Seek... without asking for the answer
I want to discover in the match on the edge
GET LIFE... not much time is left
That is the beginning
I WANT THIS ONLY
I will continue to seek
In the midst of that silver light
I may hurt others
As others may hurt me
But it doesn't end there
Keep seeking single-mindedly
I still don't see anything... WHY?
But I still keep seeking
NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
The key to getting close to Mashiba is my dart and dash.
I've been running to improve that, but...
I haven't sparred since then...
so I can't tell if my step-in has improved.
But I have no chance of winning if I don't dive in.
No matter how hard it'll be...
I have to dive in!
TANAKA Transport
Hey, Mashiba! Are you done? Good work, man!
Thanks.
Well, he's grumpy as usual.
That's why he gets shut out at work.
I'm sorry.
Oh, Kumi-chan. I didn't know you were here!
I brought something Ryo forgot at home.
I'm sorry. It's not that I meant to badmouth him.
I already know he's just that kind of guy.
I'm sorry.
But I'm sure he appreciates you as well.
He's been able to hold down his job here for a long time thanks to you.
What? Well, regardless of his past...
he's doing his best right now.
He's just a little clumsy and not good at socializing.
The people around him will come to realize that before long.
He's a boxer after all.
He literally risks his life on the ropes. Not everyone can do that!
Maybe, but I'm not crazy about boxing.
He trains hard, goes through horrible diets, suffers...
gets even more hurt in the fights...
and even if he wins...
The more he wins, the stronger his opponents become.
The thought of it scares me.
Hey, I didn't know you were here.
Oh, Ryo! You forgot your workout clothes.
You're going to the gym again today, right?
Oh, come on! She came all the way here to bring it to you.
You could at least thank her!
It doesn't bother me.
He's preoccupied with the upcoming match.
Yeah, but still.
Thank you for your time.
What? Sure.
Big brother looks out for little sister...
and little sister looks out for big brother.
KAMOGAWA Boxing Gym
Hey, get into the ring. We're gonna spar.
What? But I'm not supposed to.
Chief's instructions. We'll help you out.
Chief? Is it okay for me to use my fists?
Yeah. They should be healed by now.
Show me the moves you've been working on in shadow boxing.
All right, finally! Here goes.
Unfortunately, I can't throw flickers. I'll be sticking to long left jabs.
If I don't have to think about the next punch...
I'm pretty quick, too, y'know.
Get ready.
- Kid!
- Sir?
Even if you do get near him...
your reach is too short to get Mashiba's face.
Aim at his body first.
Keep going for body blows, and he'll eventually lower his chin.
Right!
Spar with the final match in mind! Put your heart into it!
Here it comes, Ippo!
Right!
This is your sparring partner.
He came from another gym just for your final tune-up.
Hello.
He's an onrush-type boxer.
He's almost identical to Makunouchi in height and build, too.
Mashiba, where's your headgear?
I don't need it.
Whoa, he's fast!
He can't even get close to Mashiba, never mind punch him.
Why, you...
Ippo's weaving is pretty good, huh?
Sort of.
Mashiba will have trouble zeroing in on Ippo if he weaves like that.
Now all he has to do is improve his step-in.
It won't be easy to dive in through jabs that fast.
All right! You're fully prepared, physically and emotionally!
The Rookie Championship title is ours!
Hey, you! Don't back off! Jump right in, will you?!
But it's kind of difficult with all these fast jabs coming at me!
If you can't do it by now, it's hopeless!
You'll be beaten to a pulp and you will lose!
I have to go in!
I don't think so!
What horrific dart and dash power!
He dove in a flash, while diverting the opponent's attention.
So, this is the result of him working on nothing but weaving...
and dart and dash while he couldn't use his fists.
That really caught me off-guard.
His punch was that much sharper with the added speed.
A-Amazing. It was like an out-of-body experience.
I went forward so easily.
Hey, kid! We're going to win the Rookie Championship final!
Yes, sir!
Now, the day has finally arrived!
The Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament final match!
Korakuen Hall has already reached a fever pitch excitement!
Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament The elite boxers who have fought long and hard...
Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament for the last six months, are all gathered here today!
