Seiken Arc

Seiken Arc
Information
Volumes	74-76 (3 Volumes)
Manga Rounds	700-717, (18 Chapters)
Chronology
Previous	Chaos Arc (Law of the Ring Saga)
Next	Scratch Arc

The Seiken Arc is the thirty-second story arc in the series and the first in the Survival Match of Asian Champions Saga.

Itagaki's unofficial All Japan Rookie King Tournament facing the West Japan Rookie King Osaka star Hoshi is on. Shinoda, after hearing Masaru Aoki and Tatsuya Kimura calling him a "trainer from hell," he decides to give Kamogawa his resignation papers, since he feels that he is the reason Aoki and Kimura can't tap into their potential after they lost their title matches. Shinoda announces that if Itagaki loses, then he will take responsibility for it and resign. When the match begins, Itagaki shows off a glimpse of his incredible potential that Shinoda has been waiting to finally see as he had noticed with training such a talented fighter.

Summary

Hajime no Kōshien

Kamogawa gym partaking in a baseball game.

When Ippo gets off the phone with Sendō, he reveals Sawamura's retirement to Aoki, Kimura, Itagaki, and Fujii, who also reveals to everyone that Mashiba will be suspended from boxing for over six months and up to a year. While Kimura thinks the match was moving, he also insensitively expresses his joy that Sawamura retired and Mashiba is no longer champion, which makes Ippo upset at him. Five days later, Ippo hasn't talked to Kimura and neither one of them knows how to go forward. At the Kimura Florist, Kimura's father informs him that due to players from his local shopping district's baseball game dropping out, spots are needed to be filled for the local Santei Japan team. Kimura decides to get Ippo, Aoki, Itagaki, and Takamura to fill the spots. On the day of the baseball game, Kimura and Aoki recognise Kiyota and Kuwahara on the enemy team, who they have faced before. Kiyota and Kuwahara makes a bet with Aoki and Kimura that if they beat them, they will get to shave their heads. Over the course of the game, one of them tells Kimura that the game between them isn't about the previous bet, but back when they were in Little League together, since they felt betrayed when Aoki and Kimura left, as they looked up to them. Kimura claims that baseball was too easy, and asks what Kiyota and Kuwahara wanted to do after Kōshien, but one of them claims that the wall for the professionals is too high and not something one can easily overcome. Kimura replies that they gave up, yet he and Aoki are still trying to climb that wall, even if it is too high.

Aoki's hair revealed after his baseball cap was removed.

Despite Ippo, Takamura, and Itagaki doing poorly in the game, Aoki and Kimura's team won in the end. Afterwards, when Aoki makes fun of the enemy team getting mad about losing because of the dog, Takamura thinks Aoki's attitude is poor, so he allows for his head to be shaved. However, when Aoki's cap gets removed, Takamura and the enemy team are sickened by the way Aoki's hair looks and runs away. Afterwards, Kimura mentions to Ippo and Itagaki that there is no telling how long the Kamogawa group will last due to sudden retirement like in Sawamura's case, and that he may be the first to go, but he will still be able to look back on the good times and be glad that he chose his path at the Kamogawa gym. Ippo thinks that he himself may be the one that will retire first, so he will have to remember these good times.

Beware the Beast - Main Event - Takeshi Sendō (JBC Rank 2) vs. José Ramírez (WBC Rank 23) / Semi-Final - Hiroyuki Hoshi (JBC Rank 8) vs. Bunsaku Krati (Thailand Rank 6)

Hoshi defeating Krati.

