Champion Makunouchi defends his title to the last!!!!
Man, that was a wild fight.
You know, Boss, you should go watch at least once.
I'd rather not.
Why would I pay money to see my poor son get beaten up?
I'd have a heart attack.
I suppose...
Hello!
Can I help you?
Um, I was wondering how Ippo-san is doing.
He took so many punches, I was kind of worried...
He's not "doing" much at all. He's been sleeping ever since.
He's still asleep?!
Now I'm really worried!
You're a friend, I take it?
Go ahead and check up on him.
Okay! Thanks for letting me in!
He almost never has girls visit.
Remember, he's the Japanese champion!
You shouldn't be surprised to see girls chasing him.
Chasing? Ippo?!
He's the hero of Kourakuen Hall!
You're the only one who's out of the loop, Boss.
Hello.
A Woman's Battle
'Scuse me...
He's all swollen!
These scars prove that he gave his all.
I'm so close to his face...
I wonder if he can tell.
Ippo-san, it's Nanako.
That big round face is too cute.
I can't resist.
Might as well move...
While I've Ita-got the chance.
What're you doing?!
You're not "Ita-getting" anything, you hear me?!
Aren't you Itagaki-kun's little sister?
My name is Nanako.
Who are you?
Ippo-san's girlfriend?
I'm a... friend of Makunouchi-san's... Kumi.
Oh, I know you.
The little sister of Mashiba-san, the "Grim Reaper," right?
So, what are you doing here, Kumi-san?
Wh-What am I...
I'm a registered nurse, you know.
Let me show you what a real nurse does.
You don't want wring too much water out of the towel.
I just changed it a second ago.
L-Let me check his pulse.
You shouldn't disturb him when he's sleeping!
Breathing, heart rate, body temp are all normal!
He's not an emergency patient.
Why? Why?!
I was supposed to be his first visitor!
Sorry. You snooze, you lose!
Well, I knew him first!
Are you really trying to brag about something so petty?
Can you two please keep it down?
Ippo-kun's trying to sleep.
Wh-Who're you?
Look, the compress is slipping off.
Sheesh, what are you girls thinking?
That'll cost you some points.
P-Points?
I've seen you at the Hall several times, but I haven't introduced myself.
Iimura Mari, 23 years old.
I'm a sports writer.
She's only three years older than me, but she's so sophisticated.
She must be pretty confident to give her age right off the bat.
I'm Mashiba Kumi.
Itagaki Nanako. I'm 16. I'm young!
That last part wasn't necessary.
He's got three girls visiting.
Not bad, Ippo.
But which one is his type?
I wonder if he has a favorite.
I was hoping to interview him about the fight, but I guess that's not happening.
So you're leaving, then?
Don't let us stop you!
I came all the way here.
I may as well do some research on the champ's room.
A photo album!
Oh, but it'd be
very rude of me to look at this without permission, wouldn't it?
That would violate his privacy.
But I will anyway.
No fair! I wanna see, too!
Aww, look at his backpack!
This must be a sports festival.
He's just off to the side in all these.
But he's still adorable!
It's hard to believe this little boy grew up to be Champion.
Surprising, isn't it?
Now you're best buddies?
You both lose points.
I think Ippo-san looks so manly when he stands in the ring,
but he's pretty cute normally, huh?
That contrast is what makes him irresistible to women.
Huh?
Oh, yeah!
Nanako-chan's spunky and cute.
Mari-san's mature and beautiful.
And I'm saddled with a huge handicap...
I'll kill
I'll kill Makunouchi!!
Handicap
Ladies, this is your first time in Ippo-kun's room, is it not?
Yes, and?
That would mean neither of you are in a real relationship with him yet.
I've spent a lot of time up close with him, in training and at fights,
ostensibly to gather information for my articles.
You see, there's Makunouchi Ippo the boxer, and Makunouchi Ippo the man...
I'm not sure which side I'm more interested in.
Lately, I think the line is starting to blur.
Listen to her! What're we gonna do?!
U-Um...
At any rate!
I'm a registered nurse. You two need to leave his care to me!
Sounds like you're telling us to get lost.
I see. Trying to hog all the good parts, eh?
I didn't mean it like that.
Why don't you leave, Kumi-san?!
The Makunouchi Fishing Boat
I told you, I'm a nurse!
And I'm doing research.
Aren't you done here, Nanako-chan?
I'm not going anywhere!
It's getting crazy in there...
Go home!
No.
Never, never!
Have some tea, ladies.
All that yelling must be drying out your throats.
