It's finally begun!
WBC World Junior Middleweight Title Match, The Battle of Hawks!
Don't rush it.
Get used to the world title match stage.
Do your usual.
Fight like you usually do.
Champion Bryan Hawk versus challenger Takamura Mamoru.
They move in a circle while keeping some distance.
This is an unexpectedly quiet start.
The air is heavy with tension.
The silence is so intense that we may even be able to hear their hearts beating.
The atmosphere in Ryogoku Kokugikan is alarming.
This is suffocatingly intense.
That's fine.
See how the opponent will make his move.
This is your first experience of the world title match.
Use the first round to warm up.
A highly regarded coach, Miguel Zale.
I'm curious about his direction too.
The distance between the two is gradually shrinking.
When this man won the belt, the world of boxing lamented that the title would never move again.
Exactly how strong is Bryan Hawk?
The challenger is moving forward, carrying the pride of Japan on his fists and shoulders.
Is Japan's proud hawk good enough for the world?
They're almost within range.
Wow!
What's this?!
He dropped both arms! Is he provoking the challenger?!
H-He dropped his guard against Takamura?
Damn mockery!
No...
That must be his stance when closing in on his prey.
Conversely, the challenger raises his guard using an orthodox style.
It's rare to see him take up such a tight stance.
He's facing an unpredictable opponent, so...
He's checking things out like normal.
The champion is setting a unique rhythm from his low stance.
The challenger is also taking steps.
Both are getting ready to fight.
T-The challenger's left!
That's incredibly sharp!
The champion barely dodges!
What was he watching?
He didn't dodge it.
He's bleeding!
It connected?!
The champion was hit!
Both the attacker and the dodger are too fast!
We can't keep up!
Now a rapid fire combo! Lightning fast left punches rain down on the champion!
What's up with that left?
Takamura-san's left is that fast?!
I-Incredible...
He can set the pace!
The champion steps back!
But he can't get away!
Takamura's quick step!
He doesn't give time to retaliate!
The champion's shocked!
Keep going!
The champion is stuck in a corner!
He's not in a stance that allows him to retaliate.
Keep punching, and you'll hit a critical point!
Wow! The challenger's hit!
What!
What was that punch?!
H-He hit from an unbelievable stance!
He was holding the rope!
What punch did he get hit with?
A hook? An uppercut?!
We can't categorize it!
He just got punched from below!
Wh-What's with that style?!
It's completely unpredictable!
He's now stuck in a corner!
He's taking the champion's punches helplessly!
Damn it!
I can't tell where his arms are coming from.
Making such crazy punches!
You're not good with basics, damn it!
I'll show you the ABCs of boxing!
A! B!
He hit while swaying back so far.
Aren't you the champion?!
Fight squarely!
You're good at dodging.
The challenger can't get away from the corner!
The champion's punch landed hard on the challenger's face!
The challenger is collapsing!
T-Takamura-san!
Takamura!
He manages to stay standing! A close one!
He dodges the finishing blow!
Too damn close.
I was out for a second.
If I get hit with that...
The corner is too dangerous.
I'll get out and...
Get out of there, Takamura-san!
Standing against a corner is not good!
Don't put up a punching match!
Takamura! Move away!
Don't stay in that spot!
Please move!
Come on, move!
Don't stay in the corner!
Move!
I won't!
He's gonna put up a fight!
Does he have a plan?
Hell no, he doesn't!
Everyone told him to move, so he got stubborn!
Damn idiot!
Think what you're doing!
But Takamura-san will...
No matter when, or against whom, he can manage his way!
You've got some guts.
Stop acting so cool, damn it!
The challenger's left!
He pushed him away over the guard!
Takamura-san!
His power can be felt over the guard!
This is the destructive power of the Japanese KO King!
A body blow in the same move!
He's hit in the side!
You can't dodge that using your favorite sway-back!
The body blow lowers your guard!
Now from above!
You react fast.
But when you guard up high,
your lower area is wide open!
The challenger's retaliation begins!
With Takamura hitting up and down, the champion can only defend!
Go! Go!
Go all the way!
That's pretty good, going after Hawk's abs, which are weak from lack of training.
That man's actually using his brain.
He does get smart when he starts thinking about how to take his opponent down.
He's fighting according to theory...
He has both wonderful power and technique.
I see that his boxing sense is very special.
The left connects!
But was it too light?
However...
you can't win.
You can't win using boxing.
Wow! The champion's right!
It connected as the challenger finished throwing his punch!
He continues punching while keeping his body leaned back!
The champion rushes in from an unbelievable stance!
What the heck is that?
That's not boxing...
Damn!
The pace goes back to Hawk when they start fighting up close.
I can't believe that Takamura-san is at a disadvantage in a punching match.
Takamura-san must not be able to see the champion's irregular punches.
There are only a finite number of punches in boxing.
But Hawk has an infinite number of them.
That's why you can't predict them.
There's no way to predict.
I hate to admit it as a trainer, but his punches are not boxing.
They are...
pure violence.
Crap! That was a bad one!
He's unconscious!
Come back, Takamura!
Look ahead!
The challenger is in a dire pinch!
It's the gong, Hawk!
Hawk! Stop!
Takamura!
