Rookie King Tournament - Part 3

"Tonight's main event will now start! The Japan 10 round Middle Class title fight!"

"Tonight's Dynamite Glove will be presented to you by Boxing Fan's Golden Card."

"The 6 time defending champion of the Middle Class title, Yajima Yoshiaki, will take on the strongest challenger!"

"In the blue corner, weighting 160 pounds, all 8 of his matches have been 1 round KO victories! The challenger - Takamura Mamoru!"

"In the red corner, weighing 159 and a half pounds, his opponent, the champion - Yajima Toshiaki! 21 matches, 18 wins, he has defeated all of his challengers easily. Will he be able to win a 7th time?"

"The cheering team assembled for the challenger echoes through the hall. This place is already bursting with energy! The bell will sound shortly!"

Ippo was sitting in the stands with Aoki and Kimura. The sound from all the fans around them was deafening. This was a big fight for Takamura, but Ippo was confident in his senpai. All of Takamura's matches, including this one and the 3 defenses he'd done before Ippo's fight with Date had all ended with a KO in the first round. Ippo had other things on his mind at the moment. What had happened to Kobashi-san? Ippo was used to having to be carried out of the ring, so he wasn't too worried about Kenta's health. The bruise on his side had been very large and ugly, but neither the coach nor any of the other people from the Kamogawa Gym had said anything about it.

The main question was how had he won so quickly. Ippo had been training as hard as possible since he'd came back to the past, but it wasn't like he'd slacked off the first time around. Knowing Kobashi-san's tactics should've given him an edge, but Ippo had still expected a difficult fight. Kenta had taken several of his hits before. Admittedly, those had been at the end of match, when nearly all of Ippo's stamina had been drained. Could that have had such a large impact? What other reason could there be? Ippo was fully aware of how much weaker he was currently than he'd been at the fight with Date. As much as he trained, his body could only pick up new techniques so fast. The difference between knowing to duck under a hook or sway to the side of a jab, and actually being able to do it in time was huge. It could only be learned by training. Weight shifting provided more power to his punches, and Ippo felt he was better at it then he had been when he first fought Kobashi. The 10 centimeter punches didn't use any weight shifting though. They didn't do much work with weights at Kamogawa Gym, and Ippo couldn't remember what he'd been capable of lifting at this time in the past. It couldn't be that different. None of his training focused on developing muscle mass. Developing stamina and speed yes, but in terms of pure strength the Coach had never complained.

"YA-JI-MA! YA-JI-MA!" The crowd had started chanting. In the ring Takamura was down on one knee.

"5!...6!..." The count was already up to six! How could this be happening? All of Ippo's thoughts were suddenly on the match.

"Don't lose! Stand up Takamura-san! Takamura! Takamura! GO TAKAMURA! GO GO GO TAKAMURAAAAAA!" Ippo shouted frantically. How could he have forgotten? Takamura had taken a down this fight, his first one ever. The champion had pulled off a counter, normally such a thing was ineffective against Takamura because the speed and strength of his punches made any failure with the timing fatal. It was because he was so focused on his own problems that he'd forgotten that this fight hadn't been a cake walk for his invincible senpai.

"TA-KA-MU-RA! TA-KA-MU-RA!" A chant for the challenger had started. As the referee counted to nine, Takamura easily stood up.

Yajima rushed Takamura. The champion unleashed a series of jabs, but all of them failed to find their target. Takamura's head moved to the side of each punch with less than a centimeter to spare. Ippo marveled at his technique. The level of his senpai's sway had been lost on him the first time. Takamura wasted no energy - he didn't start to move until the very last second, and when he did he didn't move any more than was needed.

*TWAAAACK!*

Takamura had unleashed an upper-cut after drawing the champion in. The sound of the punch was able to be heard over the fans in the energetic and completely packed stands. Yajima reeled back and took a completely defensive stance. Takamura rained punches down on him and slowly moved him towards the ropes. Another uppercut broke the guard. Takamura went for a right hook, but the champion threw a counter punch. The punch didn't connect. Takamura slipped to the side, and connected with a clean left hook before Yajima could pull back his arm. The champion staggered, but a series of upper-cuts and straights pushed him against the ropes and kept him on his feet. The referee got between the two middle weights, then quickly stopped the match. Takamura had won with a first round knockout and was now the Japan Middle Weight Champion.

