01x26 - New Challenger

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I've been fighting to get it all for awhile

Running towards my dream at mach 50

Whirling winds tear through the sky

and I promise to become better than I was yesterday

The blue sky got twisted up with dark clouds

The wind that I waited for pressed onto my shoulder

and in my hand I grasped onto

The flash from a thunderbolt out of the blue

When I stopped running after so long

and opened these fists that have been thrown so often

Inside of them were traces

of the first step I'd taken to make it here

Tomorrow will take care of itself

Tears will come as the winds continue until morning

And to us as we grew it was like

A thunderbolt out of the blue

Dad...

Did we get a response from the Kamogawa Gym yet?

Any comments on your participation in the
Champion Carnival for the second time?

Do you intend on defending the
title a certain number of times?

Um... no.

After defeating the first ranked challenger, what's next?

Are you aiming higher?

Um...

I'm not really aiming for anything in particular
or thinking about the number of defenses.

How should I say this?

I just focus on each individual fight.

So is there anyone you'd like to fight the most right now?

Someone I'd like to fight?

Oh, no.

I'm just focused on my next match.

Same as usual with him.

Man, this is going to be a boring write up.

Hey, dumb-a*s!

Say something like you want to
fight against Ricardo Martinez!

You're a pro, right?

So try and offer a little lip service!

Like say you're gonna defend the title a hundred times!

There's no way I could do that!

Anyway...

The Kamogawa Gym has a few matches
coming up as we head into spring.

We have Ippo-kun's title defense at the Champion Carnival,

Aoki-kun's title match,

Itagaki-kun's first round of the Rookie Kings,

and Takamura-kun's first world title defense.

Wow, that's quite a lineup!

Mine will be a piece of cake!

Let's do our best, Senpai!

Right!

What's wrong, Aoki?

Yeah, I think something's wrong with my ears.

I think you've dug too deep. You're bleeding!

But I'm hearing things.

A title match for me?

I must have an ear infection.

No, you heard right!

You've got your first title match
during the champion carnival!

What!?

It's the guy who's ranked first that
gets a title challenge in the carnival!

Aoki's ranked fifth!

How the hell do you have a title match!?

Somehow Aoki managed to
get ranked first all of a sudden!

Why?

You didn't know!?

The first ranked fighter is in
the hospital after a car accident,

the second ranked is in the hospital for appendicitis,

the third retired, and the fourth
fell in the rankings after a loss,

which means...

What a train wreck.

Did he put a curse on all of them or something?

Hell yeah!

The time has finally come for me to become champion!

I've been waiting for this!

Champion
I've been waiting for this!

I've been waiting for this!

I'm looking forward to joining you gentlemen soon!

Yes.

Tomiko!

I'm gonna become the champion!

You as*h*le!

Kimura-san, calm down!

I'm taking the Japanese title!

I've got to win the Rookie Kings!

They're so fired up!

Stop spacing out!

You've got your own title defense to worry about!

Right!

My fourth title defense.

I'll defend my title over and over and then...

then what?

If someone asked me if defending
the title was my goal, I'd say no.

So what...

am I chasing after right now?

Wanpo!

You came to get me?

Back then...

it was snowing too.

Right here.

What's wrong, Wanpo?

Miyata-kun!

Why?

What brings you here?

Do you remember what I told you before?

Yeah...

Back then,

I told you I was going overseas to fill the gap between us.

I think that I've made up for it by now.

And yet...

W-What's wrong?

Why are you-

Is the Pacific title not enough!?

You think there's still that big a gap between us!?

What?

I don't get it.

You're the OPBF champion.

Forget that difference, you're in
better standing than I am-

Don't play dumb!

I heard it from one of the reporters.

When they asked who you wanted to fight, you
just talked about the person in your next match!

You're ignoring me at every turn!

I have no idea what you're talking about!

Please, explain to me what's going on!

I'm the one who's asking for an explanation here.

Ever since I took the OPBF title...

I've been sending challenges to the
Kamogawa Gym on a regular basis!

Why haven't| gotten an answer!?

How long are you going to avoid me!?

You didn't know?

| see.

I was the one who said we'd settle things in the pro ring.

