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
Makunouchi! Makunouchi!
Don't listen to the cheers.
They'll get quiet once the match starts.
I'm going to see how far your beloved effort and willpower...
will get with my boxer.
Damn his face and its implications.
Listen, Kid. Hit him for all you're worth!
What's wrong?! The bell's about to ring!
Get your intimidation going!
Right.
Something's wrong.
When I get nervous in the green room...
I always shake out of it by the time I'm in the ring.
Today the ring feels small.
I feel like I'm in a cage with a wild animal.
Makunouchi...
you are mild-mannered and gentle of heart.
If only we had met under different circumstances...
we might have become good friends.
My mother is waiting for me in my homeland.
Please think of our meeting in this way as unfortunate.
Both boxers walk out slowly.
Now, who will be the first to make a move...
in the all-important first round?!
Makunouchi uses his usual peek-a-boo style.
It's a pose that allows him to spring at a moment's notice.
And Volg...
Crouching style.
He's gonna strike first!
He's coming! Make the first move!
A left!
He takes the front in one swoop!
Will he take it into his specialty, infighting?
Lash out! Don't move around to intercept!
Makunouchi goes left! Left, left!
Volg also returns with a left!
Now it's turned into a showdown of lefts!
It's an exchange of blows at a dangerous range.
They may only be jabs, but both boxers have terrific force!
Ippo's keeping up with the Amateur World Champ.
Yeah, he's looking good.
Makunouchi must've learned how to deal with high speed attacks...
from his match with Saeki. That's a good rhythm.
All right! Come on, dark horse!
Go forward again! That'll bring it completely into your range!
That won't happen.
He changed his rhythm!
A jab! If I take a hit from that, he'll whale into me. I have to block!
Two hits from an uppercut!
He's good!
He trained his eye from the showdown of lefts...
and attacked from below!
He's faltering! Did this have an effect?
It's my chance!
Makunouchi has the rope behind him! He has nowhere to run!
He balls up!
If he balls up that tight, it'll be difficult to continue the attack.
Again from below!
Three hits from an uppercut! His face is brought into the open!
The arm block is weak against attacks from below.
So that's where he got him.
His left follow-up swings into thin air!
Now! I can get away from the ropes!
You won't escape!
Volg barrages, barrages, barrages!
He drives him into a corner!
No matter where I run, it'll be the same.
No.
Is there no escape...
from Volg-san?
A combination from Volg!
Sweat falls from Makunouchi in buckets!
Take a look at Ippo's face. It's already swollen up badly!
He hasn't stood up to him at all in the minute since it started!
His persistence to carry on through a guard...
meshes perfectly with his accuracy to aim for tiny gaps.
Not bad.
The bubbling of anticipation of a KO from Makunouchi...
throughout the stadium has now turned to silence!
Volg Zangeif is strong!
Ippo-kun, lash out!
I'll admit he's strong.
However, the kid hasn't done anything yet.
What's wrong, are you scared?
It's a natural development.
He has more than enough effort and willpower...
and they are necessary.
However, they are meaningless against natural ability...
and useless against true talent!
He cannot surpass my boxer.
Got you!
His head's been shaken.
- Ippo! - This is bad!
He's got a concussion!
Crush him.
Backstep! A big one's coming your way!
Volg brings out a right!
This is the end!
What?!
Kid!
This time Makunouchi attacks!
It's an incredible barrage with his back to the ropes!
Chief! His form is just like he trained! He's snapped to his senses!
No, not quite.
He's doing it unconsciously.
He's putting out the form just the way he practiced it.
All right! You've got him in your grasp, so keep going!
Return fire!
This backlash comes as a surprise to Volg! He doesn't fight back!
Oh, my! He's finally pushed back into the center of the ring!
This is the power of Makunouchi!
See? You can do it if you try!
Don't make us nervous like that!
Makunouchi! Fishing Boat Rental Makunouchi!
The former Amateur World Champion is startled!
The audience calls for Makunouchi!
Will the counterattack turn into a reversal?!
Volg-san is in the center of the ring. Did he back off?
No. That's not possible.
We exchanged blows.
That's why he's exercising so much caution.
The ring feels as wide as it should be.
