By now, you’ve probably heard EA’s big news. The announcement that EA Sports College Football will exist again (eventually) made waves this week. The resuscitation of an EA Sports darling has prompted fans to think out-loud about some of EA’s other lost franchises. Chief among them is the EA Fight Night series, a simulation boxing franchise whose last entry, Fight Night Champion, dropped in 2011. Top Rank Boxing made waves in response, asking fans who they’d like to see on the cover of a theoretical Fight Night 2021.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKzvInwDAR1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
To be fair, Top Rank isn’t the only high-profile brand having fun with the idea of a new Fight Night game. Fox Sports’ Premier Boxing Champions tweeted an image asking if fans would want to see a new entry in the franchise as well. However, Top Rank’s ties to the franchise means its mock cover deserves a bit more speculation.
EA Sports is bringing back NCAA Football
RT/LIKE if you want them to bring back Fight Night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VctC8vxlqK
— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) February 2, 2021
For starters, they share a talent. ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, the veteran ringside commentator for Top Rank Boxing, was the voice of the Fight Night series. It makes total sense that Top Rank Boxing would be interested in the return of EA Fight Night. It also means they would know more about a new entry than most. It’s clear that Top Rank Boxing’s mock cover is just a quick edit of the cover of Fight Night Champions. Still, when someone posts a cover of an unannounced game, it’s worth paying attention to. After all, this wouldn’t be the first time in 2021 that a sports game cover leaked on Instagram.
The Yearly Yearn For a New Fight Night
There’s speculation over the return of Fight Night about once every year. In 2020, several boxing figureheads talked about conversations or rumors regarding EA’s return to the franchise. In a financial statement released in May 2020, EA reported that it expects to release an “unanounced EA SPORTS title,” sometimes in fiscal year 2021, which ends in April. It’s likely that Top Rank Boxing is just taking advantage of the hype to get impressions. If anyone had info on a new Fight Night announcement, however, it would be them.
Isn’t it fun to dream?
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