I may have forced it on you,

but still...

I think of it as a promise.

Why??

Ignoring a challenge from
Miyata-kun... the Pacific Champion...

That's like running away!

Ippo-kun, calm down!

I don't want to run!

Miyata-kun has always been...

my goal!

Watch your damned mouth, you little brat!

| understand that you've wanted to respond to
Miyata, ever since he's returned from overseas.

I know you think of him as your rival
and I'll admit you've gotten stronger.

You've even developed a signature
move with the Dempsey Roll.

In that case-

But it still amounts to squat!

You're exactly right, I ran away.

No matter how I imagine it, you've got no chance.

Miyata hasn't just closed the
gap between the two of you...

he's turned it all around and left you behind!

And far behind at that!

The gap is wider?

Between me and Miyata-kun, is it that much?

This isn't like you, Coach!

To be afraid of the outcome!

| want to fight!

I made a promise to fight Miyata-kun in the pro ring!

You should know the coach isn't the
type to run away from a challenge.

You have to get stronger!

If you can get strong enough to satisfy the coach,

then I'm sure...

How strong...

How strong do I have to become?

How many more times do I have to defend the title?

What can I do to get you to let me fight Miyata-kun?

Now...

Now might be the best chance I ever have of-

So you're at your peak now!?

You're that satisfied with your current state!?

There's no future for someone who isn't aiming higher!

Forget about the Miyata match...

At this rate, it's an impossible dream for you!

I'll do whatever it takes.

I'll get stronger and then...

Promise me that then...

Whether it's a match with Miyata or a
world title match, I'll set it up for you!

Please do.

You didn't mention the
difference between their weapons.

The Dempsey Roll is a weapon
the kid came up with himself.

He painfully struggled with it and finally made
it his own through bloodcurdling effort.

After losing to Date, it was the weapon
that helped him gain his confidence back.

Something that he could rely on to help him
make it through the most difficult times.

How am I supposed to tell him that it's his
biggest weakness in a fight against Miyata!?

I just can't give him that kind of terminal diagnosis.

But for challengers to the title, their strategy for beating
Makunouchi Ippo will be to beat the Dempsey Roll.

Everyone is going to be coming
after him with a way to defeat it.

Ippo-kun will probably realize
his weakness as a result of that.

As he continues to defend the title, he's going to
be faced with the grim reality of that situation.

I have to do...

I have to...

That's pathetic, Itagaki.

Switch out with me.

Thank you very much!

Senpai is super serious today.

Even for a boxing nut who doesn't know
how to hold back, he's overdoing it.

Dammit, I can't connect!

What do you suppose happened to him?

He's as focused as he would be in a real match.

Actually...

| see,

so Miyata was involved.

No wonder he's so serious.

Still, I'm not so sure about that.

Is the difference really as big as
the coach makes it out to be?

I think it'd be a good fight.

The difference isn't that big...

but I doubt it'd be a good fight.

He used the Dempsey Roll during practice!

Are you okay, Kimura-san!?

Kimura-san!

D-Don't worry about it!

But that's one hell of a move.

That's right...

this is what [ have.

The Dempsey Roll...

I have to refine it more and more,

and make it strong enough to beat anybody!

To refine the Dempsey Roll...

I need to increase the speed that I move forward, the
speed that I move my head, and the speed of my swings!

So that | can chase down anyone,

no matter how fast they are!

Hey, Ippo!

Time for dinner!

Yeah!

You've been doing that same
kind of training all the time lately.

Well, the only thing I'm good at is diving straight in.

So I have to find a better way to face down my
opponents directly and put even more pressure on them.

Facing someone with your power
is already a lot of pressure.

And the Dempsey will turn into an
unbeatable super move if you soup it up.

I hope so, but...

Since I have to rely on the Dempsey,

I want to erase any kind of doubts I might have.

I have to make it more reliable.

That tunnel vision is probably the thing
that pressures your opponents the most.

Oh yeah, speaking of the Dempsey...

I will destroy the Dempsey Roll!!

This guy is the opponent for
your next title defense, right?

Sounds kind of full of himself, doesn't he?

