Episode 20 (Season 2)

World J. Middleweight Title Match
Episode Information
Previous	Critical Situation
Episode	Season 2 #20
Next	BATTLE OF HAWK!
Japanese Title	世界J・ミドル級タイトルマッチ
Romanized Title	Sekai J Midoru-kyū Taitoru Matchi
Arc	Battle of Hawk Arc
Manga	Round 377 (p.10-21) Round 378 (p.5-19) Round 379 (p.1-19)
Air dates
Japanese	May 19, 2009
Music
Opening	Hekireki
Ending	8AM

World J. Middleweight Title Match is Round 20 of the Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger anime, which is the adaptation of Jōji Morikawa's Hajime no Ippo series.

Summary

With Yi downed from Ippo's Dempsey Roll, the referee declares that the match is over without a count, resulting in Ippo's victory by a one round TKO. Kamogawa and Yagi enter the ring, and Ippo tells them how he used his own style and what he knew he was good at: the Dempsey Roll. Kamogawa disagrees, stating that his style is pushing into his opponent's chest and putting together a string of small, precise blows. Kamogawa explains how Ippo's first hook grazed Yi's chin and affected his footing, which is why Yi's downward right missed. Kamogawa tells him that while it looked like an easy win, he barely survived, but will save his lecture for later, wanting him to go and give his regards to the audience before leaving the ring.

Ippo runs to the waiting room to tell Takamura that he kept his promise of winning by a one round knockout. When Ippo enters, he is surprised to see that Takamura is surrounded by many people, including Date, Miyata, Sendō, and JBC champions from almost every weight class. Sendō is amazed by the crowd Takamura has around him as he leans on Miyata, who quickly pushes him off. Sendō congratulates Ippo on his victory and tells him that while he is still in rehab, he will show him something once he is back in action. Miyata comments that Sendō is talking big for a two-time loser, making Sendō angry. Kamogawa, Yagi, and Shinoda are approached by Nekota. Nekota tells Kamogawa how he saw on the newspaper about Hawk hitting him during the press conference. Kamogawa claims that it just shows that he is still green too. Date asks Takamura why he chose the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Takamura answers that since his loss against Ricardo, the place lost its mojo, wanting to clean it up for the sake of the future generation. As Ippo greets Date, Date tells him that he is going to work at his gym now, and when he trains someone who makes it to the pros, he can work his boxer over for him. Date also tells Ippo that since he can't bring himself to tell Takamura thanks for wanting to make up for his failure at the Kokugikan, he asks for Ippo to gives his thanks for him. As the group gathers around Takamura, Date tells Takamura that the reason everyone gathered here is because they feel like they've been made fools of, so they want payback. He adds that since they don't have what it takes, he is their only hope and that the entirety of Japan is behind him, asking for him to defeat Hawk. Takamura tells them to leave it to him.

When the group leaves the waiting room, Takamura comments toward the Kamogawa gym members and Nekota how the group were making such a fuss despite him being confident that he will conquer all six weight classes from junior middleweight to heavyweight, viewing the match with Hawk as a meagre stepping stone. However, Takamura admits that having the group bow their heads and beg to him has him a bit tense, but him seeing the Kamogawa gym members' faces has helped him calm down. Kamogawa suggests for everyone to leave the room so Takamura can focus until it is time for the match. Before everyone leaves, Aoki, Kimura, Itagaki, Nekota, and Ippo gives him encouragement, with Takamura telling Ippo that he won't break their promise. Kamogawa tells Takamura that Hawk is strong, and his natural talent for boxing may even be greater than his. However, Kamogawa adds that not everyone who works hard is rewarded, but all those who succeed have worked hard. Kamogawa finishes by stating that everyone in the room has seen how hard he has worked firsthand, telling him to enter the ring with pride as everything he has accomplished resides in his fists.

