I don't believe it.
The great Takuma Saeki is being torn apart!
The match is over!
The Featherweight champion, Takeshi Sendo...
takes his first defense fight with a one-round knockout!
What a perfect champ he's shaped up to be.
He fells second-ranking challenger Saeki in a mere 67 seconds!
In spite of it being his first defense fight...
the Tiger of Naniwa already oozes his own style!
Dreams are quickly expanding to the future...
and the world stage!
KO time, 1st round, 1 minute 7 seconds.
It's a new record for the shortest Japan Featherweight title match.
Yeah. And special mention goes to his making this record...
against Takuma Saeki of all people.
Driving an opponent as famous as the Speed Star into a corner...
and finishing him off with a KO isn't an average day's work.
I still believe that Ippo-kun is the best puncher around...
but it did take him four rounds to take down Saeki.
I made sure it happened.
I wanted to take him down faster than Makunouchi did.
I spotted you from the ring.
But I guess it was too good to be true that I set a new record!
However, I need to fight him head-to-head to get anywhere!
Unless I return the debt personally, nobody will accept it, including me.
To this day I still can't say I'm the champion with pride.
Let me fight Makunouchi.
Let's settle who's the strongest in Japan.
You're as impatient as ever.
I actually like that about you.
What? You mean you'll let me have my fight?!
Not so hasty now.
The kid will likely re-challenge the title not too far into the future.
However, he WILL take the belt...
no matter who is the champion at that time.
Get your burial plot picked out.
You sound pretty confident. But...
The Dempsey Roll won't work on me.
Hey, it's Rocky!
So that's where you were!
Hey, what are you doin'?
The reporters are waiting for you in the green room!
Oh, pipe down! I'm having an important discussion!
The Chief is furious!
He is?
Let's get going!
All right.
Bye, Kamogawa-san. Set up the match for me, okay?
If you'll excuse me, I have to be getting back.
Come on!
Who's that weird old geezer?
I told you to pipe down!
Hey, a boxer's hitting little children!
You noisy nitpicking kids!
Chief, what did he mean about the Dempsey Roll not working?
Fishing Boat Rental MAKUNOUCHI
The match is over!
The Featherweight champion, Takeshi Sendo...
takes his first defense fight with a one-round knockout!
What a guy.
Now, let's recap the match!
Saeki-san is in good shape.
He went in anyway! He's acting tough as always.
He's dodging by the skin of his teeth by slipping through.
Like he knows the trajectory of the jabs beforehand.
The challenger is against the ropes!
The champion hasn't tried to hit him yet!
Has he been driven back by sheer force of will?!
No, there's more to it.
He's doing that to warn that he's going to hit.
It's harder to deal with than actual fists.
This is incredible!
He made the correct opposite moves using feints...
but his escape route was blocked as though Sendo-san knew.
Saeki is trapped!
He isn't predicting moves from experience like Date-san did.
It's an animal-like instinct unique to Sendo-san!
Whoa, Saeki is down! The referee stops the match!
The match is over!
He's tough.
He has improved greatly since the time he fought me.
And this style of boxing...
Who could it be at this hour?
Chief!
Uh, please come in!
No, I'll stay here.
Did you watch it on TV?
Y-Yes.
Your impressions?
I'm in shock.
Sendo-san was undoubtedly aiming to finish off Saeki-san...
in the first round by KO.
He's become far stronger...
since the time he fought me and Volg-san.
It's only been 18 months since the All-Japan.
His speed of improvement is abnormal.
You are the cause of it.
Natural ability and daily training.
Self-confidence gained from wearing the belt.
The empty bitterness of the Volg fight coming down to points.
Those are plenty of the elements required for sudden growth.
However, those are merely secondary.
It is all for the sake of defeating you.
I could read it in Sendo's eyes.
He is becoming a monster.
You are the one who made him that way!
I'm matching you up!
Your opponent is Featherweight champion Takeshi Sendo!
This time, you take that belt!
We're going to camp.
Yes, sir!
Be forewarned that you'll be holding back tears throughout!
I want...
I want the belt.
It's every boxer's dream. But...
If it means I can fight Sendo-san, I don't care if it's a non-title fight.
It isn't over.
When we fought, he left the ring unconscious.
But I was on the verge of losing by KO as well.
I can't help but wonder what if the match had continued.
It feels like that match isn't over yet.
That may be why Sendo is so obsessed as well.
Sorry to barge in so late.
Um, Chief!
Yes?
About the Dempsey Roll...
I'm worried the Dempsey Roll won't work on Sendo-san.
