01x24 - The King

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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

Round 24: The King

Round 7!
Round 24: The King

Round 7!

The entire arena is hoping for a comeback!

But the champion takes the lead!

The challenger is being hammered!

The champion is on a rampage!

Takamura!

Fight back like you were doing before!

That's right, you can turn this
around if you land one good hit!

Shut the hell up, Japan!

The fact that he's even standing is a miracle!

There's noway he's capable of much else!

Die already!

You've got to win, Takamura!

Just run his a*s over!

Well, I'm not worried at all.

I'm looking forward to bragging.

You have what it takes to pull it off-daniyo.

I have faith that you'll be the world
champion once the match is over!

I'm not breaking my promise.

But...

Water...

I wanna drink some water.

Why?

Why do I have to go through this?

'I k*ll you!

Who was it?

Geezer!

Why are you bleeding?

Why?

Who did it?

Who?

Who is that?

it's ail...

it's ail...

your fault!

Whoa, aright from the challenger!

He suddenly revives!

It's a vicious rush!

What in the world!?

Takamura!

I thought Hawk's punch knocked him out.

I don't get this at all!

Maybe something broke loose when he got knocked out,

and that caused him to snap?

He snapped?

Then what happens now!?

How should we know!?

We've never seen it before either!

What happens when he really snaps...

The champion is suddenly on
shaky ground after that barrage!

He's definitely hurt!

Whoa, he won't get away this time!

The champion's caught with a left!

That's it!

Go!

The champion fights back with wild punches!

If he's unconscious,

then how can he move like that!?

I can't explain it!

1 just know that it's amazing!

Dumbass!

Like it needs explaining.

This is what happens when you seriously piss him off!

He's moving on instinct alone now.

He's always been more like a wild
animal disguised as a human being.

A shot to the body!

The champ's liver is nailed!

His face rises up!

And aright to the temple!

Another to the liver!

It leads into a shot hitting his wide-open jaw!

The champion is stumbling back!

It looks like he could fall at any minute!

Yes, he can beat him!

Again!

Hit him again!

The wildness of Hawk's punches makes them hard
to read, but because of that they're unfocused.

But Takamura's are compact, sharp, and
always aimed directly at vital points.

That second of his...

He taught him something incredible and terrifying.

Avery sophisticated strategy...

for beating a man to death!

Considering that it's wild instinct,
I'm amazed how accurate he is!

Even if he's unconscious, his body remembers it all...

The positions of the mitts that he's
hit tens of thousands of times.

It reminds me of what the
coach said in the waiting room...

Everything you've accomplished resides in your fists!

Before every fight, he'd always go through harsh dehydration,
running, practicing, and then repeat it all over again.

Everything he's built up over these years
is what's guiding Takamura-san's fists!

He can do it!

I know it!

Well, I was never worried in the first place!

Just run his a*s over!

I'm looking forward to bragging about it!

I have faith in you, Takamura-san!

Aright!

Again at a vital point!

He's... trying to...

He's too late to try and avoid it!

No doubt about it...

he's definitely...

trying to...

trying to k*ll me!

Whoa!

The champion lands on his knees!

He's down!

The response to this counterattack
shakes the Kokugikan!

Will this settle it!?

ONE
Will this settle it!?

ONE

TWO

TWO
He can't get up after that!

He can't get up after that!

We've got a new champion!

Stay down!

Don't get up!

THREE

I can hear a count.

Man,

did I go down again?

Huh?

Hey, what's with him?

FOUR
Hey, what's with him?

FOUR
What's going on here?

What's going on here?

Did | knock him down!?

FIVE
Did | knock him down!?

FIVE
I don't remember it at all!

I don't remember it at all!

He's trying to get up.

What a tough b*stard.

Don't get up!

Just stay down.

He wants me dead.

He was gonna k*ll me.

SIX

Even in the slums, it was never this bad!

I've never felt like this.

He's getting up!

Stay down, dumb-a*s!

I'm afraid?

But even so, I don't wanna lose.

I'd rather die than lose!

SEVEN
I'd rather die than lose!

SEVEN

Referee, what's with the slow count!?

He's gonna get up!

Don't get up!

Takamura-san?

He's come to!

You've gotta be kidding; I don't remember a damn thing!

Not remembering if [took the title with
a left or aright, what kinda crap is that!?

It's gonna look like became champion
in the middle of a cluster f*ck!

Unless I take him down with a punch I can remember...

EIGHT
Unless I take him down with a punch I can remember...

EIGHT
I won't be satisfied!

I won't be satisfied!

So get your sorry a*s up!

The challenger puts on an incredible
performance at this turn of events!

And the champion is now up!

The crowd is on their feet, reeling in joy!

Takamura-san!

Say goodnight!

Stop!

Whoa, and there's the bell!

The referee stops the challenger!

The seventh round is over!

Both fighters slowly return to their corners!

After so many twists and turns, will there
be any more comebacks in this fight?

There's no telling what will happen!

Comeback my a*s!

It will be over in the next round!

No, it should have been over in this round.

Takamura-san's way past his limit already.

If Hawk is able to recover during the interval,

it's more than possible that he can turn it around.

Man, quit tr yin' to jinx it!

| said there ain't gonna be no more comebacks!