A challenger declaring they're going to come
after the Dempsey Roll has finally arrived.

Even if we beat him, there will be more that show up.

And if he does destroy it?

The kid will lose something he's been relying on!

I can't imagine anything that would be more devastating!

Yes.

The Dempsey Roll being destroyed...

The kid probably knows more than
anyone else what that would mean.

He may already feel backed into a corner.

This is all I have!

If they're going to try and destroy it,

then I have to keep working on it

until it's indestructible!

What was that?

Away of evolving the Dempsey Roll?

Yes, sir!

I've been thinking about it a lot.

Oh, really?

And what did you come up with?

Speed!

Increasing the speed of the rotations!

I've been practicing to speed up
the Dempsey Roll for a while now.

Let's see it then.

Yes!

What's all this?

He says he's going to speed up the Dempsey Roll.

Holy crap.

| wouldn't want to get hit with that.

Yes, it's feeling good!

Enough!

This won't be of any help a tall.

Hey, was something wrong with it?

It looked pretty effective to me.

It's light!

Your Dempsey wasn't something that these
rickety old arms should've been able to stop.

You're relying too much on speed which
is making your punches too light!

Your strong point is your destructive power!

And when those kind of punches are landed in
succession, it puts pressure on your opponents!

To think that my punches had gotten lighter.

However, your train of thought in wanting
to increase the speed wasn't wrong!

But it has to be in addition to your power!

Speed and power!

We're going to be working on
building up the Dempsey Roll!

Right!

Yes, sir!

This will be harsher than anything
you've done before, keep that in mind.

I need to prepare myself for it as well.

Sir?

Speeding up the Dempsey Roll?

I guess Ippo-kun had been thinking about it on his own.

More like he went off half-assed.

You might say that, but...

Well... you know...

I could tell he was working hard with it on his own.

That's not a bad thing.

He just can't admit he's happy about it.

Still...

I've been thinking about a way to develop
the Dempsey Roll for a while now.

But I've always hesitated,

because against boxers who utilize the
methodology of modern boxing like Miyata Ichiro,

it becomes an incredible weakness.

Yes,

the Dempsey Roll's weakness...

is that...

...it's weak against counters.

They're power punches thrown using
the momentum of a side-to-side swing.

But...

It's incredibly easy to grasp the timing
because of how regular the rotations are.

The speed of the weaving and
the strength of the punches...

actually increase the effectiveness
that a counter would have against it.

A high-level counter puncher...

couldn't ask for an easier target!

| see.

It's no wonder the Kamogawa
management is avoiding your challenge.

Makunouchi certainly mastered an ironic weapon...

The stronger it becomes, the worse
of a match up we become for him.

Modern boxing is based around using jabs and
speed to interrupt your opponent's movements.

But since he's learned the Dempsey,
the kid's stopped using jabs as often.

It's like he's swimming against the
current of how boxing has developed.

The kid may end up becoming a mere footnote in the
history books, the same way the Dempsey Roll has.

But!

The kid's eyes were focused only on looking forward!

He's blown away this old man's fears.

I went to see him in a hurry, but...

Now probably isn't the best time to fight him,

though he's so good at turning his
weaknesses into strengths that it's annoying.

The Dempsey Roll is going to evolve.

I'm sure of it.

I'm ready now.

We may end up getting buried in
history just like the Dempsey Roll,

We're going to be fighting against the way things are done!

From now on,

we aren't defending, but making a challenge!

It's time to challenge modern boxing itself!

Looks like he's switched sides.

Kick harder off the ground!

Right!

Faster!

Right!

He's only looking forward,

Looks like he's the challenger now.

I'm going to hold onto the baton Date-san gave me...

and keep running.

So that one day I can keep my promise.

Faster...

and stronger!

Some night

I can't remember why

We stayed up 'til 4 AM ('til 4 AM)

We talked about nothing important and then made love

The birds wake up we close our eyes

The birds wake up we close our eyes

I love how she calls my name inside her dream

Kisses me still half asleep

Don't I wish that we could stay like this

At 8AM

I stop the alarm to watch her sleep and think

I'd do anything if I could make this time rewind forever

To 7:59