The celebration party was in full swing. Everyone from the Kamogawa Gym had gone to a local bar named Sugar Ray. Ippo sat quietly at one of the booths. He and Takamura weren't allowed alcohol since they'd had matches that night. Ippo was still under the drinking age, so he didn't mind. It was just nice to be with everyone while they celebrated. Takamura was on the other end of the non-alcoholic spectrum. The new Japan Middle Weight Champion was throughly enjoying himself, while he couldn't drink he could still enjoy the company of all the women that were present.

"Not drinking? Oh yeah, Ippo-kun's still underage."

"Ah Fuji-san." The reporter for Boxing Fan's Golden Glove had come up to him. Fuji-san must have come here to cover Takamura's Victory. "Takamura and I fought, so we're only allowed juice."

"I see."

"Uhm... Fuji-san?"

"Hmm? What is it Ippo?"

"Do you know how Kobashi-san is doing? They took him out on a stretcher, and I couldn't find him in the locker rooms."

"Oh? You didn't know? Kobashi-kun was taken to the emergency room. I don't know the details, but apparently he was operated on. The last I heard, he was in stable condition though."

"What? H-How?"

"What do you mean? It was your fight after all. Are you feeling ok Ippo-kun?"

"N-No, I mean yeah I'm feeling fine, but how did Kobashi-kun get so hurt? I know he's tougher than that. How did I win so quickly!"

"Ah, I understand now. I saw everything, so perhaps I can explain."

"Huh?"

"Well, I was at the announcer's table tonight. So I had a pretty good view."

"You were!?"

"Hey, I'm a professional reporter. Don't be so surprised that they have me as a commentator for big fights!"

"S-Sorry."

"No need to apologize Ippo-kun." Fuji slapped him on the back. "I saw an amazing punch from you tonight after all."

"You mean the 10 centimeter punch?"

"Is that what you're calling it? In any case a punch like that is a serious weapon, I doubt anyone will be clinching with you in the future!"

"It's a good punch, but how could it have been so powerful against Kobashi-san. I've used it before and it's weaker than a normal body-blow."

"Weaker huh? How to explain... Hmmmmm... I got it. Ippo-kun, you know why a counter is such a strong punch right?"

"Yeah, if the opponent's body weight is being thrown into a punch of it's own, then that same weight amplifies your punch."

"That's one reason, but there's another."

"There is?"

"Yes. A punch that you don't see coming does double or triple the damage. If you're expecting a hit, then you're body will be tense and can take it more easily. It's the punches that you don't see coming at all that do the most damage. So a counter that strikes when you think you're safe - when you think you're about to hit your opponent - takes you completely off guard. You have no defense against it. A surprise blow can bring down even the toughest of fighters."

"So...Kobashi-san didn't see my punches coming?"

"Exactly. He was in a clinch, so the thought he was safe. Kobashi-kun was probably thinking of what to do when the clinch ended. Being attacked in the middle of it didn't cross his mind, so it took him completely off guard."

"W-Wow! You're amazing Fuji-san!"

"Thanks for the kind words Ippo-kun. Now why don't you and Takamura come and pose for a photo for the next issue?"

Kumi yawned. It had been a pretty slow day at the hospital so far. She'd been lucky enough to get an internship while still in high-school, so it wouldn't be right to complain, but most of the time she wasn't helping patients. Interns generally were delegated to the more mundane tasks like manning the front desk. Kumi's schedule had her working in the early morning before school started, and it was getting near the end of her shift. Even though it was the summer break in classes, the hospital had her keep the same hours. Instead she'd have a longer shift at the bakery, but there were still a few hours in-between that she'd be able to relax.

"Uhm... H-Hello."