As the Kamogawa gym members and Nekota have left the room, Kamogawa tells them that tactics and advice were out of the question and that he hasn't been able to do much for Takamura other than trying to keep his spirit high as that is how tough the match against Hawk is likely to be. In the waiting room, Takamura thinks that everyone is making a big fuss over this, as he believes that him becoming the world champion is an obvious outcome. Takamura remembers his meeting with Kamogawa, Aoki, Kimura, and Ippo, as well as his experiences with the Kamogawa members, feeling as if he owes them a lot and is grateful that he started boxing. Takamura plans to show them how he will repay his gratitude.

As the match is about to begin, Takamura enters the ring with his arms stretched out at his sides in his new hawk costume, fitting to the "Taka" in his name. In the ring, Takamura shouts while lifting up his fist, getting the audience excited. Hawk walks to the ring in an armoured suit with his "Hawk Girl" around him as the audience jeers at him. With both boxers in the ring, Hawk removes his costume and reveals that he is wearing a shirt that was made for Takamura's fans. Hawk then ripped the shirt off of him as a provocation, angering the audience. However, the audience is shocked to see Hawk's muscular body that they think shouldn't be possible since it was reported he hardly trains. After the ceremonies, both boxers and their chief seconds head to the centre of the ring. When Takamura looks at Hawk's face, Hawk brings his face close to Takamura's and sticks his tongue out at him, angering Takamura and the referee has get in-between them. Both sides go back to their respective corners as the gong is about to ring. The gong then sounds to start the WBC world junior middleweight title match.

Anime-Manga Differences

See also: Anime-Manga Differences

• In the manga, Ippo mentioned that Yoshiaki Yajima was among the group of active and retired boxers in the waiting room with Takamura. In the anime, Ippo did not mention him, however, he is still shown being there.
• In the manga, after Date, surrounded by other active and retired boxers, asked for Takamura to defeat Hawk, the group leaves the room and talks about Takamura being in his best condition and how he was in a "dry out" condition during his weight control. In the anime, this scene is removed.

Credits

Characters are named as they appear in the credits.

Role	English Name	Japanese	Rōmaji
Ippo Makunouchi	Kōhei Kiyasu	喜安 浩平	Kiyasu Kōhei
Mamoru Takamura	Rikiya Koyama	小山 力也	Koyama Rikiya
Masaru Aoki	Wataru Takagi	高木 渉	Takagi Wataru
Tatsuya Kimura	Keiji Fujiwara	藤原 啓治	Fujiwara Keiji
Manabu Itagaki	Daisuke Namikawa	浪川 大輔	Namikawa Daisuke
Bryan Hawk	Akio Ōtsuka	大塚 明夫	Ōtsuka Akio
Miguel Zale	Shōzō Īzuka	飯塚 昭三	Īzuka Shōzō
Coach Kamogawa	Kenji Utsumi	内海 賢二	Utsumi Kenji
Ginpachi Nekota	Ichirō Nagai	永井 一郎	Nagai Ichirō
Eiji Date	Masaki Aizawa	相沢 正輝	Aizawa Masaki
Ichirō Miyata	Tomokazu Seki	関 智一	Seki Tomokazu
Takeshi Sendō	Masaya Onosaka	小野坂 昌也	Onosaka Masaya
Yagi	Toshihiko Nakajima	中嶋 聡彦	Nakajima Toshihiko
Kyōka Takamura	Kikuko Inoue	井上 喜久子	Inoue Kikuko
Wataru Takamura	Megumi Matsumoto	松元 恵	Matsumoto Megumi
Live Announcer	Jin Horikawa	堀川 仁	Horikawa Jin
Ring Announcer	Kenji Nomura	乃村 健次	Nomura Kenji
Referee	Dai Matsumoto	松本 大	Matsumoto Dai

Episode Credits

Role	English Name	Japanese	Rōmaji
Screenplay	Sei Moriwaki	森脇 誠	Moriwaki Sei
Storyboard	Masayoshi Nishida	西田 正義	Nishida Masayoshi
Director	Takahiro Natori	名取 孝浩	Natori Takahiro
Animation Director	Jang Kil-yong Woo Jin-woo