Kid...
Clear your brain of anything unnecessary right now.
The Chief is aware of it, too.
Hey, hurry it up!
Yo!
We have camp this year, too.
It's already late August and we haven't had any typhoons.
We'll get to swim, huh?
Mother Ocean is waiting for us! Right?
Well, we're going there to train, so...
You're packing all sorts of stuff, too!
Don't go through personal things!
Always playing the good boy.
Uh... No, I...
I think you guys are barking up the wrong tree.
No, sir. We're only talking about our free time.
We'll be training seriously! Don't worry!
That's not what I meant.
This year we're heading to...
the mountains!
How far up do we gotta go?
Is your friend a hermit, old man?!
Pipe down, Takamura!
Watch Out For Bears
That sign we just passed said to watch out for bears!
We're getting deeper and deeper into the boondocks.
Is there really a lodge up here?
Quit fussing around and prepare to disembark! We're here!
Yoshio's Lodge
Yoshio's Lodge.
What were they smoking when they built it on the edge of a cliff?
It could subside and fall over at any time.
To live next door to danger at every possible moment...
is my policy!
Ooh, Neko-chan!
Gen-chan! I'm glad you're here!
It's been ages!
You haven't lost your touch!
You neither!
Those aren't the moves of old men pushing 80.
I didn't see the punches and not for lack of watching.
This gentleman is Ginpachi Nekota. He says he named this lodge...
after Japan's first world champion, Yoshio Shirai.
Are these kids your pupils, Gen-chan?
The big one must be Takamura.
Do you know about me?
I order my boxing videos and sports magazines...
from the foot of the mountain.
You're currently the Japan Middleweight champion...
with three consecutive KO wins on defense fights.
You're very well informed.
That title fight the other day was really close, huh, Makunouchi?
Do you know about me, too? I'm flattered.
You're famous. That would mean the other two are...
Ooh! He knows about us, too?!
You're Charlito Degnos and Rocky Lin, aren't you!
We're Japanese!
Let's get right down to training!
- Right! - Yes, sir!
Takamura, you stay behind.
I need to talk to you about the next match.
Yo!
Shinoda-chan, look after the boys for me.
Right.
There are bears around here. Be careful.
Bears?
Now that you mention it, I saw a sign...
It's all right. We're three boxers.
If we run into one, we'll catch it and bring it back.
Come on, let's go!
We'll go slow on the way down to avoid knee strain...
but we'll dash uphill!
- Yo! - Yes, sir!
Ippo blasted on ahead!
I won't let him beat me!
Hey, don't go overboard now!
We got energy to spare!
That's some good stuff. You're a champ all right.
Don't strain yourself.
My punches can crush organs right through a sandbag.
Let's leave it at that.
I need you to look after all our needs, Neko-chan.
Now that you mention it, the guys are late coming back.
They thought mountain running was easy...
so they're probably dying as we speak.
Th-The downhill trek is way harder.
Don't talk to me. It's hard to talk!
Unbelievable.
My weight is being placed so hard on my feet...
it's hard to hold myself up.
But this exercise is perfect for the shift of weight...
the most important element in the Dempsey Roll.
Is he gonna try to blast on ahead again?!
Makunouchi, I told you to take it easy on the downhill!
B-B-Behind you! Behind you!
A bear!
Hey, don't leave me behind!
Shut up! Sacrifice yourself for us!
I don't want to!
You were fortunate to run into him on the way down.
Bears are extremely fast at running uphill...
but their front legs are so short, they're slow going downhill.
Is that so?
My life feels shortened somehow.
I thought I'd end up as bear food.
Damn, you guys are pathetic.
Kill it and get yourselves a real reputation.
Seeing one in real life is really freaky.
What are we going to do about roadwork tomorrow?
Don't worry.
We have a local bear-repellant method.
That would be great.
I'll have them ready for you tomorrow.
I don't need one. The only thing I want from you is a large pot.
I'm gonna catch that sucker, so get ready to cook bear stew!
Don't treat me like those wimpy losers!
What a dependable guy!
What are you doing up so late?
Chief!
I bet you're worried about the Dempsey Roll.
The Dempsey Roll is extremely powerful against someone backing off...
but it's a bad bet against those who drive forward.
Add to that Sendo's overwhelming punch numbers...
and overbearing attitude...
it will be rendered ineffective...
before it can even begin to work.
Then what should I do?
The Dempsey Roll is not just one technique by itself!
When Jack Dempsey, the originator of the technique...
used it, he would always force back his opponent first.