Oh, yeah. I lost ground to intimidation.
I can't back down. I have to go forward!
You've come to! He's coming! Don't back away!
I'm surprised. Even in my experience...
I rarely faced an opponent with this kind of power blow.
He's more powerful than I imagined... and tough.
If possible... If at all possible, I want to put him to sleep quickly!
He's coming! Don't run away! Seize the offensive!
Makunouchi makes a move! Volg retaliates!
Makunouchi doesn't back off!
Both boxers have entered their ideal range!
It's turned into the geezer's scenario.
They are both infighters.
The tide will turn in favor of the one who seizes control of this range.
Show me results from the training we repeated incessantly!
No need to worry. It's a predicted development.
The exchange of power blows is so intense it's explosive!
However, neither fighter backs down!
A right from Volg!
A body blow from Makunouchi!
Simultaneous left hits!
Stop!
It's the bell! The bell has rung!
Round One is over! They are matched at close-range combat!
After allowing a few hits to land, Makunouchi puts up a great fight!
The tension is amazing!
I'm soaked with sweat after only watching one round.
Well, both contenders were certainly astonishing.
That's because he matched the Amateur World Champion blow-for-blow.
Makunouchi's techniques are quite something.
That would be the direct result of training with Yours Truly.
Couldn't you get it together in Round One?
Yes. He's an athlete with outstanding power and tenacity.
Three minutes wasn't enough time to pin him down.
Do you require advice?
It is possible to take points rationally by using out-boxing...
but if I back away from him, he will probably come hammering at me.
It could give him the chance to get his rhythm.
I have to infight. It will take time...
but if he loses at his specialty, it should make him more docile.
Yes. However, his one punch is dangerous.
This must be ended quickly. If you see an opening, bite him...
with your fangs.
Well, what's your impression of the Amateur World Champion?
He's strong.
In the first half, he had me cornered before I knew it.
You were overwhelmed.
Yes, sir. It felt like being thrown into a cage.
And now?
The kid has fought his way past many formidable opponents.
It would take a lot to make him lose his nerve.
Does the pressure he's feeling from Volg exceed all that?
But when I went forward a minute ago, I understood.
Inside a cage there's nowhere to run...
and I have to go forward.
Yes, well said.
Your method was good in the last half.
- Keep lashing out as you were.
- Yes, sir.
- Don't be afraid of getting hit!
- Yes, sir!
Bite into him if there's an opening?
If possible, I'd rather not use that.
The White Fang delivers blows to the brain...
simultaneously from above and below.
Not only can it end the match...
it can also end my opponent's life as a boxer.
Volg uppercuts! It's another fist fight just like Round One!
He punches up! He punches up! He punches up!
Did that hurt him? One more punch!
Makunouchi sneaks in to deliver a barrage!
All right! Attack, attack!
Makunouchi has started receiving more punches, don't you think?
It probably means that Volg is one skill level higher.
There is a gap in their defense strength.
The basis of Russian boxing is to hit and not be hit, you see.
He's really something.
It's been five minutes since the first round.
No fighter has ever lasted this long against a boxer of mine.
However, the gap is gradually becoming apparent.
Will your boxer hear the bell ending Round Two?
Don't rest your arms!
From body to face! It's a perfect combination!
How about that?!
What?!
How about this?!
What endurance he has!
An average boxer would have succumbed long ago.
I can't stop moving my arms. Punch! Punch!
Volg's feeling the hurt, too! Punch!
Please fall quickly!
Before you take too much damage!
I do not want to break you.
I don't want to see a boxer writhe around from a punch I delivered.
Please fall down!
He's getting nowhere. What's wrong?
Now, please fall down!
H-He's fallen!
Makunouchi connects with a powerful blow!
Volg is down!
We have results from the training!
Oh, yeah!
- Right on! - Right on!
So, you were concealing a devious weapon.
Volg is down on a humiliating all-fours!
What is his damage?! Can he stand?!
What kind of punch do you suppose that was?
It was a left hook, punched up from below.
It didn't appear to be a smash.
Since you haven't done your homework, I'll tell you.
That punch was a...
Now I remember! It was a Gazelle Punch!
