Three blows get in clean!
Another hit scores!
And there's the bell.
It was a fast three minutes of offense and defense.
The one with the most hits in Round Two is Makunouchi!
That was close! If only we'd had another 10 seconds!
But I'm sure it's having an effect! The next round will be good.
What?
What's wrong?
It's having no effect.
What did you say?!
Date-san has no damage.
I hit him with a full swing.
But my fist...
felt no impact whatsoever.
I'm sure my punches are connecting, but something's wrong.
Ordinarily, I feel the impact all the way to my shoulders...
but it's like...
That's impossible. Date's neck did a huge twist.
You're doing just fine.
You were too involved in the exchange to tell, that's all.
Yes, sir.
Have more faith in yourself! You're leading.
Your boxing is faring well against the champion.
Yes, sir.
Louder!
Yes, sir!
Get close and pepper him with small ones!
Yes, sir!
I look pathetic.
It made it look like I was saved by the bell.
He's pretty good at close-range fighting, damn it.
Date-san, back off for the next round and rest up.
The odds are a little against you.
Please keep up your own boxing!
It's a downhill battle as long as you're in his range!
Date-san.
This is also my boxing.
I bet the champ will start using footwork in the third round.
He took some good hits.
I don't know about that.
Ippo's step-in is especially fast today.
Even if he uses footwork, he'll take a pounding.
That means the champ is up against the wall on all sides.
This just might mean...
The belt is in sight!
Heh! Like it'll be that easy.
He's not up against just any old guy.
He's up against THAT old guy.
But it's true that he screwed up his strategy.
What are you gonna do, old guy?
Seconds out!
Now Round Three begins.
The champion may still have some damage from earlier.
Opportunity knocks for the challenger!
Will he be able to make this round the big round?!
Umezawa, this is good! He may get him this round!
Nah, the champion is pretty tough. We still don't know that for sure.
Finish him! Finish the job, Ippo!
If Date-san would only retreat, I'd have my big chance!
I'll keep pushing all the way!
Oh, my! Surprisingly enough, the champion goes in first!
Date-san!
A right! It swings through thin air!
And they take it into an exchange of punches!
Chief, please say something to him!
Date-san is getting worked up.
Damn! He's completely into the rhythm.
Oops, it hits! It's a fast combination!
But he doesn't flinch!
Even if it's fast, you can't stop Ippo with a light punch.
You can go ahead and show off your champion's grit...
but at this rate, you're just an old guy.
The challenger scores a liver blow!
And takes it into a fierce charge!
He keeps pounding with full power at his guard!
Go for the body! Hit his stomach to make him lower his guard!
Right here!
It happened again.
Again, there's no feeling of impact!
That's... ridiculous!
It connected!
H-He twists his neck!
He twists his own neck to divert the power of the punch.
That explains the huge twist. He did it himself.
He diverted the kid's power blow in that intense close-range fighting.
That's right. He smothered it.
It's having no effect.
Date-san...
has no damage!
No! Don't stop!
Makunouchi touches the floor!
He's down!
One!
Two!
Three!
I... I'm surprised.
He can smother punches by twisting his neck.
I didn't think such a thing was possible.
The more contact I have with him...
the more I come to understand how amazing he is.
Looking down on his opponent calmly from his neutral corner.
No one suits that look better.
Five!
Six!
I can go on! I'm fine!
What am I admiring him for?!
I'm the one he's looking down on!
He's okay... isn't he?
It's a flash down. He's not hurting.
Kid, don't worry about the knockdown!
Have faith in yourself and duke it out!
No matter how many techniques he has...
all you gotta do is throw more punches than he can handle!
Right!
Okay, he can still fight!
Now that you got him, push him back!
The spectators are in a stir over the knockdown.
The name Makunouchi has become synonymous with KO reversals!
Can he live up to to their expectations?!
A barrage... too many to handle!
The challenger makes his move!
A left! The swing is powerful!
There is no after-effect of the knockdown to be seen!
Watch out, Date!
He wakes up when he gets knocked down!
It'd be no joke if he got a KO reversal on you!
Keep your eyes peeled, Teacher.
Ippo gets really tough now!
Right.
Okay! He's got no damage! Go, go!
Don't give Date-san a chance to collect himself!
The challenger punches fiercely upwards!
The champion blocks it over and over!
Whoa! That's incredible destructive power!