"Yes, may I help you?" She had instinctively said the words in response before even looking up at the person who'd approached the desk. "Oh! Ippo-san!"

"Kumi-san! I-I didn't recognize you in that uniform! You work here?"

"Well, I have an internship. So I'm not paid, but when I graduate I'm going to become a nurse." Kumi smiled pleasantly. It was a surprise to see Ippo here of all places. She wondered why he'd be at the hospital. "Why are you here Ippo-san?"

"One of my...friends...came here last night and I wanted to see how he's doing?"

"What's his name? I'll look it up for you."

"Kobashi Kenta"

"Let's see..." Kumi did a quick search on the computer and found the patient. "Yes, a Kobashi Kenta was admitted last night." Ippo looked worried, so she quickly added. "His condition is listed as stable, but unfortunately he's not allowed visitors yet."

"Oh, I see. I'm glad that he's stable. Could you tell me how serious his injury was?"

Kumi frowned a little. The chart told her how bad Kobashi's injuries were. She wasn't suppose to provide that information to people without permission. Also, looking at how nervous Ippo was, telling him how dangerous it had been for Kobashi would only make her friend feel worse. "Well, I'm not supposed to tell people that information if they don't have permission, but I guess I'll tell you a little Ippo-san." Ippo smiled at that. Kumi felt relieved and smiled back. "Kobashi-san suffered a ruptured liver caused by blunt force trauma. He had some internal bleeding, and the doctors had to operate to stop it. Right now he's listed as stable and resting, so the surgery must've been successful. He'll probably be capable of having visitors in a few days if you want to come back later."

"Oh, Ok. Thank you Kumi-san! I'm glad Kobashi-san is doing better." Ippo did another polite bow with a bashful smile. Kumi watched the boxer leave. This morning had turned out to be rather pleasant.

August ended, and with it Ippo's last high school summer vacation. At least Ippo thought that it was his last, but Tree-sama had proved him wrong before. Collage entrance exams would be soon and everyone had to see the school councilor about their career path. Ippo hadn't thought much about it, he was going to be a boxer. Choosing a different path would be rejecting the greatest gift that anyone had ever been given. Not that Ippo would've chosen another profession without Tree-sama's intervention anyways. The build-up to matches, the training, the companionship, the applause falling on you like rain: these were the aspects of being a boxer that you had to experience for yourself. Ippo couldn't imagine anyone having those things happen to them and then not continuing to box.

"Next. Makunochi."

"Yes!" Ippo stood up from the line of waiting students and entered the councilor's office.

"Going to stay at home and not go to college. Hmmm... Are you ok with this? With your grades you could get into any college you want." Ippo felt guilty at that statement. Last time he'd been 20th in his class - a very respectable position for a school with more than 200 students in the same year. This time around he hadn't studied very much at all. The questions and answers were exactly the same as before. Ippo had made a point to learn the material, and he still remembered it. This left more time to train, but it made him feel guilty about having an unfair advantage over his classmates due to Tree-sama.

"Well, I never intended to go to college."

"You're 7th in your class. You must've studied hard to achieve these scores and you say you never intended to go?"

"Yes."

"Your family runs a fishing business right?"

"Yes."

"And your father passed away a while ago. It's just been you and your mother running things?"

"Yes."

"Is your family in trouble?"

"What?"

"If your business is failing I could see about helping out."

"Uhm.."

"Lot's of people who are poor go to college. I'll help you find a part-time job to cover expenses."

"Eh?"

"It'd be a shame to waste all the effort you've put into your studies so far. Don't you want to continue your education?" Ippo was feeling guiltier with every sentence.

"Sir..uhm...I have plans already."

"Oh? Something apart from college?"

"Yes, I'm a professional boxer. I've already won my first four professional fights. My goal is to become the Japan Champion."

"Boxing? I'm sorry but that's a little hard to believe. I've seen you around school. Umezawa bullies you a lot doesn't he? Boxing doesn't seem to suit you."

"B-But it's true! And there's a difference between boxing and fighting..."

"Well, let's suppose it's true. You could still box and go to college at the same time."