Either way, this eighth round is going
to decide what happens to the belt.

His stamina is already way past its limits...

and there's no telling how much longer
his mental strength will hold out.

But I've got nothing to say,

because you understand what to do better than anyone!

He was trying to k*ll me!

Why didn't you warn me...

that I'm not the only one out there with a license to k*ll!?

H-Hawk...

He's cowering.

This man is overcome with fear.

During times like this, my daily efforts and
training gave me the backbone to keep on going.

But his is weak.

Hawk doesn't have the backbone of a boxer.

He seems so pitiful now.

Compared to that, Takamura has nerves of steel.

The paths they took as boxers couldn't be more different!

I was a fool for thinking his natural talent would be enough!

It looks like I'm the one who's useless here!

Hawk...

this match...

It's okay.

I know I have to win.

Up till now, no matter what I said, what I did...

Everyone let me get away with it.

Why?

Because I'm the champion!

If I lose,

no one will listen to me anymore.

I'll be worthless.

No...

No... no!

No!

I don't wanna lose!

I'm the best in the world!

I'm the champion!

His incredible ego is supporting his battered body!

We stiff have a chance!

All or nothing, that's how it works in the ring.

You're either going to lose it all
and go back to America a failure,

or win and return home as the champion.

It's up to you.

I'll bet it all on your pride and your
instincts as a cornered wild animal!

This next round...

...will decide it all.

Seconds out!

Hey, seconds out.

Yagi-chan, vaseline!

If you don't get out, they're gonna get mad.

W-What the hell?

This is all can do at this point!

At a time like this, we can't have you
out there without your trademark look!

That wouldn't look good, would it?

Get going.

I'll be back once I'm the king.

Round 8!

Will the battle continue?

What will happen next?

Are we looking at history in the making?

Whoa!

And the champion...

goes on the as*ault!

He's not showing any of the damage he's received!

The champion is trying to wrap things up!

The challenger's jaw is knocked upwards!

Look at me everybody!

I'm the strongest!

I'm the best!

Countered!

An expl*sive attack!

You're strong all right!

But you're unlucky!

It's too bad you were born in the same era as me!

I'm the champion!

I'm taking the belt!

A dual exchange!

He hung in there!

Takamura-san, in front of you!

The next one's coming!

He's not fighting back!

He's hurt!

Don't let him get away!

Pound him!

Go-Dani!

Arms, legs... I'm begging you...

We're almost done.

Hang in a little longer!

The challenger goes in!

It's a savage rush towards the belt!

Just a little more!

Go!

He can do it, coach!

He's got the belt!

It's almost certain.

But what's this ominous feeling?

Get 'im, Takamura-san!

Come on you guys, make some noise!

I doubt that the champion...

...will let it end like this.

Takamura-san's on the offensive, but
the atmosphere's getting more tense.

I've got a really bad feeling about this.

It happened to Takamura after he got knocked unconscious.

Being cornered, his hidden savagery was unleashed.

And if that's the case...

...then Hawk should have another
level that I've never seen before either.

Now my punches are swinging my body around.

Dammit all!

I'm hurting even when I miss a punch!

Dumbass,

quit worrying about your stamina!

He looks like he'll fall if you just push him over!

Just a little more!

A little more!

The belt's right there!

He's still able to dodge like that!?

This is what you have to worry about
when you're fighting the world champ!

The world's greatest reserve power!

I've been waiting for this!

He... He saw it coming!

Was that his ability to read his opponent or just pure instinct?

Either way, this combination of wildness and science...

When it comes to boxing...

he's the ideal!

He's down!

Did that finish it!?

Has history been made!?

Is it the beginning of a new era!?

He did it-Dani!

That did it!

There's no doubt!

He's the world champion!

ONE
He's the world champion!

ONE

After he had so much trouble with
punches from that leaning angle...

...he was able to counter it.

TWO

{ admire him from the depths of my heart.

He's...

exceeded my teachings in every way possible!

THREE

We had the advantage before the match,

but Hawk's strength drew out Takamura's
hidden strength and truly awakened him!

FOUR but Hawk's strength drew out Takamura's
hidden strength and truly awakened him!

FOUR

He's evolved into a true monster.

There's no touching him now.

FIVE
There's no touching him now.

FIVE

FIVE
It's over.

It's over.

Mamoru-niisan!

Stay down!

Don't get up!

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

U-Unbelievable.

He doesn't know when to give up.

Amazing.

What the hell...

I was having such a good time on the king's throne.

Why are you getting in my way!?

Hawk...

It's...

Let me see your eyes!

I...

If it wasn't for you!

Die!

Hold it!

Whoa, and the referee gets between them!

Is he stopping it?

But the champion is still standing!

Get to a neutral corner!

He starts the count!

It's a standing count!

ONE

Hey!

Yeah!

TWO

THREE

Whoa, and now the entire arena is counting!

FOUR

It's a ten-count to the finale!

FIVE

The champion takes his fighting pose!

SIX

Aoki!

Yeah!

Itagaki-kun!

R-Right!

What will the referee's decision be!?

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

It's the count of ten!

It's over!

There is a new WBC World Jr. Middleweight Champion!

And his name is Takamura Mamoru!

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