China's humanoid robots performed kung fu on national TV, stunning viewers with how quickly the technology has advanced.

Robot boxing drew paying fans in San Francisco as VR pilots controlled Unitree G1 humanoids, hinting at a future league of heavier, full-height fighters.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stood front-row at the Hangzhou factory floor of Unitree Robotics, watching 1.3-metre humanoid machines perform synchronised kung fu, trade blows in a boxing match, and flex through combat choreography that - just weeks earlier - had captivated hundreds of millions of viewers at China's Spring Festival Gala.

After watching numerous videos of humanoid robots adopting kung-fu poses, having seven bells kicked out of them, and generally looking like they’re up for a fight, it’s little surprise that humanoid boxing is now being touted as an emerging sport.

American companies are staging boxing matches with VR-controlled Chinese humanoids to enthusiastic fans. A researcher says it is just robot theater.

Ah, the tabletop games of the good old days… I wonder how many of you born in the years of the Gen X still remember things like Bughouse Chess, Acquire, or Twixt - incredible party hits back then, but probably not something that's still being played at ...