"But I couldn't help my mother. I can box and help with the family business, but I can't also go to college."

"Ok. If you're this determined then as your sensei I'll support you. If you reconsider, even a year from now won't be too late."

"Thank you sir!" Ippo got up to leave, but something had been clawing at the back of his mind and the councilor was an intelligent man. "Sensei? I did have a concern about boxing that I wonder if you might listen to."

"Oh?"

"In my last fight I wound up sending my opponent to the hospital. I've been worried about him. But I'm also worried about hurting people in the future."

"Boxing is a violent sport, so I'm not surprised to hear of such a thing. Let me ask you this, are you afraid of being hospitalized from a fight?" Ippo though about his match with Volg. He'd won, but had wound up in pretty bad shape afterwards. That fight had hospitalized him, but he didn't regret it. Even if he'd lost, the opportunity to fight with Volg would had been amazing. Ippo knew that he'd do it again in a heartbeat...well after enough training.

"No."

"Then extend that same courtesy to your opponent. You're aware of the risks, and I'm sure he was too."

"But Kobashi-san is..."

"I'm not saying don't feel sad for him, but that's part of boxing correct? If you're afraid of hurting people then college would be a better choice. If you're determined to be a boxer then you must accept every aspect of it."

Ippo nodded. Being injured was a part of boxing. He didn't want to hurt his opponents, but he still wanted to fight them. His sensei was right, this was just a part of the path he'd chosen for himself. "I understand. Thank you sensei."

"Kobashi-san? You have a visitor."

Kobashi Kenta looked up. He'd been in the hospital for a week they'd told him, but Kenta had only been conscious for a few days of that time. He remembered fighting with Makunochi, and then waking up in the hospital bed with his coach and mother beside him. So far his stay had been rather boring. It was depressing to have to stay in bed all day and think about what he could've done differently in the match. What was worse was the thought that he couldn't have done anything at all to win.

"K-Kobashi-san...Uhm...Hello." The person that entered the room behind the nurse was Makunochi Ippo. The other boxer looked like he did when they had met outside the Kamogawa Gym. Kenta still had some trouble wrapping his head around that the person standing before him and the one he'd encountered in the ring were the same.

"Makunochi-kun? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing better they tell me. I'm not going to be released for another week, and even then I may not be able to box again."

"Oh..."

"..."

"But don't feel bad! I mean...you don't have to come and checkup on an opponent you beat right?"

"That's not it! I heard from a nurse that your condition was good, and it's pointless to apologize right? But I just couldn't not visit you."

"Yeah, apologizing for winning isn't something a boxer does." Kobashi smiled ruefully. "I am grateful for the company though. I keep thinking about our match. I had considered Hayami to be the greatest challenge to overcome in the tournament, but I think you'll be able to beat him easily."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah...You're step-in was fast. Faster than I'd anticipated. They're calling you the person with the best punch in the tournament you know? I don't know how good Hayami is at taking damage, but one punch from you could stop anyone I think."

"No, there are still a lot of boxers out there that can take my punch. There are boxers out there with a stronger attack than me too." Ippo cringed a little. He must have done research on some other boxers. Perhaps the West Rookie tournament contestants?

"Well, if there are then I don't want to meet them." Kobashi chuckled a little. "But man, that punch of yours surprised me. Attacking with that kind of power in a clinch... I just wonder how the fight would've gone if I had known."

"Huh?"

"Well, you used it in your 2nd match didn't you? I watched all your tapes, but I dis-regarded that part of the fight. Your opponent wasn't doing a strategic clinch, it was just a desperate grab of someone who was trying to hold on to consciousness. So when he fell I thought that it was just that. I didn't realize that the punch you'd hit him with was live."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did use it then."

"So if I had known about it before hand... I don't know. I always relied on clinches to control the fight and take away my opponent's weapons. Having my clinch removed would cripple my style."

"..."

"uhm... Kobashi-san? Are you going to keep on boxing? I just have this thought that you understand how great it feels, even with all the hard work and pain."