Always force back his opponent?
It was linked from the groundwork to force an opponent to retreat...
to technique, and finally to finishing blow.
Once all those elements are assembled...
the Dempsey Roll will near perfection!
The perfection of the Dempsey Roll?
Yes. However, Sendo is a horribly difficult opponent...
to force to back off.
A lower body that won't be stopped by his power punch!
The strength to make the most hits even if charged bodily!
That is what you will acquire in this training camp!
Yes, sir!
I get it! My entire body strength!
I need to do more than cook up techniques!
I need to start with the power to out-hit Sendo-san...
to force him to back away!
Take these with you today.
Shut up! You guys make me look bad! Don't follow me!
Come on, man.
I guess we didn't encounter any bears today thanks to the bells!
Damn! I'm heading back without you!
The old geezer is thinking up a new training menu!
He can still talk big 'cause he hasn't seen one close up.
They're really big, you know.
We still got a bear!
What?!
Ippo-kun was attacked by a bear?!
It happened in the blink of an eye!
He's done for! He's probably being devoured as we speak!
K-Kid!
Where's the bear?! We're gonna rescue Makunouchi!
Hey, bear!
Don't point that barrel at me!
What'll we do?
- Huh? - That sound...
You guys are mean!
You all left me behind, so I got lost on my way back!
A... A dog?!
You troublemakers!
I'm sorry.
He showed me the way back.
That's my dog, Hachi.
I told you not to point that barrel at me!
All right, then, I'll go over each of your training menus.
- Are you ready? - Yes, sir!
Do thirty of these. Split them up into quarters.
I'm chopping wood, sir?
Understood! I'll do it!
Let's see. So, I'm splitting them into quarters lengthwise?
Heave-ho!
Squats, eh?
Yes. Placing their lower extremities in a heavy current...
makes them maintain balance as they squat. It works wonders.
That's a dandy idea.
That's not how you do it!
Squats aren't effective unless you go down deeper!
Oh.
Watch me closely!
You do this! This! This! This!
He got washed away!
You could have been in trouble if Hachi hadn't dived in after you!
Nekota-san, it's dangerous, so please...
I'm sorry.
Takamura-kun! All right, five more reps! Let's go!
All right!
It ain't the Bremen Musicians!
This is harder than it looks.
Hachi?
C-Come on, he's spotted us.
Nekota-san?
I didn't mean to interrupt.
What's wrong? You don't look so happy.
I got in everybody's way.
All I wanted to do was help out.
You're not in our way.
I bet so few people come out this far, he wants to join in.
Um, if it's okay, would you please teach me how to chop wood?
I can't split them properly.
What's that?
Please show me.
Okay! Just watch this!
You start by stabilizing your lower body.
Right.
Then hold out your chest...
and bring it down in one motion!
A-Amazing! What a perfect cut!
I did it every day in lieu of training back when I was actively boxing.
Thanks to that, this is what I got!
They say that the back muscles are the source of power.
I can't believe he's maintaining this much muscle past 70!
You might think it's primitive, but the effects are huge.
So that's why the chief told me to do this.
You need power in order to force Sendo back.
But if that's all you did, you'd destroy yourself even if you did win.
Are you referring to the punch drunk syndrome?
There once was a boxer who wouldn't back off for anything.
No matter how many times he was dropped...
he'd get back up to fight.
However, he was eventually forced to retire due to brain damage.
It took him five years to learn how to function normally again.
F-Five years?!
Actually, he never did recover fully.
Nekota-san.
You always have to pay the price for big, satisfying slugfests.
Especially guys like you.
But I can't run from it because of that.
I need to exchange punches face-on!
If only against Sendo-san!
You're definitely Gen-chan's pupil.
You're prepared for the worst, huh?
However, I want you to remember one thing.
There are more to face-on slugfests than fists.
There are other ways to punch than by punching.
Keep that in mind, and your punches will double in number.
But is that possible?
That trick of yours gave me no end of trouble!
Chief!
That trick forced me into the ropes many times.
I can still do it.
What?
Kid, call the gang together later.
This is a good opportunity to tell everyone about it.
Something that punches without punching?
A method to double the number of punches?
What on earth is it?!
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
Feint. A feigned movement made to throw an opponent off-guard.
Confuse the opponent by stepping in or moving the shoulder in.
To fight an opponent who has acquired that technique...
I must refine my mental attitude to match it.
I must train myself further!
I feel rushed emotionally, but no matter how painful it is...
I must see this training camp through!
The next episode is, "Mr. Takamura's Tears."