The Three Featherweights is Round 15 of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo manga series.
Details[]
- Characters Introduced: Ryō Mashiba, Kazuhiko Hirano, Naoya Ogawa, Shimakawa
- Techniques Introduced: Flicker Jab
- Styles Introduced: Hitman Style
- Locations Introduced: Kōrakuen Hall, Tōhō Boxing Gym
- Title Page Character(s): Mamoru Takamura, Ippo Makunouchi
Summary[]
Ippo rushes to Kōrakuen Hall to see Takamura's match against Kazuhiko Hirano. He makes it in time for the end of the amateur fights. The hall with only a few people soon becomes full of cheering fans when the match begins and Takamura enters, showing Ippo how popular pros are. The ten round match begins and Hirano tries to corner Takamura who blocks one punch and then knocks Hirano out. The referee declares Takamura the winner and the audience cheers on.
Ippo is shocked to see Miyata present but the latter assures him he only came to see Takamura. Ippo congratulates him on winning his debut match and Miyata wishes Ippo luck on his own pro test. They are approached by Fujii, who has with him the hope of Hirano's gym, Ryō Mashiba. Mashiba completely ignores Ippo and taunts Miyata for having a second-rate boxer for a father, causing Miyata to rush at him. But Mashiba gets in his face with quicker speed, laughs, and walks off. Fujii states what he thinks and the latter replies that the three of them will meet in the East Japan Rookie King Tournament.
One month later, Takamura takes Ippo to his pro test at the Kōrakuen Hall. As Takamura relaxes in the stands, Mashiba's spar comes up and he pummels his opponent instantly with his Flicker Jab and Hitman Style. Takamura notices the speed and says it's not something that should be achievable at an examinee's level, he also notices that Ippo is gone and finds him practising in the bathroom to calm down and he takes him back to the ring in time for his spar test. When the bell rings, Ippo dodges all of Naoya Ogawa's punches and finishes him with a one-two. As Ippo exits the ring, Mashiba recognises him and suggests that Ippo try another weight class so that he never has to get beaten up by him. Ippo insists on staying in the weight class in order to face Miyata again, even if it means facing Mashiba as well.
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| Rookie King | |||||||||||||||||||
| Debut | |||||||||||||||||||
| Manga Volumes | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Manga Rounds | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ||||||||||
| Anime Rounds | |||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||