Chapter 502

Life-Saving Fists
Chapter Info
Next	Chapter 503
Chapter	502
Previous	Chapter 501
Volume	55
Japanese Title	活人の拳
Romanized Title	Katsu Hito no Ken
Pages	19
Arc	Dragon Slayer Arc
Episode	Round 13 (Season 3) (p.1-5, 7-15, 18-19)
Issue	Weekly Shōnen Magazine #49, 2000 (cover date): November 15, 2000
Release (JP)	November 1, 2000

Life-Saving Fists is Round 502 of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo manga series.

Details

• Locations Introduced: Inoue Emergency Hospital
• Title Page Character(s): Ippo Makunouchi, Genji Kamogawa, Karil, Ryūhei Sawamura, Kawabe

Summary

The audience praises Sawamura for his performance, wanting him to come back to the venue one day. Kawabe wonders if Sawamura can hear the cheers for him, and that he knows he is no longer alone. Sendō is fired up after seeing Ippo defeating Sawamura despite him being really strong. Miyata finds the New Dempsey Roll interesting, as it seems like it is impossible to stop. Date deems that Ippo is strong. When Ippo gets out of the ring, he falls down the stairs and is picked up by Takamura who takes him to the waiting room where Yamaguchi is. Yamaguchi performs a check up on Ippo, and claims that there is some tearing in the muscle fibres, some bursting blood vessels, and his ligaments are a little hyper extended. She notes that his tough muscles saved him. Itagaki congratulates Ippo on his victory, Aoki jokes how Sawamura's last down look like he was kneeling at Ippo's feet like he was caught doing a crime, and Kimura remembers how Ippo had his fists up in victory before the winner was announced, asking if he was happy he finally beat Sawamura. Ippo states how Sawamura was strong, and they were both desperate, with him being desperate to beat someone that strong. When Sawamura fell for the last time, Ippo claims he wasn't thinking of winning or losing, he just thought that he finally did it. Ippo thinks that he is so excited, he can hardly feel pain, which is why he can't stop boxing. At the Inoue Emergency Hospital, Sawamura was checked on by the doctor, and the doctor informs Karil and Kawabe that Sawamura has three broken ribs, four lost teeth, and a fracture in his left eye socket making he eyeball sink in, making him require surgery and an extended hospitalisation. Karil has chills thinking about Ippo's destructive power, and is amazed that Sawamura lasted taking many of his punches. Karil tells Kawabe how he can't believe Sawamura spit on him during the match and advised for him to chew him out, but Kawabe claims that Sawamura had his reasons and believes that the match will likely put Sawamura on the correct direction, and if he heart was straightened even slightly, then it is fine. In Sawamura's hospital room, Sendō talks to him about how Ippo's fists makes people feel like they can't stop boxing. He adds how he didn't get strong from street fights like they did, but from training, which makes others feel as if they lost because they didn't train enough. He mentions how their fists are made to take a man down so they never get up again like a killer's blade, while Ippo's fists bring the best out of people, like a blade of life. Before leaving, Sendō mentions how he shouldn't worry Kawabe so much, as he came out from the same institution as him, and had the same experience as he did, which is why Kawabe can't leave him alone. The information shocks Sawamura. In the lobby, Sendō tells Kawabe that Sawamura said he wanted something good to eat when he gets out with him: a grade A steak. Ippo begins leaving the venue with the help of Kumi, thinking how everyone gave him strength to win, which is why he is so happy, and why he can never stop boxing.