“Fight Night Round 2” has vast improvements that are sure to knock players off their feet.

This EA Sports title, which retails for just under $50, gives you total control of your boxer in the ring, allowing you to block, lean, weave, parry and throw punches while standing still or on the move.

You also can clutch opponents – a great addition to the game and something that was notably absent in last year’s version, “Fight Night 2004.”

Punching in “Fight Night Round 2” is performed with the right analog stick, and now you can load up your punches to deliver “haymakers.” You need an extra quarter turn of the stick downward before releasing the punch.

The massive destruction they can cause to your opponents comes with a risk: They leave you open to counter shots and increased fatigue.

Each punch pays off with stunning visuals that reflect the damage of each blow.

Overall the graphics are high quality, especially the real-time damage visible on your boxers face during the fight and between rounds.

“Fight Night Round 2” boasts fully controllable cut men between rounds. You must race against the clock to bring down swelling and tend to nasty cuts around the eyes.

Facial damage must be taken care of or your fighter’s lack of vision will impair his ability to block punches.

Fights also can be called if a cut gets too bad – just like real boxing.

“Fight Night Round 2” offers some 30 fighters to chose from, including cover boy Bernard Hopkins (who, in bad timing for this game, lost his undisputed middleweight title last weekend), Roy Jones Jr. and Muhammad Ali.

EA

Building a boxer from scratch in “Create-A-Champ” mode is a rewarding challenge as you take him from the amateur ranks up the ladder to world champion.

The training modes are a bit too easy, but the overall balance and pacing of this career mode makes for some memorable fights against varied computer-controlled opponents.

Xbox owners get their first taste of online play that was only available to PlayStation 2 owners last year.

GameCube fans aren’t as lucky, but they do get an exclusive emulated version of the classic “Super Punch-Out” game and a hidden character named Little Mac to use.

The newfound freedom and grace boxers have in the ring is a breath of fresh air compared to the plodding boxing games of the past.

That, combined with more aggressive and varied artificial intelligence, and you have a real contender for sports game of the year.

Rating: Four stars out of four.