New Challenger is Round 104 of the anime adaptation of Morikawa Jouji's Hajime no Ippo series. It is Round 26 and last of New Challenger.
This is the final episode of the New Challenger series. Kamogawa gym has yet to respond from Miyata because Ippo is trying to make faster the Dempsey Roll after seeing the poster from Shimabukuro Iwao saying that he will destroy the Dempsey Roll. Coach Kamogawa will try to evolve it in every way he can, challenging now modern boxing.
Synopsis
In the final episode of this season, we see Miyata Ichirō training at the gym and afterwards, he goes and tells to his father if Kamogawa Gym responded yet. Next morning at Kamogawa Boxing Gym we see Ippo taking an interview about his defenses.
Aoki excited for his upcoming title match.
Asking him if he aims higher or has someone who want to beat. The interviewers dissapointly leave with nothing, then Aoki Masaru , Kimura Tatsuya and Takamura Mamoru shout to Ippo of why he didn't tell that he wants to go after Ricardo Martinez's belt and take him down. At the same time Yagi comes out, saying that they have matches in spring (Ippo's 4th Title Defence, Aoki's Title Match, Itagaki's Rookie King Match and Takamura's World Title Defence).
Aoki mocking Kimura.
Everyone got surprised that Aoki has a Title match, which he got it by luck. The rankers fell apart and only Aoki left which he is ranked 5th. After Aoki mocked Kimura, they went immediately punching sandbags, and Ippo started training with Coach Kamogawa.
Later that night when Ippo was going home, he was talking to himself of what he is after until Wanpo runs on him alone, and behind, Miyata walking towards him and takes him from the shirt, yelling him about not responding to the match. Ippo didn't know anything about it so he runned back to the Gym to tell Coach why he didn't respond. Kamogawa gets all angry, shouts at him for reasons that he doesn't understand yet.
Miyata yelling at Ippo because of not accepting the match yet.
The next day Ippo tells to Kamogawa that he has speed up the Dempsey Roll, and Kamogawa likes to see what he came up with. The results...weren't good, Kamogawa countered him right at the beggining. It was fast but it wasn't powerful, his punches were light. Later at night Kamogawa is speaking to Yagi about Ippo, that he tries to find a way to evolve the Dempsey Roll, and at the same time on Kawahara Boxing Gym, Miyata tells his father that the Dempsey Roll is weak to counters, and that's why Kamogawa Gym has yet to respond. Miyata goes on the roof of their gym saying that Ippo will evolve the Dempsey Roll. Back at Kamogawa, he says that he will challenge modern boxing, and make it to the top.
Ippo will get stronger!
In the end we see Ippo and Kamogawa training, and later we see him at the tree were it all started. Mashiba Kumi watches him throwing some jabs from the path behind him, Ippo says that he will become faster and stronger.
Miyata telling ippo when to fight.png|linktext=Miyata yelling at Ippo because of not accepting the match yet.
Manga and Anime Differences
- In the manga Aoki was with Ippo's belt after he heard of his title match.
- The anime did not show Shimabukuro being interviewed by Fuji and Mari.
- The Kamogawa Crew watching a video of Shimabukuro's last fight was omitted.
- The crew talking about how Ippo is no longer training with his gloves was also omitted.
Trivia
- The list of the lightweight division's rankings after Aoki rose to the first rank was partially shown. It showed the second ranker, which was "Tanaka Yūsuke" (田中 雄介) from the "Kitagawa" (北川) gym.