Later, Ippo and Itagaki are heading to the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium by train. On the way there, Ippo informs Itagaki that he heard from Kumi that Mashiba was already intending to relinquish his title after his match with Sawamura, so he is thinking of his suspension as a vacation and is preparing himself to challenge the world. Itagaki notes that there are many of Ippo's generation that are world rankers, wondering who will become world champion first. Ippo thinks that the main eventer that they are travelling to watch are one of the candidates with the best chance. When they get to the venue, they notice on the match poster that the main eventer, Sendō is facing José Ramírez, who is ranked twenty-third in the WBC. Ippo asks Itagaki if he is concerned about the semi-final, consisting of Hoshi and Bunsaku Krati, but Itagaki claims that he just came to cheer for Sendō, but he figures he might as well watch Hoshi's as well. When the match between Hoshi and Krati begins, Hoshi takes his stance of having his left arm sticking out while his right hand is tucked at his side. Hoshi quickly knocks Krati out with a single Seiken after getting hit by a couple jabs in the first round as the referee ends the match without a count. Ippo is shocked by the one punch knockout, while Itagaki already knew what the Seiken is due to watching videos of Hoshi's matches. Hoshi does a mic performance where he reveals to the crowd that he would be going to Tokyo to bring Sendō's JBC featherweight title back to Osaka after his next match. Hoshi closes his speech by thanking the crowd and telling them to have a safe trip home, causing Sendō to scold him when he goes back to their venue's room since the crowd is starting to leave before his match against Ramírez begins. As punishment, Sendō tells him to stand in position next to a wall until his match is done.

Sendō defeating Ramírez.

Sendō and Ramírez' match begins. After the sixth round where Sendō struggled to get used to the extended range of Ramírez' punches, Yanaoka mentions how Ramírez puts his whole shoulder into his punches, adding that if he keeps expecting the same range as a Japanese boxer, he will keep getting hit. In the seventh round, Sendō manages to hit Ramirez with a Smash, downing him. The referee ends the match, resulting in Sendō's victory. Sendō gives a comment to the crowd that he plans on taking the world title. On his way back to his venue's room, he is excited to see that Ippo came to watch his match and offers to take him and Itagaki somewhere to eat. Before leaving, Sendō orders Hoshi to stay put in the venue after Hoshi told Sendō that he was worried because he took long against Ramirez.

Sendō takes Ippo and Itagaki to the Marumi Okonomiyaki, where Sendō reveals to the two that he is fighting Mexicans because he is after Ricardo. Knowing that Itagaki is fighting his kōhai, Hoshi, Sendō warns Itagaki how strong he is and tells him about his first spar with Hoshi which left him dazed after getting hit by his Seiken. Sendō becomes frantic when he remembers that he left Hoshi waiting inside the venue, leaving after telling Ippo that he does not think he is fated to fight Miyata, but he and Ippo are fated to meet in the ring again at the top. Ippo becomes down from Sendō's words about Miyata while going back to Tokyo, believing that there is no way they aren't fated. At the Kamogawa gym, when Aoki and Kimura were making fun of Ippo and Miyata's fate possibly going to a different path, Takamura feels their execution was weak and does his own where he spits on Aoki's head and exclaims that he took a different path.

Becoming an 8-Rounder

Itagaki fighting against his opponent.

Days later, Itagaki is informed by staff at the Kamogawa gym that Hoshi has requested a match against him, with a deal that it has to be in Osaka and that if Itagaki loses, Hoshi gets to fight Ippo for the title. However, since Itagaki is a six-rounder and needs to be an eight-rounder to fight against an JBC ranker, Itagaki is scheduled to fight in one more six round match to become an eight-rounder. Kamogawa kicks Itagaki out after he asked when Ippo would relinquish his belt, wanting him to focus what is in front of him first. Kamogawa tells Yagi and Shinoda how it is true that they haven't been able to relinquish the JBC belt due to Ippo and Miyata's fight being delayed, however, he doesn't believe that they aren't fated to meet. Kamogawa asks Shinoda if Itagaki's injuries are healed, which Shinoda informs him that they are. Three weeks later, Itagaki arrives to the Kōrakuen Hall to fight in his six round match. When the match begins, Itagaki has trouble dodging his opponent's attacks due to seeing his opponent attack with a weird rhythm. After having a slug match at the final sixth round, Itagaki wins by decision. Outside the venue, due to Itagaki's poor performance, Aoki and Kimura suspect that it is Itagaki's fate to become a mud wrestling fighter like them as the three's chief trainer is Shinoda. When Aoki and Kimura deems Shinoda a "Trainer from Hell" and the "Master of the Sludge Match Shinoda", they went running as Shinoda arrives.

