The stats are really just a guide about a warrior's abilities; they aren't chisled in stone. Like real life boxing, sometimes a lesser fighter can beat a greater fighter. In testing over a long span (10 seasons or more) with several people, warriors with superior stats to an opponent in 3 or more categories won about 64% of the time, a fair amount, but not to the point where the game becomes predictable.
And also, some warriors can have better visible stats, but have several poor "hidden" stats, like heart and grit. Some baseball or basketball players have great physical ability, but never really seem to "click"; same thing here.
The color-coding of names in combat will probably be implemented in the full Version. The names on the sides are color-coded already; green if your warrior is attacking, and red on the other side if your opponent is attacking.
Thanks!