Legendary designer Takashi “Piston” Nishiyama - co-creator of Street Fighter and Fatal Fury – is teaming up with The Ring magazine and Dimps on a brand-new boxing-based fighting game. The Ring touts its “unmatched authority in boxing” paired with Dimps’ pedigree in classic fighting games. With Nishiyama at the helm, this isn’t a gimmick: it’s a serious project aimed squarely at the competitive scene. Sources describe an untitled title featuring original characters under development, banking on The Ring’s boxing cachet and Dimps’ experience (Dimps helped develop Street Fighter IV & V, Dragon Ball fighters, etc.) to craft the next big fighter.

Nishiyama’s pedigree is second to none - he literally co-directed the original Street Fighter in 1987 and later founded Dimps to carry on those fighting game traditions. His resume also includes conceiving Fatal Fury (a spiritual sequel to Street Fighter) when he moved to SNK. In short, the guy practically invented the one-on-one fighting game genre twice. That gives this boxing project instant credibility. If anyone can deliver tight arcade-style boxing mechanics (footwork, counterhooks, ring control) and deep competitive balance, it’s Nishiyama and his team.

Meanwhile, the current competitive landscape for fighters is crowded – but arguably ready for something fresh. Street Fighter 6 dominates the West, with Capcom’s recent Capcom Cup X drawing 311.6K peak viewers at its climax. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (SNK’s April 2025 revival of the classic series) has also generated buzz, even using the original Garou dev team to satisfy long-time fans. A boxing-based fighter would be a very different animal, but could vie for the spotlight. Boxing is underrepresented in modern fighting games – aside from retro titles, there’s never been a marquee boxing-only FG in decades – so a well-built Ring-backed game could carve its own niche.

However, not all signs are green for new fighters. Bandai Namco’s Tekken 8 (a major 3D fighter release in Jan 2024) has had a rocky start. Its first DLC season was patched out after fans “absolutely hated” the balance changes, and the game even suffered an Overwhelmingly Negative review bomb on Steam. In other words, the 3D fighting space is vulnerable. *A grizzly sight: Tekken 8’s Kuma (backed by Bandai Namco’s PR) faced fan ire over Season 2 changes. All that is to say: there’s a gap for innovation. With Tekken faltering and SoulCalibur on ice, an expert-designed boxing fighter – if it nails the gameplay – could seize the spotlight, especially in 3D-fighter-crazed markets.

Dimps themselves are traditionally a 2D-plane fighter house (think Street Fighter Alpha/IV/V, the Budokai series, Fight Night rumors, etc.). But they have worked on 3D-style arena brawlers before. For example, Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul (2015) was an arena fighting game, fully 3D movement included, as was the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series. Those weren’t orthogonal “3D fighters” like Virtua Fighter, but they show Dimps can use free movement. So if The Ring game goes true 3D – wrestling-like ring corners and lunging – Dimps has a clue how to handle it.

Ultimately, The Ring X Dimps boxing game is a wild card – a melding of sports authenticity and arcade kung-fu. If it delivers deep mechanics and robust online play, it could become a surprise hit in tournaments. The FGC will be watching closely, especially as more details and trailers emerge. In a field of Hadoukens and Psycho Crushers, a feral left hook might just land Tekken out for the count – or at least shake up the punch-out order.