Strategy
Boxer is a character who can create great offense, but absolutely struggles against those who can avoid it via crouching. Due to this, Boxer's matchups end up becoming very polarizing. Those who can duck his good moves end up causing Boxer to do way more for less, and those who can't end up seeing the full force of Boxer's offensive potency, which is actually a lot better than what meets the eye.
"x N" means the move notated can be repeated as many times until it falls out of range.
General Strategy
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Vs.
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Groove Strategy
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Playing 
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Level 2 Cancels
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General Strategy
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Vs.
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Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling.
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Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
General Strategy
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Playing 
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If you want to see Custom Combos, refer to the Combos Section
Vs.
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Anti-CC
- Blocked CC: placeholder
- Roll CC: placeholder
- Wake-Up CC: placeholder
- Anti-Air Custom: placeholder
- Trip-Guard Custom: placeholder
- Up Close Custom: placeholder
- Jump-In Custom: placeholder
Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
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Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
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Playing 
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Parry Punishes
Here are your options after a successful parry in any given scenario.
Ground Parry vs. Grounded Opponent
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Ground Parry vs. Aerial Opponent
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Air Parry vs. Grounded Opponent
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Air Parry vs. Aerial Opponent
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General Strategy
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Vs.
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Anti-Parry
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General Strategy
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Playing 
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Power Charge
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Dodge
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Dodge Attacks
Here are how you can use Sagat's dodge attack.
Dodge Punch (placeholder): placeholder
Dodge Kick (placeholder): placeholder
Desperation
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General Strategy
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Vs.
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Anti-Dodge
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Anti-Desperation
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Playing 
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Vs.
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Anti-Roll
Here is the general strategy vs. rolling.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
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Anti-Roll Cancel
Here are the main strategies to fight against Roll Cancels. These aren't going to cover every RC individually, however every RC in the game will be countered by at least one of these tactics.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
- Roll/Dodge: Basically fighting fire with fire. Rolling against a roll cancel works against long RCs, examples include: Claw's Rolling Ball, Sakura's Fireball and Tatsumaki, Eagle's Sticks, Honda's Hands, Chun's Spinning Bird Kick (just hope she doesn't hit you from behind), Yamazaki's Snake Arms, etc. Dodging does not work nearly as well as rolling but it can get you out of sticky situations. It is horrible against fast RCs if you don't commit to a dodge attack as you are vulnerable to a quick throw.
- Throwing: RCs are invincible against everything against throws. Reversal RCs are not technically reversals as throws can beat them on wake-up and in other close-up scenarios. Use it if you are in range and suspect the opponent might try to surprise you with it. When the battle is face-to-face, you might want to stray away from other options since the opponent can do the same things to you.
- Get Out: Jump out of the attack. Works well against moves shown in the roll/dodge bullet point, however for specials that can actually anti-air like Honda's Hands or Yamazaki's Snake Arms, they might not work, however specials like Rock's Elbow and Eagle's Sticks will eat shit once you get out of their range. Not always a recommended tool but it is effective in the right scenario.
- Guard Cancel: Against moves that are difficult to get out of, especially in the corner (Honda RC Hands, Iori RC Rekka), you can spend a little on a guard cancel to get your turn back. This is also going to do wonders for your guard bar. If you aren't in a groove with a guard cancel (basically P or K) then this option won't be available and you have to try something else, most likely just parry or JD the best you can.
Anti-Guard Cancel Roll
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Playing 
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Just Defend
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Just Defend Frame Advantage Formula
Good to reference for your character to see what kind of returns they can have on a JD.
Click "Expand" to see the contents.
Formula
Adv = G - (Act + Rec)
Adv = New frame advantage estimate from a JD'd attack. G = Guard Stun. See Guard Stun Estimates. Act = Active Frames of the JD'd attack. Rec = Recovery Frames of the JD'd attack.
Guardstun Estimates
Light Normals: 10 Frames
Medium Normals: 14 ~ 16 Frames
Heavy Normals: 18 ~ 20 Frames
Special Moves: 19 ~ 21 Frames
Examples
Rugal 2LP = 10 Frames - (4 Act + 6 Rec) = +0 on JD (+5 Normally)
Eagle 5MK = 14 ~ 16 Frames - (6 Act + 16 Rec) = -6 ~ -8 on JD (+0 Normally)
Sagat 2HP = 18 ~ 20 Frames - (8 Act + 14 Rec) = -4 ~ -2 on JD (+2 Normally)
Rage
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General Strategy
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Vs.