"Yeah... I know what you mean, but as it is right now, even if I fully recover, I don't think my style can win."

"..." Ippo looked depressed. Somehow Kenta wanted to cheer him up. Outside of the ring he was too timid to make him worry.

"So I'll just have to modify it some, right Makunochi-kun?"

"Yeah!"

Ippo had watched Hayami's videos with the coach. His sensei had come to the same conclusion as the first time: dodge Hayami's Shotgun and then attack when he was tired. The out-boxer's short uppercut made charging in dangerous. Ippo knew that Hayami wouldn't tire out in only 4 rounds, but knowing it and being able to tell Kamogawa that were two different things. So they had focused training on dodging the Shotgun.

Hayami's Shotgun got it's name because he threw an overwhelming number of fast punches in a seemingly random pattern. Dodging a jab or a one-two was as simple as doing a head slip. Dodging a continuous barrage of punches needed a better head-slip. Ippo wanted to get a head slip like Takamura's. A dodge with a large motion not only cost more energy to perform, but it also made the next dodge harder since you were out of position. If you went too far one direction, and the next punch came before your dodge was complete, then your next dodge would be even more unwieldy. The one saving grace was that Hayami only threw straights or jabs with his Shotgun. If he incorporated hooks, body blows, or uppercuts it'd be much more difficult of an attack to avoid.

Ippo still practiced with the slip bag every day. He'd gone ahead and set one up in his room at home so he could do some practicing before school. Prepping the boat got him sufficiently warmed up, so it worked out pretty nicely for him. At the gym's practice ring Kamogawa-sensei had strung up a rope between two corners. Ippo had practiced weaving underneath the rope while moving forward and back. It was similar to the training he had started for his match with Ozuma-san, though the rope was much more forgiving than the bars at the park. Kamogawa-sensei had also had him practice dodging rocks again. The random pattern of the rocks in flight matched the Shotgun fairly accurately. Some you'd have to slip your head past. Some were off center and could easily be deflected with your gloves. A few missed on their own completely, but if you had dodged in that direction the attack would've intercepted you. For most boxers throwing away a punch like that on the off-chance that your opponent dodged a previous punch and wound up in the next one's path would be wasteful to say the least. Hayami's sheer number of attacks made it a viable threat for him.

Ippo went and saw Hayami's quarter final match. As expected the out-boxer won and progressed up the bracket. His opponent had tried to wait out Hayami's punches like the coach had suggested. Hayami was capable of continuously attacking for 4 rounds though. Such a strategy might work in a 6 or 8 round match, but Hayami was simply to good to fall for it in such a short amount of time. Last time Ippo had practiced trying to counter the short upper. That one punch was what gave Hayami such an advantage over infighters. Even though Ippo knew the punch was coming, a simultaneous exchange was the best he could accomplish. Sendou was the only opponent that he'd been able to successfully perform a counter against, and that was because in terms of speed he and the Naniwa Tiger were equal. As the coach had pointed out, a simultaneous exchange tended to favor Ippo so aiming for one was a viable strategy.

Miyata had stopped by the Kamogawa Gym during his roadwork. His former senpai had become the Middle Class Champion. Even though the praise would go to his head, Takamura deserved it this time. Hanging out with his old gym-mates was fun. They talked about the last matches that everyone had. Aoki's especially was mentioned. His match had come immediately after Hayami's, but the audience had decreased by 90% between the two fights. Hayami had quite the following of young girls, and they had only been interested in watching his fight. This was used to mock Aoki considerably.

"Miyata-kun!" Ah, Ippo had arrived. Miyata had hoped he'd run into his rival while he was there. Soon the two of them would meet in the finals. "Did you come to congratulate Takamura?"

"Yep."

"We were also talking about your next opponent Ippo." Takamura nudged Miyata with his elbow. "Hayami's pretty popular with the girls. Miyata here might lose some his fans eh?"

Ippo's eyes lit up and it looked like he wanted so say something, but then he let out a sigh. "We both have some tough opponents this round don't we?"