Damn you!
Stop it!
Round one is over!
Go back to your corners!
What?!
Takamura! Hurry back here!
The gong rang already?
Damn!
The whole building is shocked!
The champion's strength seems bottomless!
T-Takamura was unconscious at the end, wasn't he?
What's up with that crazy boxing?
It lacks the basics and skills completely.
It's an extension of a street brawl.
He's natural.
Purely and completely...
strong.
Whoever can fight the toughest fight wins.
That's the origin.
That's crap.
Modern boxing evolved from that origin.
Street brawling won't stand a chance.
This is no ordinary brawl.
He has the "plus-alpha."
The way you dodge and the way you punch:
those are basics scientifically analyzed in modern boxing.
But he completely reversed that convention.
He's truly wild.
How will you fight against that, Takamura?
I'll keep doing the same thing.
R-Right.
Your left is sharp today.
Don't put up with his irregularity, and keep your own rhythm.
Damn, this is terrible.
I have no strategies I can give him!
He can dodge and hit simultaneously,
and he has enough power to render tough Takamura unconscious.
I know his boxing is good enough for the world!
It's because of my lack of experience!
Man, they've gone quiet over there.
What do you think of the challenger now?
He's got good stuff.
He's the best so far.
I see.
That's encouraging, but frustrating at the same time.
I'm truly grateful that he's not my enemy.
Unlucky for you.
Your fighter is truly great.
I'm sorry, but give this up.
You're up against the wrong man.
Don't drag the match out unnecessarily.
Finish it when you can.
I can finish it already?
R-Raise your voices!
Cheer for him!
Yeah!
But, I've never seen him get beaten so badly...
in the first round.
Hawk is outrageously strong.
Don't say that!
Takamura is doing great!
Gen-chan is on his side too!
That's right! Coach is on his side!
Seconds out!
This is no time to be cursing my own uselessness.
What can I do...
What can I do?
Takamura!
Take the guts!
Don't forget the guts!
Coach's guts-injecting slap!
I've been saved by that too!
That really gets you focused!
Yeah!
Go, Takamura-san!
Old Man!
What was that for?! That hurts like hell!
Don't you understand my intention?!
The second round has started!
He has the best potential in the world.
If he doesn't become the world champion, it's not because of misfortune.
The fault falls on his instructor...
On me!
The challenger starts using his feet!
A-And he's fast!
You want to drag out the match?
Takamura...
Even without the slap, I know how you feel painfully well.
Old Man, I'll show you everything you taught me, so keep your eyes open!
Your boxing can stand up against the world!
Using your feet is no use.
I'll finish you this round.
The challenger is very light on his feet!
Is he going to stir up this round using his speed?
I've rarely seen Takamura's footwork...
B-But he's fast!
Good!
Return to the basics.
Basics.
Use the feet and circle clockwise around the opponent.
Circle inside the ring, and...
And...
Then what?
Idiot! Don't stop there!
Don't try something you don't know!
I thought you were gonna keep running around.
The challenger isn't moving now!
What happened to his footwork?
Don't get cocky!
The champion attacks boldly!
What incredible pressure!
You can't run away from me anyway!
Die right there!
The challenger's small left punches!
They stop the champion's advance!
Day after day, I ran like a draft horse...
and trained my left repetitively, like an idiot...
What were they for?
The challenger breaks away from the ropes!
They switched positions!
But the champion recovers his stance quickly.
You're naïve trying to get away with small tricks.
What were they for?
They were for this!
He's running in a circle around the champion!
The champion is being pummeled in the center!
Man, he's fast!
He's faster than earlier!
Go!
He's fast.
He has enough substance to make Hawk admit that he's the best so far.
I never knew he was this good.
He might be faster than everyone else in our weight class.
He actually is.
Even I might not be able to keep up with his speed.
When I met him, he already had enough ability to become the Japanese Champion.
The reason I taught him the basics, like jabs and footwork, was not to get the domestic title.
The obstacle you could not overcome in your original state...
It was to overcome that obstacle that you would most certainly face one day.
Precisely for this moment!
The champion is frustrated with the small jabs!
He forces his way in!
Left!
Left! Left!
It's your better arm that's more effective!
Old Man!
Like this?
Right!
The champion is knocked backward!
You jumped backward to reduce the damage?
But it looks like you can't keep up with my speed.
Take this!
Speed hell!
The challenger's speed increased even more!
Is he in top gear now?
I'll punch you so fast that you'll have no time to hit back.
Die while you can't do a thing about it!
He's fast.
He sure is fast.
But what if Hawk is even faster?
Wh—
What?!
Takamura-san!
Takamura!
Wow!
The challenger falls!
He's down!
The one who went down after the high-speed battle is the challenger!
Here's the count!
One!
Wh—
Two!
G-Get up, Takamura!
Stand up, Takamura-san!
Come on!
Three!
What?
Why are you taking a count, damn it?!
He's up!
Four!
I didn't go down!
I got tapped and I just fell on my ass!
That's what they call a down!
Rest quietly until the count of eight!
A down?
Me?!
Takamura-san...
The damage can't be small.
But the emotional shock is even greater.
Box!
Can the challenger make up for that?
You made me go down?
You little...