Chapter 753

As the Challenger
Chapter Info
Next	Chapter 754
Chapter	753
Previous	Chapter 752
Volume	79
Japanese Title	挑戦者(チャレンジャー)として
Romanized Title	Chōsen-sha (Charenjā) to Shite
Pages	18
Arc	Destined Boxer Arc
Issue	Weekly Shōnen Magazine #51, 2006 (cover date: December 6, 2006)
Release (JP)	November 22, 2006

As the Challenger is Round 753 of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo manga series.

Details

• Characters Introduced: Randy Boy Senior
• Title Page Character(s): Ippo Makunouchi, Ichirō Miyata

Summary

Ippo tells Miyata's father to tell Miyata that he wishes him good luck. Ippo feels as if he could cheer him on, knowing that Miyata's oath of proving his father's boxing is not wrong is more important than their promise. After Miyata's father left, Ippo states that Miyata will go through with the match no matter what anyone says, even if his father lectures him all night at home. Fujii reveals to him that Miyata and his father do not live in the same home, as Miyata moved away from his father's house after he left the Kamogawa gym and his father sold their old house as he does not need anything from the past. Ippo goes to where the Miyata's family house used to be and thinks of how Miyata has been in an unfamiliar room and gym all so he can grab onto something new, which is why he doesn't see him dropping his match against Randy. Ippo doesn't think Miyata is holding onto a grudge or being haunted by the past, he just hasn't forgotten about the thing that matter to him more than their promise to each other. Later at the Kawahara gym, Miyata is approached by his father about Randy's father. Miyata reveals to him that he had suspicions that Randy was his son when he first saw him next to Mr. Sakaguchi, and then confirmed it when he researched him when he saw his name. Miyata expresses how thankful he is for a chance to fight the man with same eyes and boxing style as the father who defeated his own father. As Miyata's father sees no way of turning him away from the fight, he warns Miyata that if he is getting into the ring for his personal vendetta, then he won't be there as his second, and that he has less than twenty percent chance of winning. His father stresses again that he has nearly no chance of winning, however, Miyata is delighted to feel like the challenger.