What is Fated

Miyata looking at the OPBF featherweight ranking.

At the Kawahara gym, as Miyata is wrapping his fist, his father wants to know what he is doing. Miyata tells him that he isn't feeling any more pain with them. His father tells him not to, as he could break his fists again and have his match with Ippo be delayed again. Miyata is informed by his father that the OPBF organisation will hold a match between the second and third ranker to choose an interim champion to take his place since his recovery will take a while. Miyata's father explains to him that the interim champion intends on being his returning opponent because the active champion is supposed to fight the interim champion when they are back to health again. Miyata, however, claims that it won't happen, and that he doesn't care if they stripped him of his belt, he is fine as long as he can fight Ippo. When his father leaves after he decides that he will prioritise his son's feelings, Miyata looks at the OPBF featherweight rankings to see who would fight to become the interim champion and sees the name of the second ranker, Randy Boy Junior, and thinks that he has heard that name before. As Miyata shadowboxes, he gets excited to finally fulfil his promise to Ippo for their fated meeting once his fists heal. Miyata remembers hearing someone say "fated meeting" to him before, however, he doesn't remember who.

Later at the Kamogawa gym, Aoki, Kimura and Itagaki watch Ippo shadowbox, which he flinches as if he got hit by Miyata's counter. Aoki and Kimura informs Itagaki that he did the same thing when he first started the gym, making it feel like he really is going to fight Miyata, who they believe is Ippo's starting point and possibly his final destination. After seeing Ippo shadowbox with Miyata as his opponent, Kamogawa mentions to Yagi how nostalgic it feels. While Yagi suggests for Ippo to fight someone as the wait time for the match against Miyata has extended, Kamogawa declines, as Ippo may lose since he is too focused on Miyata. Yagi notes that it is a good thing that they turned down the request for Ippo to be an OPBF interim champion since the OPBF second ranker has great reputation. Kamogawa is shown a file on the OPBF's second ranker, Randy Boy Junior, making Kamogawa recall the name "Randy Boy"'.

Itagaki talking to Suzuki about Miyata.

Later, Itagaki goes to the Kōrakuen Hall to watch a club mate from his amateur days, Suzuki, fight in his pro debut match. After watching Suzuki win by decision, Itagaki meets him to congratulate him. Itagaki wonders why Suzuki moved up to junior lightweight, which Suzuki answers that he didn't want to go against him, Imai, Ippo, or Miyata. Itagaki is shocked when Suzuki mentions his gym mate, Miyata only told him "good luck" as he left for his pro debut match. As Suzuki is excited about Ippo and Miyata having a match together, Itagaki warns Suzuki that his senpai is strong, which Suzuki also tells him the same. Itagaki congratulates Suzuki before leaving. Itagaki is sure Ippo and Miyata will meet in the ring, as there is no one that will stand in their way.

Later at the Kamogawa gym, after having trouble against Aoki in a spar, Itagaki is made fun of by him since Aoki doesn't want Itagaki to surpass him in the gym's internal ranking. Aoki attacks Kimura as he explained to Ippo about Aoki feeling cornered about Itagaki passing him in the gym's internal ranking system. Aoki notes how he has people who take orders from him in the gym, making Kimura being ranked under him. Leaving the gym, Aoki and Kimura discuss how Itagaki seems to be in a slump, which they assume that it is because he beat Imai and no longer has a goal. Aoki and Kimura theorise that Ippo may quit boxing if he defeats Miyata if they compare them to Itagaki and Imai. later, Itagaki has trouble keeping up with Ippo while doing roadwork, lamenting how out of shape he seems to be. Itagaki's spirits rises when Ippo reminds him of the baton pass he gave him to take his JBC featherweight belt.

Fujii and Mari interviewing Itagaki about who will hold Ippo's JBC title.