"Hayami might be tough for you, but for every punch the threw at me I'd counter it." Ippo seemed to take that statement very seriously. Miyata wondered what the in-fighter was thinking. "You've fought some tough opponents so far right? I mean that Jason guy was pretty strong. If you beat him you can beat Hayami. Remember I'll be waiting for you in the finals."

"Yeah, Ozuma-san was really tough. I wonder how'd he do against Kobashi-san or Hayami-san..." His rival seemed distracted and not at all confident. Hayami should be an easy match for him. The difference in their strength and durability was just too far apart.

"Don't make such a sour face. Say something like 'I'll win no matter what.' I'm going to beat Mashiba and your going to beat Hayami and then we'll fight. I abandoned this gym just so we could, so don't disappoint me." Ippo's out of ring personality was just too lacking in confidence no matter how you looked at it. Miyata turned to leave.

"Miyata-kun wait."

"What?"

"About Mashiba-san, if he gets desperate he'll probably foul you."

"So? Anticipating and avoiding fouls is the way some matches are."

"Well, I mean, if he can't hit you then he might do something like step on your foot during the second round when you try to avoid his chopping right." That was an oddly specific warning... Miyata didn't know what to make of it. Ippo looked serious. It didn't matter. Miyata knew Mashiba had a reputation for being a dirty fighter. A warning that he might try to foul was stating the obvious.

"Just worry about your own match." Miyata waved goodbye. He still had his road work to finish. Maintaining his weight was becoming harder and harder.

"Both fighters will enter the ring."

"The East Japan Rookie King Tournament Semi-Finals are starting now! This is the Featherweight class that's gained so much attention!"

"First to enter, in the red ring weighing 124 pounds: Hayami Ryuuichi!"

Hayami was carried to the ring on the back of one of his seconds. When he entered the ring he raised his fist, then did his signature flurry with his hands. The crowd responded - they loved him. Hayami knew that most of the crowd liked him, and the rest hated him. Polarizing the audience was a spark that could raise boxing as a sport in Japan and he was going to do everything possible to cultivate that love and hate. The same casual arrogance that excited his fans - such as being carried into the ring - would enrage everyone else. If he won them over with a display of pure talent and skill they'd come to love him all the more because of their current intense feelings. There would always be people that hated him though, it was part of the reason for his showmanship. If he forced himself into a situation with taunting interviews beforehand and with such pompous displays, then he'd have to follow through. There was no way he could live down a defeat, so he'd have to be the winner.

"In the blue corner, weighing 125 and a half pounds: Makunochi Ippo has entered the ring!"

"Makunochi is the strongest hitter in the tournament and Hayami is the fastest! Who will win this showdown of strength verses speed?!"

The crowd gasped when the towel that was over Makunochi's head was removed. The right half of his face was clearly bruised. There was no swelling, and the discoloration wasn't that bad, but he must have been sparring without head gear right up to the match. Hayami looked dismissively at his opponent. 'The man with the strongest punch.' That was the title Ippo had received in this tournament. He was only an in-fighter though. Hayami watched his last match, and Makunochi had dominated a weak opponent. It was easy to win against those without talent if you had pure strength. At the end of the day Ippo was still an in-fighter, and would pose no threat. Hayami was much more worried about the final match. Miyata was nearly as quick as him and had an amazing sense for timing counters. Mashiba was freakishly tall for a feather weight. His flicker jab with such a long reach could also prove to be a problem. Makunochi would just be a stepping stone. If he came in, Hayami would deal with him like every other in-fighter.

"We'll present you the profiles for both fighters. Red corner Hayami: He was the inter-high champion for three straight years. Considered a prodigy by boxing experts around the nation. 4 matches and 4 KOs since becoming a pro! He has been undefeated since being an amateur. Many believe he will be the future leader in Japan's boxing world! Before the match he predicted a win via KO! Against in-fighters he has a 100% KO record!"

Some fans had handed him several bouquets of flowers while the announcers praised him. Hayami decided he'd hand them to the crowd after his victory. Perhaps he'd give one to Makunochi, that'd rile up the fans even more.

