The world of professional wrestling and video games collided when WWE superstar LA Knight, engaged in a war of words with Logan Paul, delivered a memorable zinger. Comparing Paul to Glass Joe from Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, Knight ignited a humorous debate about toughness and perception.
Knight said, “Sure he looks like Glass Joe from Mike Tyson’s Punch Out”, which, you know, could be a compliment…okay it’s not. In fact, it also means that Paul has a glass jaw, and Knight is fully intent on making that a reality at some point in the future.
Let’s delve into the world of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! and explore why this comparison resonates.
Punch out but Mike Tyson is playable - Glass Joe former World Record
Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!: A Classic Revisited
Released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! is a classic NES game that fans love even today. Few boxing games have ever eclipsed its popularity. In the game, you play as the boxer Little Mac and work your way through a gauntlet of fighters until you face the biggest challenge of all in Tyson.
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The game pits players against a series of, let’s say, quirky and rather challenging boxers over the three circuits: Minor, Major, and World circuit. That was no easy task, but once you got Tyson himself, your odds shrunk considerably, as Tyson is considered to be one of the toughest video game bosses ever.
Mike Tyson, famous retired American boxer, admitted to TMZ that he can’t beat his own video game. When asked if he could beat his video game, Tyson said, “I can’t even beat Glass Joe.”
The Fighters of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
As you make your way to fight Tyson, Little Mac takes on a number of unique opponents, and the very first one you confront is Glass Joe.
Glass Joe is a recurring boxer in the Punch-Out!! series. He is the first boxer to defeat in every version of Punch-Out!! he's in. Nicknamed "France's Glass Jaw", he is notable for having the worst win-loss ratio in the series and weak offense and defense in all of his appearances in order to help beginner players learn how to play the game. His signature move is his "Vive la France!" taunt punch.
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Here’s a look at some of the notable fighters in the game:
- Glass Joe: A 38-year-old boxer from Paris, France and the first opponent Little Mac encounters. Players can practice dodge and counter-attacks on this guy.
- Von Kaiser: This 42-year-old German fighter from Berlin is the second opponent and does minimal damage. Without a proper special attack, his moves are a simple left jab and a right uppercut, neither of which does major damage to Little Mac.
- Great Tiger: A 29-year-old Indian boxer from Mumbai. He is the third opponent and is a great threat to Little Mac.
- Soda Popinski: A huge threat to Little Mac is the wonderfully named Soda Popinski, a 32-year-old Russian fighter previously known as Vodka Drunkenski.
- King Hippo: The middle of the list belongs to King Hippo, the fan-favorite hippo from Hippo Island in the South Pacific.
- Bald Bull: Bald Bull is a 36-year-old Turkish boxer. He comes as the seventh fighter overall.
- Mr. Sandman: Mr. Sandman is a 31 year old boxer from Philadelphia. He comes with diverse assets, including powerful and quick uppercuts that aren’t exactly easy to avoid.
- Super Macho Man: From the first fighter, we move to the penultimate challenger for Little Mac. Macho Man is a 27-year-old boxer from Hollywood.
- Mike Tyson: Tyson, a 21-year-old boxer from Catskill, NY, is the final opponent in the game, boasting an undefeated record of 31-0 with 27 KOs.
Glass Joe: The Embodiment of Weakness?
Glass Joe debuted as the first opponent in the 1984 arcade game. He serves as a tutorial for beginning players, attacking very rarely and almost never dodging the player's punches. His attacks are extremely slow, he has very poor defensive skills, and he has no unique punch like everyone else in the game.
He is usually used as a punching bag in a lot of promotional material like the comics. For most gamers, Glass Joe is the easiest opponent in the classic video game to beat. Tyson explained to TMZ, “I’m a late bloomer.
Here’s a table summarizing Glass Joe’s vital stats across different Punch-Out!! games:
| Game | Opponent Order | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Punch-Out!! (Arcade) | 1st | Tutorial fighter |
| Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (NES) | 1st (Minor Circuit) | Extremely weak with poor defense |
| Punch-Out!! (Wii) | 1st (Minor Circuit) | Tutorial fighter, frail |
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, Glass Joe appears as a trophy. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Glass Joe appears as a spirit.
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Glass Joe has also appeared as a Hasbro Action Figure, in a Topps trading card series, and on a Punch-Out!! garbage can.