Th-Thanks...
Thank you.
We all lose points...
I'm not sure how happy I should be.
I may just sound like a doting mother, but I'm very proud of my son.
He gets all this attention thanks to boxing,
but it's not the muscles I'm proud of.
Just the fact that he's a good man; that's enough for me.
I worry enough when he leaves just for training,
and then he comes home so bruised and swollen.
Still, he wakes up so happy every day,
I can't bring myself to tell him I wish he'd quit.
So the one thing I try to do at times like these
is keep things slow and quiet,
and let him rest.
Ippo.
Umezawa-kun...
You slept through an incredible fight, man.
A fight?
Whose?!
Who won?
Was it a KO?
A judgment?!
I'd call it a moral victory.
I can finally move again.
I bet the guys at the gym are working hard.
There's Itagaki-kun's Rookie King match and
Takamura-san's title defense coming up,
but before that...
Aoki-san's first shot at the Japanese title!
Good afternoon!
Hey, Senpai!
How're you doing, Itagaki-kun?
Fit as a fiddle!
You're back, Ippo?
You oughta be back at home sleeping, you weakling.
I am still a bit woozy.
Who's that skinny guy?
Did someone new join the gym while I've been out?
Hey, welcome back.
A-Aoki-san?
You're kidding me! What the heck happened to you?!
Could you keep it down, please?
I got a little overzealous and cut too much weight...
You know how high-strung he is.
He's so nervous about his first title match, he's losing his mind.
I'm fine. I'm a seasoned veteran now.
I'll get my body in perfect condition by the day of the fight.
This fight is gonna be my last chance as far as I'm concerned.
I'm betting my career on this.
He might not make it.
I don't think he'll make it.
No way he'll make it.
He's doomed.
Coach's Office
What's your condition?
Fine, thank you.
He was a tough opponent, but you fought well.
This fight finally made me understand...
Why you didn't want me to fight Miyata-kun.
I managed to trade punches with Shimabukuro-san when he countered the Dempsey Roll.
But if I had failed, if I was the only one getting hit...
I thought that learning the Dempsey
had elevated me enough to face Miyata-kun.
We'll settle this in the pro ring!
Yeah, next time we'll be in the pro ring!
I agree that you've become strong in your own way.
You've learned the Dempsey Roll and made it your own,
but it's not enough to beat him.
The gap between you and Miyata has gotten wider.
Much, much wider!
Miyata-kun's most dangerous weapons, his counter-punches,
are the Dempsey Roll's biggest weakness.
A fundamental part of the Dempsey is falling into a rhythm.
The steadier that rhythm is,
the easier it makes things for a counter-puncher like Miyata.
I knew you'd realize it eventually.
Therefore...
You should assume everyone gunning for your title has noticed it now, too.
Between the timing and the damage you took,
all your challengers probably think they have a handle on it.
In short, the Dempsey Roll's weakness is now out in the open.
Yeah...
Come on, you two.
The match was just the other day.
Save the heavy strategizing for another day, okay?
R-Right. I'll be going, then.
U-Um!
What?
That's not all I noticed.
Oh?
I understand the Dempsey's weakness now,
but it's not really bothering me.
The match was brutal, but I managed to survive regardless.
My future matches will all probably be tough fights, but I think...
You think you'll be able to survive?
As if it's that easy.
Coach, you'll keep chewing me out.
Yagi-san, you'll keep encouraging me.
I could never survive on my own,
but I've got lots of people supporting me.
I always have, and I always will!
I thought he'd be feeling a little down,
but he's actually optimistic about continued success.
Ippo-kun's really growing up.
The Makunouchi Fishing Boat
I'm home!
I'd say I've gotten pretty strong, but I'm still nowhere near Dad's level.
I'll get stronger, though.
I'll keep getting stronger 'til I reach my goal!
Everything feels right. I'm finally healed.
I should be able to spar now!
I can help Aoki-san prepare!
A-Aoki-san?
Yeah!
You're kidding me!
Yeah, I thought I'd try and bulk up a little, and uh...
A little?! Are you switching to sumo wrestling?!
He rebounded really bad.
He's totally lost his mind.
I'm fine. I'm a seasoned veteran now!
I'll get my body in perfect condition by the day of the fight.
This fight is gonna be my last chance as far as I'm concerned.
I'm betting my career on this.
He's completely screwed.
Joking aside, do you think Aoki-san can win?
I'd say it's 6-4 in the champ's favor.
Close enough that he could overcome the odds, then!
Yeah.
The champ's an orthodox boxer who's devoted to the basics.