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Anti-JD
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Anti-Rage
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Pokes
st.HP: A great button with enormous range and okay damage. The main drawback to using this button is that it can be crouched under by characters shorter than the shotos. This is pretty bad for Boxer, as this his best poke. You can still use it to check prejumps but in a matchup where the opponent ducks this button, its use decreases exponentially.
st.HK: The dollar store replacement for st.HP. If st.HP gets ducked in a given matchup, you will have to use this normal in a ground to ground situation. Here are the characters that duck st.HP:
- Cammy, Claw (63)
- Yun, Morrigan (62)
- Chun-Li, Vice, Hibiki, Yuri, Sakura, Mai, Kim, Nakoruru, Rock (61)
- Iori, Athena, Maki (60)
For everyone else not named here, you will use st.HP instead, as st.HK is worse than st.HP overall and is redundant if st.HP isn't neutralized.
cr.MP: A pretty okay button. It has quick startup but low range. It beats out slower buttons but can't combo into anything besides super from farther out.
cr.HK: The recovery is pretty large so this button has to make contact. It's only -3 on block, so with spacing it is unpunishable. The reward is a close knockdown, which can be very beneficial for a bully character like Boxer.
Dash Straight: This only applies to characters who can't duck this move. If they can, don't use this much. With that said, this is by far Boxer's best general poke, it has a ton of range, safety and speed. st.HP is more or less a replacement for Dash Straight and st.HK is a replacement for st.HP. This is at the top of the poke hierarchy. The HP version is only -3, so even fullscreen poking is an option, just don't do it predictably.
Characters who can't crouch under Dash Straight:
- Raiden
- Geese
- Chang
- Zangief
- Sagat
- Eagle
- Rugal
- Yamazaki
- Benimaru
- E.Honda
- Dhalsim
- Terry
- Kyo
- Joe
Characters who can crouch under Dash Straight:
- Guile
- Boxer
- Blanka
- Dictator
- Kyosuke
- Todo
- Ryo
- Ryu
- Ken
- Akuma
- Dan
- Rolento
- Haohmaru
- Claw
- Cammy
- Morrigan
- Yun
- Chun-Li
- Sakura
- Mai
- Kim
- Vice
- Yuri
- Nakoruru
- Rock
- Hibiki
- Maki
- Iori
- Athena
TAP: Now, this may come as a surprise if you're familiar with how Boxer's TAP got nerfed but hear me out. At low charge levels TAP is pretty useless. That much is true. At high levels (7 ~ Final), it becomes far more threatening. When multiple final TAPs are on the table Boxer's damage potency becomes the highest in the game. However, due to its long range, it has to be done from farther out so it doesn't get stuffed in the mid range or up close. When used right, Boxer's damage skyrockets.
Pressure
Boxer's pressure separates into two categories: Who has to deal with Dash Straight and who doesn't. When Boxer has Dash Straight available to him, he ends up being an extremely oppressive character similar to his CvS1 appearance. If he can't use Dash Straight, his offensive presence is crippled considerably, but still has some tricks he can use.
Up-Close Options
cr.LP: A fast and mashable jab, perfect for any follow up option, whether it be into his Dash Straight, tick throw, or more pressure.
cr.MP: Mostly used for stuffing out any counter jabs. Can also confirm into all of his combo enders at close range.
cr.HK: Similarly to cr.MP, it stuffs out any attempted counter attack. When it works, you get a close knockdown and great spacing for additional pressure afterwards. It's also safe for the most part so there's not a lot of risk if it connects, just be weary of rolls, dodges or jumps that can bypass it entirely.
st.HP/HK: This is mostly a block string ender or anti-jump tool after a quick series of jabs. Deals good guard bar and sets up good spacing for Dash Straight.
Low Jump j.HP/HK: It doesn't matter what you use between j.HP or j.HK, Boxer has a very strong short hop game. This is a very quick and damaging overhead and when timed right can make it safe once you land on the ground, but it can't confirm into anything meaningful.
Dash Straight: This move carries Boxer in many ways, but the most noticeable one is his pressure. It's safe on block and the LP version is an absolute beast up close. Boxer can essentially pressure and then take back the distance he lost from pushback with a Dash Straight.