"Blue corner Makunochi: He also has 4 matches and 4 KOs. His punches pack incredible power. In terms of raw strength he's the best in this tournament! If he can hit the match will become interesting! His job at home is helping his mother fish. He has continued to box while going to school and working! I used to be picked on, but ever since I picked up boxing my life has changed! He said that he'd put his best effort into tonight's match!"

What kind of a comment was that? Was Ippo that simple? A personality like his could never rally the public behind boxers. You had to be boastful and strong like Muhammad Ali!

*ding*ding*ding*

"The bell has rung! Will the one to advance to the finals be the favorite Hayami, or the hard-punching Makunochi?!"

Hayami looked across the ring to his opponent. Ippo was slightly swaying side to side, but didn't seem to want to initiate anything. The two boxers stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Hayami saw the round clock out of the corner of his eye, only 15 seconds had passed, but that was too long. The crowd didn't like it when there wasn't any action. Time for 1st gear. Jab. Jab. One-two. Jab. One-two. He started with a simple offense. Makunochi wove between his punches, and then jabbed back at him. For an in-fighter his jab was surprisingly quick, but not quick enough. Hayami circled slightly to the left to avoid the attack and then launched a flurry of his own. Ippo avoided all of his punches again.

2nd gear. It'd wouldn't have been interesting to take him out so early, and avoiding his 1st gear punches wasn't too hard. Jabs, straights, and one-two's flowed together, but none connected with Makunochi. The smaller fighter was able to avoid the punches, but there wasn't an opening for him to retaliate in. The one-sided barrage continued for several seconds. Hayami started feeling the flow, the rush of adrenaline that only came from an actual fight. No amount of warming up beforehand could duplicate the thrill of the real thing.

3rd gear. Hayami could maintain this level for close to 6 rounds. This was when the Shotgun came into play. Throwing punches at this rate really did a number on his accuracy, and only straight forward punches like jabs, one-twos and straights could be used. A punch that wasn't in a straight line would be too slow to keep pace. One clean hit, then another. Ippo was being forced back to the ropes, at this rate he'd be cornered soon and then his ability to dodge would be cut in half. As Makunochi's back touched the ropes he suddenly surged forward with a wide hook aimed at the head. Five punches landed while the slow, but powerful blow was incoming. Hayami got his guard up just in time as the jabs didn't stop Ippo. The power of the hit send him staggering back. Strong puncher indeed. Makunochi stepped in after him. With a sway to the side, and a block of another jab the two fighters were now at close range. Ippo was crouched low after his forward dodging - completely vulnerable for half a second to an upper cut. Hayami let fly his short left upper. It'd knock Makunochi's head up and then the Shotgun would finish things.

*whoosh*

He'd missed? No. Ippo had dodged. Somehow even with all of his weight forward on his left foot after dashing in, he'd shifted far to the right and back. The upper missed completely. Hayami was caught off guard. Who could dodge like that? Ippo fired off another right hook at his face. Hayami was off balance from his missed uppercut and couldn't avoid the blow, but he did manage to get his guard up in time. The hit stung his hand and knocked him to the right. His vision blurred slightly for a split second. A left hook followed, but Hayami swayed back and it missed him by an inch. The two fighters were throwing jabs and one-twos at each other. Hayami's shock had worn off though, and even at this range he could avoid Makunochi's jabs. Weaving around the head-shots he returned fire. His punches connected cleanly, but they didn't seem to slow the infighter down.

4th gear. It was time to go all out. Ippo had managed to make this an in-fight, but Hayami still had the upper hand so far. For every punch Ippo got off Hayami threw 4 more. More than half connected and in a matter of seconds the flow of the fight had reversed again. One step, two steps, soon Makunochi was back at long range. I was time to finish things. The full-power Shotgun backed the other boxer against the ropes and then began to pulverize him. Ippo had crouched down and covered his face and body with his arms. It was like attacking a turtle that had gone into it's shell. Hayami could only maintain 4th gear for a few minutes, now that he was in it he'd have to end this fight soon. One clean hit, the another. The tide broke, Ippo's guard fell and the small fighter followed soon after. Hayami guessed it must have been around 10 punches that had landed cleanly, but now things were done. Casually he walked to the corner the ref pointed to. Resting his arms on the ropes he waved to his fans. The fight was over.