If Aoki can use his unpredictable style to break his rhythm and control the pace...
He could win?
The problem is...
If Aoki actually becomes champion,
just think about how insufferable he'll be.
It makes me hope
he'll lose 6 to 4!
You're conflicted, huh?
For all he says, he's obviously done his research.
I bet he's been watching footage of the opponent's fights constantly.
Iwata Chinese Restaurant
Masaru-chan, you got your figure back!
Yup, thanks for noticing!
We'll be cheering you on at the title match!
Thanks a bunch!
You keep us all full of delicious ramen every time we come.
We're ready to return the favor and pump you up with some chants!
Just you wait! I'm gonna put on a hell of a show!
The third...
No, I'll knock him out in the fifth!
Ooh, he called it!
Speaking of knockouts, did you catch the ending
to the featherweight title match?
Makunouchi's fights are always thrillers.
That guy hits like a freight train!
Masaru-chan, you train at the same gym as Makunouchi
and the world champ, Takamura Mamoru.
It must be exciting!
Yeah, sure is.
The champs have it good. They're like celebrities!
I wanna get that kind of attention!
That's the spirit!
Go for it, Masaru-chan.
Yeah!
Celebrities...
My hero's gone to a level far beyond my reach,
and my junior's already blown me out of the water.
I wanna catch up to them!
I don't care about fame.
I just want to leave my mark in the sport I love!
I've got what it takes. I can win the belt!
Then again, the champ is so strong.
But I can...
But he's so scary...
Stop psyching yourself out!
Don't get in a wreck! I need this body for my title match!
Shut your hole, or I'll slam us into a truck!
Get a room, you two!
Step on it, Kimura!
Don't order me around!
We thought we were invincible back then.
We thought everything would always go our way.
Then we discovered boxing and cleaned up our acts.
We ran, and ran, and ran,
but there were still times we couldn't win,
dreams we couldn't realize.
We got knocked down, knocked out...
Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost, always by the skin of our teeth.
This time's gotta be different. Right, Aoki?
I realized something a long time ago.
What?
Takamura-san's obvious,
but Ippo's nothing like me, either.
He can always turn it up when it matters the most.
He's mild-mannered, but he's got greatness in him.
Me, I talk big, but I'm really a wuss,
like a yappy dog who's all bark and no bite.
Ippo may be naturally strong,
but he's worked hard to get where he is. He's really something special.
When he passed me by...
I felt conflicted, but honestly, I wasn't surprised.
But I've spent six years!
I've gritted my teeth and gone through a lot to come this far!
There's no height I can't reach!
I'm gonna win the Japanese title!
Kimura, when I become champion, I want you...
to call me "sir."
I keep quiet and listen,
and you decide to get cocky?!
Be polite, damn you!
Go to hell!
Cut it out!
I hope he wastes you, you jackass!
The tickets are sold out?
Yup, Kourakuen Hall is going to be packed.
Your reputation for being too professional and dull doesn't draw big crowds,
but this is your chance to demonstrate your skills to the world at large, Imae.
Those comments are why I put up with that ridiculous photo shoot.
But the flashiness is over.
This won't be an exciting fight. I'll just shut him down fast and easy.
Just knocking out that trickster will be enough to make your stock rise.
Of course I'm going to knock him out.
In fact, I'm going to humiliate him.
Aoki Masaru.
16 fights, 10 wins, 6 losses, 6 KOs.
His style defies classification, and his finisher is the Frog Punch.
He ducks under a missed hook and leaps up with a huge uppercut.
I've got the timing memorized.
I'm going to squash that frog.
For his Double Punch, I need only stay calm and counter one of them.
As for his Corkscrew Blow,
he rotates his body opposite of the way he torques his hand.
The end result is a no different than a normal straight.
And what about this?
Playing dead.
He looked like he was about to croak, but he came back to win that fight.
He's a frighteningly good actor.
I-I...
I've dedicated my life to the sport of boxing!
I crave the tension of standing in the ring,
and the satisfaction of victory!
I even broke up with my girlfriend and quit my job,
all so I could give 100% to boxing!
I am not going to lose!
I won't let that clown walk away with this prestigious belt!
Whew, I made weight. What a load off!
My Rookie King fight is just around the corner.
It would suck if I failed the weigh-in!
I'm more worried about Aoki-kun,
with all his yo-yoing lately.
That's the champion, Imae-kun.
He's really got an air about him.
Remember, Imae, when you meet the challenger, don't get worked up.
I know.
The Goddess of Victory