[3][4] In the game, players assume the role of professional wrestlers fighting against the Mad Bull Group organization to protect wrestling from corruption.

[3][5][7] The story of Knuckle Bash revolves around the Mad Bull Group, a corrupt wrestling organization that profits and taints the reputation of the sport, whose wrestlers are looked upon by children as role models.

After facing multiple battle against members of the Mad Bull Group, the wrestlers manage to dismantle the organization and their victorious story was widespread thereafter.

[8][13] Between 2009 and 2012 through Japanese publications such as Shooting Gameside, former Toaplan composer Tatsuya Uemura recounted the project's development process and history, stating that the team were originally commissioned by the company on making a fighting game similar to Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, but the project deviated from its original plan and became a beat 'em up title instead, although Uemura claimed he had no involvement during its development.

[1][3] On 27 June 2018, an album containing music from the title and other Toaplan games was published exclusively in Japan by City Connection under their Clarice Disk label.

[6] Nick Zverloff of Hardcore Gaming 101 stated that Knuckle Bash "might not be fantastic, but it gets by on being an average beat em up that is just ridiculous enough to make it enjoyable".