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Boxing Hijacked: Poe, Leafy, and Guests Break Down the Implosion of Undisputed

🎙️ Podcast Title: TalkShoe Presents

🎧 Episode 14: Poe Speaking His Mind About Boxing Videogames

🎙️ Host: Poe & Leafy(with Special Guests)

⏱ Runtime Target: ~60+ minutes

🎵 Intro Theme: [Poe's Intro]

🎤 INTRO SEGMENT (0:00–2:30)

[Intro Music Playing Softly]

Poe (host):
“Ding ding! We’re back in the ring/I'm here to bring a sting like a bumblebee/ so it seems/ I'm looking in between the deception and intentional miscommunication, destroyed dreams/ surrounded by smoke and mirrors/hot garbage steam/ more excuses/lean!. Welcome to TalkShoe Presents, and this is Episode 14: Poe Speaking His Mind About Boxing Videogames.

This episode? It’s different. It might get heated. I might lose friends. But the truth’s gotta be told.

Today, I’m speaking directly to the fans who feel gaslit, misled, and talked down to. This one’s for the people who supported Undisputed from day one—and are now wondering what happened to the game they were promised.

SCI is either imploding… or they’re rebuilding something we never asked for. Let’s get into it.”

 

Poe Speaks: Why I’ll Never Be a Moderator or Community Manager for SCI

https://poespeakshismindpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/poe-speaks-why-ill-never-be-moderator.html


 "Be Patient" is Not a Strategy — It’s a Silencer

https://poespeakshismindpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/be-patient-is-not-strategy-its-silencer.html


Questions Poe would ask Ash Habib

https://poespeakshismindpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/question-poe-would-ask-ash-habib.html

🧯 SECTION 1 – "The Rise and the Fall" (2:30–10:00)

Poe:
“When Undisputed—formerly ESBC—first dropped that trailer, I got chills. The lighting. The movement. The presence. It looked like we were finally getting a real boxing game. Not an arcade button-masher. Not a casual fan showcase. A boxing simulation.

But now? Let’s keep it real. The vision has changed. Or maybe it was never fully real to begin with.

No more focus on real boxing strategy. No more uniqueness per boxer. More features being removed than added. Clinching, referee interactions, even boxer intros—gone or postponed. And the excuse we keep hearing? ‘It’s their first game.’

Let me stop right there. That’s not a valid defense. You can do your research. Other boxing games—from Knockout Kings to Fight Night Round 3—were made by teams who also had first-timers on board. Boxing wasn’t their first love either, but they respected the craft. SCI isn’t getting a pass just because this is their debut.”

🚨 SECTION 2 – “Boxers in the Studio? Let’s Talk About It” (10:00–20:00)

Poe:
“Now here’s the latest talking point you’ve probably heard: ‘The boxers are still in the studio.’ They never left, they say.

Well, Stevie Wonder can see something ain’t right at SCI. That claim sounds good in a tweet. But the game we’re getting says otherwise.

If boxers really are involved, their feedback must be wrapped in duct tape. Or worse, they’re letting people who’ve never boxed redefine what boxing is supposed to be. Look, hitting a bag in a gym doesn’t make you an expert. Going to a boxing fitness class doesn’t give you authority on simulation mechanics.

Real boxers know the difference between ‘looking good’ and ‘fighting real.’ They know that foot positioning, inside fighting, ref management, corner advice—all of that matters.

But somehow, we’ve got self-proclaimed boxing fans defending a game that’s turning into a simplified, arcadey junk pile. And when we push back? The devs, mods, and some influencers start gaslighting. They say we’re being too harsh. That we’re ‘too hardcore.’ Nah—what we are is consistent. We just want what was advertised.”

💭 SECTION 3 – "The Deflection Olympics" (20:00–30:00)

Poe:
“Let’s be honest—there’s been a lot of deflection. Every time someone asks about removed features, they pivot to transparency.

Transparency without accountability is manipulation.

They’re trying to hypnotize us. Show us one good thing, like new lighting or a roster update, and hope we ignore the deeper cuts. They're feeding us a steady diet of updates while gutting the core experience.

They say, ‘Trust the process,’ but the process is looking more like a demolition site than a rebuild. And the people defending this? Some of them mean well. Some of them don’t know better. But some of them? They’re actively shielding SCI from being called out.

I’m not saying the developers aren’t working hard. I’m saying the direction is wrong—and the silence from leadership only makes it worse.”

🔍 SECTION 4 – “Relabeling What Boxing Is” (30:00–40:00)

Poe:
“Here’s something else that’s been bothering me: this trend of relabeling boxing.

Now everyone’s a boxing expert. People with zero amateur or professional experience are defining what a jab should look like, how knockouts work, or whether a ref should even be in the ring.

Meanwhile, we’ve got actual boxers who barely get to speak. SCI has one boxer on staff, and nobody even knows how much freedom he has in the studio. That’s not enough. One boxer surrounded by a team trying to balance gameplay for content creators and casuals? That’s a losing formula.

We’ve got people creating their own version of boxing in their heads—and pushing it into the game as if it’s gospel. That’s dangerous. That’s disrespectful. That’s dishonest.”

🧠 SECTION 5 – “Poe’s Transformation: Enter Beas Mode” (40:00–50:00)

Poe:
“I’m gonna be real with you all...

This episode might burn bridges. People I respected are gonna hear this and say I changed. And maybe I did. Because watching something I love get dragged into the mud by people who don’t respect it?

Yeah... I’m about to transform into Beas.

This isn’t about being angry. This is about fighting back. This is about calling out the slick talk, the deflections, the manipulation of the fanbase.

The casuals and influencers trying to reshape this game? Let them have their content. But don’t you dare act like we’re the ones being difficult just because we want the truth.”

🥊 SECTION 6 – “What a Real Boxing Game Needs” (50:00–58:00)

Poe:
“If you’re still with me, here’s what a real boxing game needs:

  • Referees that move around and make human errors.

  • Clinching that matters—strategic, draining, and breakable.

  • Damage systems that go beyond swelling and into stuns, balance, fatigue, and foot placement.

  • Tendencies, styles, eras.

  • A creation suite worthy of the sport’s history.

  • Commentary, corner coaching, and real boxing logic—not just speed bags and flash knockouts.

This isn’t too much to ask. It’s what we were sold. And if you can’t deliver it, stop hiding behind marketing, YouTubers, and nostalgia.”

🎵 OUTRO SEGMENT (58:00–End)

[Outro Music Slowly Builds]

Poe:
“To the fans: stay sharp. Don’t let hype blind you. Don’t let the word ‘transparency’ be used as a weapon. And don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking you’re asking for too much.

To SCI: if you’re listening—cut the PR games. If the boxers really never left, show us. Let them speak. Let them push back on what’s being built.

This episode was long. It was personal. It was overdue.

I’m Poe. And this was TalkShoe Presents. I’ll catch y’all in the next one. And trust me… we’re just getting started.

[Bell ding. Outro music fades out.]

Let me know if you'd like:

  • A visual podcast thumbnail

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  • A YouTube or Spotify description

  • A mockup guest segment (e.g., "Coach Jones weighs in")

  • A transcription format for post-show publishing

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