Who will be the strongest rookie in this year's Eastern Japan block?
We have exciting cards of events from middle class to straw class!
We can't take our eyes off any of them!
Room D
Mashiba, you've gotten stronger all-around...
Room D since your match with Miyata one month ago.
On top of that, your final tuning was the best to date.
You can get the Rookie title!
No duh.
How could I possibly lose?
Room B
Well, we're headed up to the spectator stand.
We wanna check out our own weight class.
Of course. Go ahead.
Make sure you get that Rookie title!
Do it for those of us who didn't quite make it there.
Well, since it was all too easy for ME to make Rookie of the Year...
I have no hopes to pin on you, but do your best anyway.
Fight, Ippo!
Knock that sucker out!
He's under a lot of pressure.
Yeah, his butt's been glued to that bench.
Well, he is up against that freak-assed Mashiba.
Ordinarily, he'd be doing warm up exercises by now.
Maybe he doesn't need to.
Didn't you feel the heat when you touched his shoulder?
It means his body is already in battle mode.
All he needs now is the opening bell.
He's keeping it bottled up until it rings.
He's stockpiling his energy...
for the moment he can let it explode!
The winner, Ishiwata!
Thank God the junior light winner is a total pushover.
Yeah, but the light class winner is so strong it's not funny.
And now, the 7th match of the day...
the featherweight class Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Finally the featherweight class final is about to begin.
This is the number one talked-of card in the entire tournament.
These boxers both advanced through the most closely contested block...
to be here today, and here they come!
This boxer's fighting style deserves the name "Hitman."
He conquered B Block with his deadly weapon, the flicker jab...
Ryo Mashiba.
And this boxer scaled the A Block ladder...
by sinking the title #1 favorite, Ryuichi Hayami, into the mat...
the incredible hard puncher... Ippo Makunouchi!
Here he comes!
Beat him, Ippo!
Indeed, this is an interesting face-off. It is not an overstatement...
to say that points will not be deciding the winner of this match!
Look, they're full of fighting spirit!
Boxers to center!
Hey, hey!
All right! Stare down!
That's the spirit!
Don't look away!
Go for a KO!
Don't let him leave in one piece!
You guys really stir us up!
Good. Return to your corners.
Now it's about to begin.
Will the Hitman take out his mark with flicker jabs?
Or will Makunouchi's dynamite explode?
The outlook is 50-50.
Either way, it should end by KO!
Anyway, stick to close range! Fight at close range at all times!
Right!
They can only fight at close range.
Stop him with your jabs and get him at long-range, got it?
Remaining Time
Round One!
Both contenders are ready for action! The most anticipated match...
the feather class Eastern Japan Rookie Championship Tournament final!
Box!
Whoa! Makunouchi has lunged out!
He missed!
He missed, but what a tremendous swish!
The audience reels from the psychological impact!
That's not like him.
He threw caution to the wind and charged right in!
That's how fired up he is!
Now Mashiba keeps Makunouchi at a distance.
He backs off even further!
What's this? He already takes up the hitman style!
He's in position to launch flicker jabs.
Right from the get-go?!
Makunouchi follows suit...
ready to respond with his own "Peek-a-boo" style!
He's too far away! He's just bluffing.
Ippo's first big swing scared him.
You think so?
I'm going to get to the very edge of his striking distance...
and dash in to him!
Not yet. Just a little closer.
What?!
It connected! The first hit belongs to Mashiba!
I'm sure it's hard to believe, but that's Mashiba's striking distance.
No way! He reached me from there?!
But I studied his tapes thoroughly!
The contenders stare each other down.
Mashiba gauges the best timing to launch his flicker jabs.
Meanwhile, Makunouchi edges forward to shorten the distance.
The difference in reach is obvious. As long as they stay apart...
Makunouchi has no chance of victory!
The extension of his arm was unbelievable.
Screw striking distance.
As long as I'm in the ring, I'm in his striking distance!
I can't do anything unless I step forward.
But at this rate, I have no idea when to move!
Damn it!
That idiot! He's forgotten everything he practiced about bobbing his head...
in the heat of the moment!
Damn!
The distance between the two fighters gradually shrinks.
