"Smash Faces, Get Money." The Balrog/Boxer Matchup Thread

Similar to Karin’s matchup thread, I want to compile all pointers in this discussion into this post. And maybe the next one as well…

MATCHUPS

Ryu:

Spoiler

Chun-li:

Spoiler

Charlie Nash:

M. Bison/Dictator:

Spoiler

Cammy:

Birdie:

Ken:

Necalli:

Spoiler

Vega/Claw:

R. Mika:

Rashid:

Karin:

Zangief:

Spoiler

Laura:

Spoiler

Dhalsim:

F.A.N.G:

MATCHUPS (Continued)

Alex:

Guile:

Ibuki:

Balrog/Boxer:

Juri:

Urien:

Would it possibly be better organized to have individual threads for each match up like they do in most of the other chars’ forums? Some posters have a hard time keeping their posts updated and its kinda deterring to have to waddle through walls of text on 20 different matchups for just info on one of them…

I got some thoughts on Laura and ibuki, but have no idea how to go about posting it.

This one is probably obvious but if Guile or Birdie attempts a V-Skill while you have CA ready, they gone.

Here is a pointer for you. Don’t fight Zangief.

Thread needs to be done with spoilers. Impossible to find info otherwise.

Do any of you have tips against necalli? I can’t seem to do much in this match up. His normals are really oppressive

I actually feel both characters wanna whiff punish each other more than they want to be poking at each other. Balrog wins that war until Necalli is in v-trigger IMO.

Use poke tools (cr.mk, st.hp) to check walk forwards and bait attempted whiff punishes from Necalli (like his st.mk, st.rh, cr.mp, cr.mk, st.hp)

Then whiff punish with cr.mp or st.mk buffered into dash punches.

Also know your punishes through some of Necalli’s offense, like v-skill through blockstrings that end in stomp since it’s considered a projectile.

Good Necalli’s will use divekick to throw off your anti-airs, be alert so you don’t get stuffed.

Also don’t press buttons after a close quarters seismo by Necalli, you’ll only end up taking a CC rh, better to step back and reset neutral after blocking, or v-reversal to guarantee a KD and pressure.

All I can think of atm about this MU.

just played the gief matchup

what the actual fuck

The best tactic for Gief is to spam 3K + 3P the entire match.

PrRog says its 5-5 after playing an extensive set with Stupendous. Your thoughts?

I agree with the 5-5

I imagine white life and damage trade offs between Rog’s normals vs Gief’s cr.jab are factors.

And also both being able to wreck each other on KD.

I played several matches with a Zangief player last night and did better than expected. I used a lot of empty jump ins and threw him when he flexed. Dash Punch empty V skill cancel throws to punish flex and EX Dash Lows to catch forward walks worked real well too. Zangiefs has no reversal so knock him down and apply walk-up pressure.

I agree, although on Gief’s end he could just st.fp to negate dash punches or dash punch empty vskill on reaction rather than flex (which Balrog can just sweep/dash low for counterhit) Either way, for every thing Gief does Balrog can counter with a specific action. Vice versa, which is what a 5-5 sounds like.

IMO the one thing that is truly annoying is just the crouch jab. It’s so good!

It didn’t strike me as a 5-5 at all. This guy wasn’t that good, so I was able to frustrate his jab spam and eventually convince him not to flex, but I was still struggling to get anywhere. He’s the only character I’ve had major difficulty dealing with in the neutral, none of the typical characters like Chun or Karin can keep me out easily but Gief seemingly can.

But you can do the same, you don’t have to be the aggressor it’s just as hard for Gief to get in IMO. Not like he has a free in on Rog.

They can both body each other but I feel it’s whoever wins the neutral. Gief has the tools to counter Rog but he takes a risk in doing so (v-skill = white life and st.hp loses to lows) Rog has the safer approach with well spaced dash straights or the occasional ex dash straight/low which are safe on block.

But personally (and specifically) where are you having problems in the neutral?

The worst thing (other than flex of course) was stHP at mid-range. He would mix that in with knees and lows to make it really hard to approach. And just generally he can punish a lot harder with reads than I can unless I spend bar.

Updated Thread to have info on Necalli and Zangief.

Thanks guys. Any and all info is welcome.

No opinions on matchups vs the top tier I.e. Ryu, Nash, Chun, Ken, Necalli, and Karin?

I think Balrog has a small advantage against Ken, 6-4 might be a bit much, but definitely better than 5-5. Both characters like to get in close and land lights into target combo or bully with CC threat, but Rog has better buttons for this. V-skill P destroys the shoto fireball game in the neutral, and you can whiff punish stHK easily with L/EX Straight or EX Low. Main difficulties are just the fact that Ken has a really good reversal and does boatloads of damage.