"7...8..."

Makunochi had stood up. He was breathing hard, but he resumed his fighting stance and glared across the ring at him. Some people didn't know when to stay down. Ippo couldn't mount an offense in the condition he was in. A little bit more of the Shotgun and he'd go down again.

*ding*ding*ding*

"What the hell was that?!" Ippo sat in the corner while Kamogawa-sensei alternated between yelling at him and icing down his face.

"I got in..*heh*..I dodged his upper..*heh*..but he was just too fast."

"I'm not talking about that brat. Why did you only throw head shots? For fast fighters you use small, quick body blows. Seal their legs first. When you dodged that upper it was the perfect chance. You also never followed through on your combo! A body blow after a one-two! What are you thinking?!"

"I...I dunno."

"It's about the last fight isn't it? Look, do you think you can win if you hold back?"

"No, Hayami's too strong if I don't go all out."

"Then do what you practiced! If you don't respect your opponent enough to fight them at full strength I have no use for you!"

Ippo was shocked. Kamogawa-sensei was angry, and he had every right. Ippo had been worried about sending someone else to the hospital, but not going into the fight with everything he had was arrogant. It was insulting to Hayami, and to the boxers he'd beaten to get this far. How could he face Ozuma or Kobashi if he didn't do his best. How could he face Miyata? They were going to fight in the finals this time. He wouldn't lose.

"I understand Coach! I'm ready!"

"Good! Now go get him!"

*ding*ding*ding*

Ippo moved towards Hayami. The fastest fighter in the tournament met him in the middle of the ring. Hayami wasted no time with using the Shotgun. The punches came one after another. It seemed that Hayami must have more than two arms to throw so many. Ippo was use to them now. Even at this speed he could avoid most, and the ones that hit didn't hurt. Jason's punches were much stronger. Sendou's punches made these look pathetic. Date's corkscrew blow was leagues above. Punches like these couldn't hurt him! Ippo swayed left and right, avoiding the blows with as little movement as possible. Several still glanced him, but soon he was at close range again. Hayami's short upper followed. Apparently, he didn't think Ippo was capable of dodging it again. A shift to the right and the upper missed it's target.

*Thunk!*

Ippo's left buried itself in Hayami's gut. The out-boxer tried to stager back, but Ippo followed after him. The one-two was dodged, but the liver blow that followed hit cleanly. Ippo reversed his rotation and threw a right over-hand. Hayami dodged to the left and then let lose with another flurry of blows that drove Ippo back. Breathing heavily Ippo was now in the center of the ring and Hayami was against the ropes. He could use those to increase his sway back. Hitting his head would be difficult.

Ippo dashed in. Again he slipped through the shower of punches. Once he was at close range again he unleashed a series of short, quick, compact body blows. Hayami couldn't dodge. After the 4th the out-boxer crumbled. Ippo went to the corner while the referee counted. At first he was going to look at Hayami's stomach to see if there was any bruising, but Ippo decided it didn't matter. If Hayami was injured then that was that. There was nothing that could be done about it. Instead Ippo tried to take as deep of breaths as possible. If the match continued then he'd need all the oxygen he could get.

"8"

Hayami was on his knees.

"9"

With great effort he put one foot on the mat and began to raise himself up.

"10"

The referee waved his hands. The match was over. Hayami's second rushed out and helped him to his feet. Ippo was glad. He'd given it his all and won. Half the crowd was cheering madly for him, the other half looked like they were in shock. Ippo politely bowed to everyone before making his way out the ring.

K.O. Time 2nd Round: 41 seconds

Eastern Japan Rookie King Tournament - Semi-Final

Macunochi Ippo Victory

5-0-0 5 K.O.s