Should I time my attack to Mashiba-san's swings?
Or should I dive in out of nowhere?
- You idiot!
- Airhead!
Oh, shit!
The opportunity didn't slip him by! It's a flicker barrage!
Makunouchi is caught! He fell for it hard!
Makunouchi jumps to the side!
But he cannot leave striking distance! He's caught on the rope!
Mashiba is strong in this position! The flickers are unrelenting!
That idiot! I can't believe he fell for such a stupid feint!
What skill!
He concentrated his flickers on the face and got his unguarded cheek!
Ch-Chopping right!
He escaped death!
Makunouchi somehow managed to escape death.
But Mashiba is tough!
He allows Makunouchi no chance to jump in!
Those sharp flicker jabs, and that heavy chopping right!
I thought he learned boxing from the street...
but his combinations are amazing!
This guy is truly powerful.
Mashiba, that bastard! He had the perfect chance.
Is he gonna torment him little by little?
He's probably keeping away while Ippo still has life in his punches.
Mashiba is a conniving fox.
Mashiba lashes out once again!
Bob your head, fool! Those punches are gonna hurt later!
Damn it! Damn it!
This is bad.
You can tell by his face that he can't even hear the Chief.
Oh, come on! This is exactly when he needs to be clever.
Actually, maybe it's better that way.
He has a ticked-off look in his eyes.
That's how his eyes looked when he was training to fight Mashiba.
He's strong! This guy is really strong!
But if that's true, then why?
Tightening up your guard like a clam.
How long do you think that's gonna hold?
If you're this strong, then why?
Why did you pull such a dirty trick on Miyata-kun?!
Oh, my! Makunouchi starts to sway back and forth!
Is Mashiba unable to aim properly? He's not launching his flickers!
Don't stop! Keep punching from the left! He's gonna charge you!
- All right!
- He's in!
Go, kid!
My God, the bell rang!
The first round is over!
All right, break it up. Back to your corners!
The scores here at the box are 10 to 9.
The first round goes to Mashiba.
However, the match has just begun. We can't wait for Round Two!
So what's your impression of fighting Mashiba face to face?
He's strong.
I thought he might be more of a rough fighter...
but his techniques are brilliant. And his reach...
That's true.
But I got the feel for going in deep.
Good! But don't get optimistic just because you got in a couple times!
Keep swaying your body!
And as soon as you're in, deliver a right!
Don't forget these two points!
- Yes, sir!
- Right on!
He's studied the weaknesses of the hitman style thoroughly.
Also, if he's mastered the timing to go in...
you'll have to change your strategy.
So, now what? Are you going to raise your guard?
If you let him in, you'll have to deal with his destructive power!
His destructive power? Yeah, it's pretty good.
However, that same power will give him hell.
The bastard will destroy himself with his own punches.
Remaining Time
Now for Round Two.
Makunouchi begins to sway his body as he did earlier.
And in defense, Mashiba...
is assuming hitman style as expected!
Ippo didn't do so hot in Round One...
except for the last move when he got inside.
Yeah. Just a little more, and his right would've hit home.
He's got a chance!
This bothers me.
Ippo's right-attack strategy isn't a secret anymore...
so why isn't Mashiba raising his guard?
I won't let you get away!
Whoa! Mashiba cannot maintain his distance!
It's the complete opposite of Round One! Now Makunouchi is the aggressor!
Crank up the pressure!
You'll get in soon!
He's against the rope! It's my chance!
- There you go!
- You snuck in!
His body's open!
Makunouchi throws a powerful right body blow!
That sounded awfully good.
An elbow block!
No matter what I do, it's the same
I keep making mistakes
What is truly important?
Weary about what's under my feet
I can't stop looking down
When that happens
Just look up
Look far into the distance
Find a new perspective from a different angle
When walking down a narrow path, look up
You'll find the world has a 360-degree view
The elbow block. A technique that uses the elbow...
to block an opponent's punches.
Not only does it block a potential body blow...
it also does damage to the opponent's fist.
But I have no choice but to keep punching.
I believe that turning it into a close-range fight...
is my only way to break through.
And if it doesn't work, I can't win.
That's all I believed in to get here!
The next round is "Death Match."