- Gazelle Punch... - It's the finishing blow of...
heavyweight champion, Floyd Patterson.
So, it's from a heavyweight! It had tremendous force, didn't it?
The Gazelle Punch?
That's not a punch you can learn overnight.
Did he do specialized training in order to beat me?
His angle was bang-on, too. He won't get up from that!
No, his back was much lower in practice.
He probably can't brace with his legs anymore due to damage.
Add that to Volg's reflexes. The moment it connected...
he clamped his left hand on it to shield himself!
Volg, the only questionable aspect in your boxing nature...
is that you are too nice.
You end up pitying your opponent.
That is a fatal flaw in a professional boxer.
I'm sure you now realize that the word "pity"...
isn't in the boxer's rule book.
You must either beat or be beaten.
If you break that iron rule, all you get is defeat.
Box!
I'd tell him to attack, but Volg's surplus power bothers me.
This is my chance. Attack! I have to attack!
Makunouchi swoops in for an attack!
You're reckless! Look before you leap, would ya?!
I have to attack.
If I pass this up, I may not get another chance!
He's getting desperate for chances to come his way.
Volg, lead him in!
He's dodging above the waist only.
It's getting to his legs. From below!
Did the liver blow have an effect?!
I felt an impact. Another!
He has more surplus energy than I thought.
He has no intention of weathering it out.
Be on your guard, Kid!
Volg-san should have some damage, too.
I won't withdraw!
Damn it! Volg has almost recuperated.
I can't stop him with jabs. In that case...
Aah! He's poised to make another Gazelle Punch!
Another one!
This will work!
I already saw you use this punch.
This time it's your turn to watch!
Volg counterattacks! This is a fast barrage!
His punches are sharper than before!
The hunt has begun.
The hunt of the wolf.
They attack in packs...
tear the skin, rip through flesh, and break the bone.
Kid!
And ultimately...
they bring down their prey.
It's coming from below!
I can't stop it!
This time Makunouchi has fallen!
The teeth of the wounded wolf pierce into him...
and Volg repays him with a return knockdown!
Wh-What was that?
The moment the uppercut stopped...
I lost track of everything.
One!
Two!
I - I have to get up.
Four!
Oh, no! His legs are unsteady!
Kid...
Five!
I have to get up.
Makunouchi is desperate!
Seven!
I can do it. I can still fight!
Box!
It's the call for continuance!
Stop!
There's the bell!
Makunouchi is saved from a deadly scenario by the bell!
Good job getting up again, Makunouchi!
That Volg is really tough.
The Gazelle Punch versus Volg's White Fang.
Oddly enough, both are punches named after animals...
but the odds were slightly in Volg's favor.
That's because it's gazelle versus wolf.
After the knockdown, he switched to carnivorous attacks.
He's definitely a wolf.
He's panicking. He can't be blamed for it.
The nature of their knockdowns was far too different.
It's because the difference in their combat ability has been exposed.
I will mention one minor thing to you.
When you were knocked down, it wasn't an accident.
It was clearly due to lack of caution.
If you don't get him, he will get you.
Makunouchi understands that fully.
I realize that.
As long as he is conscious, he won't stop attacking.
I must sever them fully.
I must sever his consciousness and willpower entirely!
I will defeat him!
Volg's speed greatly surpasses what we had imagined.
Instead of one-two, he produced the top-to-bottom combination on one.
Was the punch I took from above?
A wolf is coming to attack you with its mouth wide open!
Even if you stop its lower jaw, you'll be gored by teeth from above!
That's Volg's finishing blow, called the White Fang.
What should I do?
Seconds out!
The Chief is worried.
But if he doesn't say something, his boxer will become anxious.
Seconds out!
Chief...
Kid.
Yes, sir!
Do your best!
That's it? That's all you're going to say to him?
Yes, sir!
Chief...
Round Three!
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
Trainer.
A supporter who teaches a boxer techniques one-on-one...
and instructs him on how to practice them.
During a match, he will advise on fighting methods...
share the boxer's joy or share his pain of defeat.
That's right! I always won because I believed in the Chief!
I'm sure something will present itself if I do it as we practiced...
without giving up!
The next episode is, "The Courage to Believe."