Words of Resolve is Round 1075 of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo manga series.
Details[]
- Title Page Character(s): Kumi Mashiba, Ippo Makunouchi, Wanpo
Summary[]
Itagaki notices that he didn't get much coverage for his match against Imai so he can't even tell he lost. Kimura thinks that Itagaki doesn't want to admit he lost, and tells him that he has to accept his defeats to move on. Itagaki tells Kimura that he will bring the abandoned bicycle and newspaper back to Kumi. However, Kimura thinks that Kumi is done with the paper. Itagaki asks if Kimura thinks Kumi brought it on purpose to show Ippo, doubting that Kumi is mean enough to rub it in that he lost. Kimura thinks if that is the case, it would have bothered Ippo less than what is on Kumi's mind. As Ippo and Kumi walk home, Kumi tells Ippo how anyone who cares for him would worry after seeing his swollen face, and asks why he can't just stop boxing. Ippo tells her that he knows that it is dangerous to keep fighting in matches where he ends up forgetting things whether he wins or loses. Kumi points out that he is no longer the JBC featherweight champion, so he doesn't have anything to protect or any duty to keep fighting anymore. Ippo responds that he is still going back, as he made the same mistake of not entering the ring with the desire to win, not wanting to quit after betraying their expectations again. Kumi questions him if the reason he gets into the ring to box to fight to live up to others expectations, asking if it is worth it to become the world champion for something like that. Ippo knows he doesn't want to worry his mother so much, so it will be his final challenge, and the next time he loses, he will retire without regrets, never to fight in the ring again. Later, as Ippo helps at the Makunouchi Fishing Boat, he thanks the customers as they tell him that they will still root for him. Hiroko tells Ippo to not mind, her as she knows he won't quit even if she asks him to, since he is a man after all.