With a week before Itagaki's match against Hoshi, Fujii and Mari arrives to the Kamogawa gym to interview Itagaki. They ask him if Ippo relinquishes his JBC featherweight belt to fight the OPBF champion Miyata, who would be the one to take Ippo's place as the new JBC featherweight champion. Itagaki comments that he will make sure his senpai's belt returns to the Kamogawa gym. As Fujii and Mari leaves the gym, Fujii mentions how he wishes that he could see how Ippo would handle the new generation of boxers, and that Itagaki is the only one from the new generation that won't fight Ippo. After Mari points out that Ippo is relinquishing the belt, so there won't be a fight between old and new boxers, Fujii believes that that is not guaranteed, adding that while he wants to see Ippo fight at world level, one can't predict what will happen, as fate in the ring can be complex. Fujii notes that two fighters with intense feelings who fail to come to alignment and their match never happens because where one ends up in boxing is unpredictable. At Kamogawa's office, Shinoda gives Kamogawa resignation paperword, and explains that he is afraid that it might be exactly like Aoki and Kimura said, that he is a trainer from hell who only teaches how to fight in sludge matches. Shinoda believes he wasn't able to tap into enough of their potential and failed at both Kimura and Aoki's title matches. He explains that if Itagaki were to lose on top of that, then it would be his fault for not helping him utilise his talent as well. Shinoda informs Kamogawa that if Itagaki loses his next match, then he will take responsibility for it.

Unofficial All Japan Rookie King Tournament - Main Event - Manabu Itagaki vs. Hiroyuki Hoshi

On the day of Itagaki's match against Hoshi, the Kamogawa gym arrives to Osaka. When Aoki, Kimura, and Takamura arrive and Aoki and Kimura decide to jeer at Itagaki so he doesn't go up the gym's internal ranking, Yagi wonders if they will still mess around after knowing that Shinoda will resign if Itagaki loses. Knowing that their remarks towards Shinoda sparked this, they decide to cheer for Itagaki. In Itagaki's room, he is anxious in the waiting room due to the fact that he could lose from just one of Hoshi's punches and that it is a ten round match. While heading to the audience area to cheer for Itagaki, Ippo is stopped by Sendō. Sendō warns him about Hoshi's abilities when facing him as Hoshi will go after Ippo if he defeats Itagaki. While Sendō believes Itagaki has no chance, Ippo is sure that Itagaki would win so he won't have to fight Hoshi. Sendō gives Ippo advice on Hoshi's Seiken anyway just in case, as he is worried about his position in his gym's internal rankings if Hoshi beats Ippo. As the match is about to begin, Itagaki dashes to the ring to avoid hearing the crowd's jeers toward him, while Hoshi walks to the ring with cheers. Itagaki is advised by Shinoda to focus and watch all of Hoshi's movements.

Itagaki defeating Hoshi.

When the match begins, Itagaki focuses on Hoshi's movements and notices that Hoshi is moving in slow motion while throwing a punch towards him. Confused, Itagaki easily counters Hoshi, earning a down. Sendō asks Ippo what happened, as it looked like that despite being in the same ring, time was moving differently for them. When Hoshi gets up, Itagaki enjoys himself as he let Hoshi's punches hit as close as they can without letting Hoshi touch him. Sendō mentions to Ippo how he would go after Itagaki's lowered guard and hit his face despite knowing it is a trap for a counter. While effortlessly dodging Hoshi's punches, Hoshi throws out a punch for Itagaki to counter in order to hit Itagaki with a dual exchange. However, Itagaki's speed let him throw out multiple counters before Hoshi could throw out one punch, knocking him down. The referee ends the match without a count, resulting in Itagaki's victory as Itagaki jumps around in excitement. Kimura sees the match as the debut of the genius Itagaki. Hoshi gets up in the ring and does a mic performance, where he tells Itagaki that he may have lost, but it's not over between them, before tossing the mic to Itagaki and walking away. Sendō claims that while Hoshi's aim is at Itagaki now, Itagaki may be aiming for Ippo soon to test himself one day. Ippo notes that they are in the same gym, which Sendō acknowledges, but reflects while walking away that that fact wouldn't matter if Itagaki is a real man. Itagaki earns respect with the crowd after commenting with a pun during the victory interview. Ippo doesn't think he will ever see another boxer that enjoys boxing this much.