the Game (as a good wrist flicker can simply aim his punches to beat you without really getting up from the couch). But it could be fun to try.
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### Author:  [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/10 "2009-12-09T05:33:59Z")
I imagine that since the Wii unit itself is so small it’s probably done by a machine, so they probably wouldn’t let you practice for any hand-done boxing due to efficiency reasons if you were to go to the factory.
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### Author:  [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/11 "2009-12-10T12:14:07Z")
Thanks for the replies.
I notice there are at least four different boxing titles available, are they all the same, or some are more realistic than others?
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### Author:  [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/12 "2009-12-10T12:19:48Z")
Well the way modern boxing is, as soon as you lace up a glove you are a titleholder, soon someone will be the **Wii Heavyweight Champion**.
But there will be a dispute.
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### Author:  [@kombatminipig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kombatminipig)
#### Post date: [December 10, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/13 "2009-12-10T16:18:01Z")
I am an amateur boxer (kickboxer actually), and it has to do as much with boxing as…well…I guess a Wii track game would have to do with running. Boxing is about keeping yourself moving on the tips of your toes, weaving, ducking, avoiding and trying to get inside your opponent’s guard while keeping your own tight. Punches come from the hip and not the arms. It’s about keeping your cool while taking punishment, counterattacking and getting your own shots in.
You don’t get much of that from Wii Boxing ^^
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### Author:  [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/14 "2009-12-11T16:55:31Z")
My 9-year old son has mastered most of the Wii Sports by holding the remote in his right hand, and gently flicking it… no arm swings, no extraneous movement… However, I could kick his ass in a boxing ring!
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### Author:  [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)
#### Post date: [December 11, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-wii-boxing-have-any-relevance-to-real-boxing/520436/15 "2009-12-11T21:28:42Z")
My 5-year old managed to master Wii boxing through her normal technique of flailing wildly while twirling and singing Hannah Montana songs, but I am not counting on her being the next Muhammad Ali any time soon.