It's only a matter of time until he breaks through his guard!
That's good, Ippo-kun! He can't twist-dodge body blows!
Your punches are having an effect! Hammer at him!
Good, good!
Don't you get it, Yagi-chan?
What?
At a glance, the body blows appear to be tearing into their target...
but it's a supple block.
Instead of doing the usual and standing firm...
he's diverting them without recoiling from the power's effects.
I fear that it still feels devoid of impact to the kid.
There's no impact. They just fizzle out.
My punches are being smothered again!
They say it takes 0.2 seconds for orders from the brain...
to reach the various motor nerves.
A boxer's punches come flying at a speed...
faster than 0.2 seconds.
It's possible for a foreign fighter with muscular flexibility...
to divert a punch the moment it hits.
However, the only way a Japanese boxer lacking that muscular nature...
could master that skill is...
with foresight!
And not just any old foresight. I mean unparalleled "insight"...
taking into account the speed of the swing, the angle...
and even the kid's character!
He's not only predicting his every move but his emotional state as well.
They should be getting it about now.
I bet it's giving them the shivers.
Okita, when Round One ended, Date acknowledged...
that Makunouchi was his most powerful challenger ever, remember?
Y-Yes.
He was making revisions.
Makunouchi was different than his previous impression of him.
So he was making revisions during the fist fight.
By testing his opponent's technical and spiritual levels.
By now he probably knows what Makunouchi is thinking...
or how he will move just as if someone spelled it out for him.
His emotions are being predicted as well?
If that's the case...
it'll bother him that the impact of his hard punches isn't there.
He'll grow impatient to punch faster and hit harder.
The impatience will lead to wide swings!
The way it is isn't good enough!
I have to land a good one somehow...
or I'll be knocked down in the blink of an eye again!
No!
The champion scores a clean right punch!
He got me! He was waiting for a wide swing!
The champion now makes his move!
He breaks the silence to launch the attack all at once!
Makunouchi was hit while standing stock still!
A barrage rains down on him! He's in big trouble!
Ouch, that hurt!
He can't retaliate! Makunouchi is being clobbered!
This is no time for a KO reversal!
His posture droops! Will this be a knockdown?!
Will he fall?! Will he end up falling?!
Round 3 Time remaining
And it's the bell! He is saved by the bell!
However, way to go, Champ! He flawlessly outpunched...
this young challenger who thrives on close-range fighting...
in this close-range game!
And look at his victory pose!
This performance practically screams the question, "Who's the strongest?!"
You're awesome, Date!
You'd have a KO if it hadn't been for the bell!
You see that, Makunouchi?! You're outclassed!
H-He's strong.
Date-san, this will work!
- Date-san? - Hurry up and sit!
You can't be blamed for it. You may have smothered them...
but you still took those power blows.
This is definitely hard work.
You don't have to talk.
At any rate, rest up for the next round.
Yeah. I'll need more energy in the next round.
'Cause according to schedule, this is the KO round.
- The swelling is terrible! Give me ice! - Right!
- Give me coagulant! - Right!
Don't get depressed!
He's shaky on his feet! They're having an effect!
But I can't make a decisive punch.
The only thing I can think of is that he's predicting my moves.
Do I have any tell-tale quirks in the way I punch?!
Or is my rhythm too monotonous?!
It's nothing that simple.
It's impossible to predict everything...
merely by registering quirks and rhythm.
The most important element in a fight between two men...
is reading character and emotions.
In other words, insight!
Insight?
Date is able to continuously smother your punches...
due to the incredible insight that comes with years of experience.
Only a veteran could do that.
Wisdom that increases with every passing year.
That is Date's weapon.
However, you're young and you have the courage to know no fear!
It's a weapon you can use against him!
He'll definitely come to finish you in the next round.
Don't back off no matter what! For you, exchange equals opportunity!
Yes, sir!
What is the cardinal rule of infighting?!
Small, compact, fast!
Again!
Small, compact, fast!
All right, go!
Now it's Round Four. Damage is visible on the challenger.
Opportunity knocks for the champion! Will this be the KO round?
It's amazing.
Date-san is the strongest I've ever seen him!
I've gained new respect for him.
Yes, the champion moves in! The challenger also steps in!
It's an exchange! Nice fight!
An uppercut from the champ!
Whoops, that hurt!
Damn it! Small, compact...