Dash Upper: This particular move serves two purposes up close, the first being a way of catching jumps. It does that job quite nicely as it is one of Boxer's anti airs. The second is that it is meant to reposition Boxer quickly after he falls out of range from a block string. The idea is that you intentionally whiff the attack since it will whiff on all crouchers, and quickly do a throw or cr.LP. The total duration of the move at this range is around 20 frames, and though it is reactable, if the opponent has been stuck in blockstun for a while, they might not expect an intentionally whiffed attack. Overall, don't use this too much, but it's a great surprise tactic so try it maybe once or twice per round every now and then.
Blockstrings
* x n means the move notated can be repeated as many times until it falls out of range.
Runstop cr.LP x n : Boxer can effectively do runstop pressure. It's pretty good and works the guard bar, but due to Boxer's rather weak blockstrings without Dash Straight it's about the best he has without Dash Straight.
cr.LP, cr.LP, cr.HK: Pretty basic block string, ends in his sweep. It's not punishable, and does okay guard bar.
cr.LP, cr.LP, st.HP: Similar to the one above, it's okay at what it does. This one catches attempted jumps.
cr.MP, cr.LP, cr.HK/st.HP: Deals better guard bar than the first two, but requires point blank range to work.
cr.LP, cr.MP xx LP Dash Straight: A strong string into dash straight, does good guard bar and sets up Boxer for more pressure.
cr.LP, cr.MP xx LK Dash Upper: A way to get positioning back if you don't have dash straight for that. Dash Upper will whiff, and due to its quick duration can catch the opponent by surprise.
Throw Setups
Tick Throw: Anything from cr.LP works as a tick throw. Because most of Boxer's attacks are strikes, doing a throw from a cr.LP when he normally does more pressure afterwards is a good way to catch the opponent off guard.
Empty Dash/Run: Boxer has a quick dash with no recovery and a decent run, he can immediately do his throw afterwards. Similarly to what was stated above, doing nothing when normally Boxer does strikes during pressure catches the opponent off guard.
Whiffed Dash Upper: Because of Dash Upper's quick speed when whiffed, Boxer can throw afterwards or go into light pressure which can still lead into a throw. Either way, without the opponent mashing this is a good way of setting up a potential throw.
Defense
Boxer's defense is decent. He has serviceable anti airs, good anti pressure, and the only thing that alludes him is a decent reversal attack that doesn't cost meter. Overall he has solid defense and can deal with hard pressure decently if the Boxer player utilizes his tools properly.
Anti-Airs
st.MP: Pretty slow startup but serviceable at what it does, that being jumps that are on top of Boxer.
st.LP/LK: Mostly for emergency situations, but still works fine. st.LK hits a little higher but has shorter range.
cr.HP: A better version of st.MP. However it tends to trade a lot. Still Boxer's preferred anti air up close.
j.LP/LK: If any grounded anti airs don't work, a quick air to air will do the job for the most part. It's not the first option you'd go to but if nothing else really works then this is an option.
Dash Upper: A very consistent anti air option that counters both jump ins and back jumps. The distance at which they're jumping at determines what version you use. Farther out, you use either medium or heavy dash upper, up close, use LK dash upper. It becomes a guaranteed safety anti air when RC'd, so there's no chance that it trades. Overall Boxer's best anti air.
LP Buffalo Headbutt: A pretty slow anti air, but the added invul makes it pretty consistent when used right. At about a 45 degree angle distance is the right spot to use it at.
Anti-Pressure
cr.LP: A mashable jab that works up close to steal a turn or give Boxer room to counterattack more thoughtfully.
Dash Straight: Better when RC'd, however Boxer's Dash Straight can help when being pressured due to having a 5f startup up close. Not only that, but landing a dash straight usually means he gets more pressure afterwards.
Gigaton Blow: If the opponent starts getting a little too unsafe with their pressure and you have meter, let them know their mistake by swiping a cool 6800 damage from their health.
Okizeme
Boxer's okizeme game is pretty okay. It's not really the focal point of his offensive game and is merely just a compliment to it.
- Corpse Hop: Boxer's dash corpse hops, or crosses over the opponent when they're knocked down. This sets up the left-right mix.
- Strike/Throw: Unfortunately, Boxer's okizeme is a basic strike/throw mostly. His kick throw is an untechable knockdown and his strike also leads to a close knockdown once you gain charge.
