Ring of Destruction: Slam Masters II (known as Super Muscle Bomber: The International Blowout in Japan) is a 1994 fighting game by Capcom. It’s a wrestling-themed 1v1 fighter, and despite the title is actually the third game in the series. The first and second games were traditional wrestling games, with the second adding tag-team matches.
Story
Professional wrestling was at its peak in the early 1980s, with many pro wrestling organizations all over the world. In order to resolve their rivalry, Victor Ortega brought together eight organizations to form the Capcom Wrestling Association (CWA). Then he vanished, which caused the Blood Wrestling Association (BWA), a dark underground group, to start taking over. Luckily, Capcom decided Ortega could show up as a playable character in this final game, and they all lived happily ever after.
Ring of Destruction came out a few months after Super Turbo, and was followed by many more fighting games from Capcom and its competitors like SNK. It’s an overlooked gem with some mechanics that wouldn’t catch on until later. These include throw teching (not softening, like in ST), unique running normals, and run canceling. There are still some holdovers from the prequels, like running in either direction and against the ropes, and a focus on grappling.