Or, Don King releases a boxing game.

It’s been while since EA’s Fight Night Round 3 blew us away as an Xbox 360 near-launch title. For awhile, it seemed like that franchise was going to remain the only real contender in what used to be a crowded field. No more, though, as no less than three new boxing games are on the horizon, including the Fight Night followup, Facebreaker and now Don King’s Prizefighter.

On the eve of Prizefighter’s release as a 360-exclusive, I got a chance to participate in a conference call with a few of the gang behind 2K’s newest brawler, including Executive Producer Matthew Seymour and Mr. Don King himself. Turns out that Prizefighter isn’t aiming to be just another good-looking fighter, but also toss in a couple of new ideas that’ll separate it from the pack.

First and foremost, the single player career mode is presented as a documentary, replete with full-motion video featuring news reporters, fellow boxers, and maybe even a few celebrities. These folks help narrate the tale of your created pugilist, based upon his successes and failures. Turns out the ring isn’t the only place you need to excel either, as some of the trappings of the celebrity life offer themselves to you. At times, you’ll need to make some choices that’ll directly affect your fighter – even if you won’t know exactly how at the time.

The online aspect of Prizefighter gets some special attention, too. In addition to the standard take-your-boxer-online mode, you get to play the part of a virtual Don King and build a stable of up to five fighters in various weight classes to battle foes for bragging rights. A sizable cache of current and historic boxers are also present to play as and against, including some of today’s brightest stars like Kelly Pavlik and Shannon Briggs and legends from yesteryear such as Max Baer and Joe Louis (among many others).

Any time a developer builds a new engine for a fighting game, it’s bound to be controversial. 2K Sports is claiming that Prizefighter sports true-to-life boxing tactics, including the ability to spot openings and sidestep opponent attacks. There’s always a delicate balance to be had, of course, since real-life boxing is almost always 100% less interesting than the video game kind. After all, who wants to clutch and grab for 12 rounds?

Between 2K’s strong sports track record and the promise of some innovative modes and controls, I’m looking forward to lacing up my gloves in Prizefighter this month. Look for a complete review soon.