It's only a matter of time now.
We can't hope for a KO reversal this time.
I guess miracles can't happen every time.
W-What are you saying?!
He always responded to your expectations, didn't he?!
There will be another miracle!
What are you doing, cheerleader?!
Your classmate is doing his best up there!
Y-You're right!
Let's hear a shout, Year 3 Division B!
You can do it, Ippo!
You can still do it!
Makunouchi-kun, don't lose!
Makunouchi! Makunouchi!
Desperate cries for Makunouchi erupt from a corner of the stadium!
He really sticks to his guns. He's gonna block more?!
He's diverted. Now!
Small, compact...
My swing's slow. I won't be in time to block!
However, I can smother it!
Fast!
A left from Makunouchi!
Yes! An impact from my best punch!
The champ goes flying!
Good! Now turn it around!
Good job following my directions! This is your chance!
Followed by a hit from his liver blow!
He took it! All right, then...
Go!
All right!
A clean hit from a Gazelle Punch!
Good! It's the same impact I felt when I knocked down Volg-san!
He can't possibly endure this!
H-He endured it?!
But that's the punch that defeated Volg-san!
Your punches are light.
You'll need to do better to defeat me.
My punches are no good?
That's an incredible punch.
I thought my wits would be ripped right out of me.
However, those are the fists of a guy who merely loves boxing!
There's no way I'm gonna fall!
Have a taste!
This is the weight of a champion's fists!
I stopped him!
He pried right through...
...his blocked gloves!
Oh, no! Ippo's got a concussion!
He'll whale on him!
Sendo-san and Volg-san have superior destructive power!
But the nature of this man's punches is different!
Each and every punch is packed with the tenacity of a refusal to lose!
Are these the fists of a champion?!
The champion attacks! He doesn't flinch whatsoever...
from Makunouchi's finishing blow that sent 10 men into the canvas!
I can't believe this.
How could he take punches from Ippo and still punch back?
I didn't know Date-san could take punches so well.
The old guy lost a World match in two rounds by KO.
He is not a boxer who takes punches well.
He's desperately compensating for it with perseverance.
A minute ago when he partially knocked out Ippo, he faltered.
He's taken a lot of damage.
The kid missed seeing it happen.
At this rate, he'll be hypnotized into believing...
that nothing he throws has any effect.
My combination from liver to Gazelle was perfect!
So how can he be hitting back with this much force?
Don't my punches get through to him?
What can I do?
What can I do?!
He sees the old guy's face distorted with pain...
and mistakes it for the face of the devil.
How dare you get freaked out, you idiot?!
This is your chance!
The challenger loses his balance!
Corkscrew!
It's a powerful right!
But it's narrowly blocked!
He's aiming for the heart!
He's going for the finish, just like he said.
We still aren't at the stage where he can complete the Heart Break shot.
That last Gazelle punch hurt him so bad...
he can't determine that for himself.
Block that punch carefully!
You're all studied up on the Heart Break shot?!
You study-hall nerd!
He went to finish and it went wide!
If I lash out, I'll hit him!
But... But...
What should I use on him?!
The champion scores a full left hit!
The challenger's knees are giving way!
H-He withstands it!
What should I do now?
How should I fight him?!
The champion rushes! The challenger can't move!
He's so different from his videos, it's almost unfair!
How am I supposed to fight someone like this?!
This is real bad. He's getting hit nonstop!
It's dangerous for him to take hits this way!
Chief, this is bad!
Should we stop them?! Should we throw in the towel?!
What's wrong, Kid?!
What happened to your spirit when you're driven into a corner?!
What happened to your courage from the Volg fight?!
He takes a hit to the body and starts to sink!
Is he finally down?!
How am I supposed to fight...
someone like this?
I get up again
With my wounded body
Tomorrow's the only way to go
If that's the fate of the human race
I will grab tomorrow with my only hands
Even if I can't deal
With my long, long life
I don't want to mistake the place to live
With the place to die
I can't help myself
Dreaming the same dream
Challenger. The challenger in a title match.
Many boxers vie over that right...
and the one who rises to the top challenges the champion.
Heavy punches come raining down on him.
The expectations pile on to defeat an incredible opponent.
I am standing in this ring right now!
So I'm going to use everything I've got on him!
If I can still raise my arms and my body can still move...
I can't stop just yet!
The next episode is, "The Conclusion."