>>49957739>>49957820>>49957828>>49957832Blaziken, like all the best Pokemon designs, is a composite of multiple ideas, the shamo Chicken and kick boxing being two of them.
The headpiece also resembles both the Heath Hen (an extinct species, tying in with the line's rarity) as well as the headress of an Egyptian pharoah, which reveals its accompanying inspiration of Egyptian bird-man Gods such as Horus and Ra, which are associated with the Sun and thus with Fire.
In short Blaziken is one of the cleverest / most thoughtful (and thus best) designs this series has ever seen. That's why it gets a "pass", because unlike its successors it isn't lazy half-assed shit.