This my approach to make a superhuman combat sport more fair? [closed]

Question

This isn't really a world-building question. Since I im asking for y'all thoughts on my writing and writing a general.

In the past, I said it would be hard to add an MMA/Boxing weight class type of fairness System to a Metahuman/Mutant fighting combat sport. Because the superpowers are too broad and unique to be put into specific classes. Even among two Gods or two powerful Aliens the power levels can still varied. It's like every Metahuman has their own weight class.

That's the biggest problem with this concept. The versatility of power levels making it hard to give specific classes for Metahuman fighters.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.

I made a kinetic energy-absorbing boxing ring. If you are familiar with the X men first class movie or Black Panther Vibranium suit. An X men Villain and The Black Panther suit both can absorb kinetic energy.

So implied the same mechanics and properties of the X men Villain power and BP suit to a Boxing Ring. Yae the Ring matt and ropes can absorb the Kinetic energy of the Meta Fighters. And send it right back to them.

So this way the weaker characters/fighters have a chance at beating much more stronger opponents and winning. For example, Hulk can destroy Daredevil in a fight. But in this ring Daredevil can find a way to trip Hulk and let his face hit the mat and get him knockout on the ground. And the mat absorbed the impact and sent right back at Hulk. And DD wins.

Now the weaker characters' advantage is the same advantage that can be used against them too. This is why I made the ring absorb quadruple times the force of the impact depending on power levels. Meaning the higher the power level and the more powerful a Meta fighter is. The more the ring is going to absorb the impact of the OP fighter and times it by 4. Causing the bigger fighter to get 4 times to increase and the same impact to be sent right back to him/her whenever they fall on the ring mat. It's like the bigger they are the harder they fall concept.

The same kinetic absorption implies to everything else. All sorts of Arenas like Gladiator stadium and MMA cages and octagons from the UFC. Even weapons like chairs and kendo sticks. All absorb kinetic energy and sent it right back at you. And times that force to 4x.

The ring is big enough for weaker Meta fighters to win with Guerrilla War tactics and using the environment to their advantage. Similar to how Batman used the environment to his advantage when he is fighting more powerful opponents like Grundy. So some fights aren't going to be about who is the strongest. Wins the fight. Some fights are going to be win by the Meta Fighters who are the smartest and who also used the better strategy.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐏 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭?

I don't know if you guys are familiar with Dragon Ball z. But I assume you guys know what Attack Potency means. In Dragon, Ball characters have punches and kicks that can destroy planets and universes. But they limit and control that destructive power and redirect that same destructive power into only one sport. That one sport being the opponent they are trying to kick and punch at the time. So their punches and kicks don't destroy the whole planet or universe. Because they are focusing all that destructive power into one sport.

Now imagine that this ring has the same power as that. The ring can absorb the impact and power levels of the powerful Meta Fighters. But still, manage to contain that's destructive power and redirect it to only the Meta Fighter that falls on the ground.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐌𝐀 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦?

Honestly, it's really hard to bypass/negate pass the fighters with invisibility/invulnerability. An MMA knockout or TKO isn't going to stop them. Hell, a TKO isn't going to stop the Meta Fighters with powerful healing Factors like Wolverine and Deadpool.

Which Is why went the WWE Pro Wrestling pinfall route. You can't knock out an Invulnerable/Invisible fighter or defeat them via a TKO. But at least you can pin them on the ground for at least 3 seconds lol. And defeat them that way.

In conclusion.

That's the way I went about it. So what are your thoughts?

Answer 1

When writing about superhuman combat, even sport forms of combat, there are often a number of common assumptions:

1. Powers are not expected to be scientifically accurate.
2. Technology is likewise not expected to be scientifically accurate.
3. Powers will vary widely in both kind and impact.

Rather than try to solve the problem of "fairness" (whatever that is supposed to mean) by convincing the reader (or us) that your author solution is right, simply present your idea in the story, and have the characters argue about it. Or you could present it as a done deal, and don't bother to over explain.

As a personal opinion, and given the nature of superhuman powers, a SPHERE or CUBE shaped arena would likely be better than a traditional boxing style ring, and would offer more potential protection to an erstwhile audience.

Also, something that pushes back with four times the force could easily be used to launch oneself as an attack or dodge, and thus seems easily exploitable to me. Not to mention the potential flubber effect.... Perhaps storing the absorbed energy and using it to power the shield systems might be more effective?

Finally, have you considered an Olympics style competition that includes various combat events, including an unlimited MMA style classification? That way your superhumans could each compete in their own areas of expertise (strength, speed, elements, stealth, etc), or take the risk in the freestyle combat rankings.