Sendo's Fight

Yay!! Another Update!!! This is the page where we wrap it all up---the TV episodes that is. In the TV series, the last fight was with Sendo in a battle for the Featherweight Championship Belt. There is still a DVD left of Ippo but it wasn't shown in the series. I'd like to tell you but I haven't watched it yet. Anyway, if I finally got the chance to watch the DVD, I'll tell you. My guess would be that it's a fight between Miyata and Makunouchi, since Ippo's adventures began with Miyata, naturally, it would also end with Miyata. But that's just a guess, don't get carried away with it :P BUT, if you're reading this and laughing your heart out because you think that I've got no clue since you've already watched the DVD and have known all about it, why dont you tell me so that I, and everybody else would also know. But I won't force you if you don't want to..go ahead and laugh some more. It depends upon your choice if you want to help me and all the clueless fans out there, or not....

Okay, as you have noticed, I've changed the title to the "Sendo round" so that it would not be as misleading as before. Yeah, I guess Ippo will still be going on since it has 67 volumes and counting, so I guess I won't find the real ending for a long time. Anyway, this is the final episode in the anime series that was aired in our country.

Moving on, about the story, after Sendo became the champion and Ippo, having lost to the former champion, Eiji Date and moving on after a comeback match with Ponchai, Sendo challenged him to a title match for the Championship belt, (right after Ippo won with Ponchai) he accepted of course, but quite timidly. (I think he was still tired) It was made worse when Sendo was back at Osaka, having a match to defend his belt. Ippo was there, watching the match because he invited him and gave him a ticket. I think the match is against Takuma Saeki, but I'm not quite sure since I have forgotten (stupid bad memory!!). Anyway, Sendo didn't gave his best in the match and was beaten badly before he won. On his after-win speech, he apologized to all his fans for performing so badly in that match. However, he'll make it up on the fight with Ippo, challenging him on the spot. Ippo, being forced to make an impromptu speech, had nothing to say but to tell them about his birthday (November 23) and the match being a day earlier, he hoped to win on it to make it his early birthday present. Sendo's fans, though expected to beat him up after saying this, did nothing but kept quiet. This implies that they have respect over Ippo who beat Sendo during the last match.

Okay, hold on. Before anything else, I would slip another info here. The last three opponents were given a chance to show their past lives to make the fight even more exciting and basically, not to feel extremely angry on Ippo's opponent. I think they do this past experience thing in order to split the audience, you know, other people would wish the opponent will win, to make it, as I say, exciting. I've already told you the past of Volg (you know, the soup thing) and Date (losing a match, son dying) and now, it's Sendo's turn to tell his past. It's kinda different from the others since the two were the ones who tell their past, but for Sendo, it was his Grandmother in Osaka. It was set at his house, while he was doing rounds. A reporter (Fujii's assistant I think) came to interview Sendo but as he was not there, began to interview the Grandma instead, about Sendo's past. Sendo's mother died after giving birth to him, thus, it was his father who became responsible for his growth. His father said to his Grandma that he will take care of Takeshi to become a great man. Unfortunately, his father died while he was rescuing a child from a blazing fire, saying that the child is like his own son. (Sendo's father was a firefighter) And so, it was his Grandma's turn to take care of him. Sendo didn't cry at his father's funeral. He just watched it with mature eyes. His Grandma said that his father died as a very strong man and she hopes that his grandson will, too. Sendo aimed to be strong like his father, and always protected those he cared for, even as a child. He got into fights because of that, and eventually became the leader of his gang. Sendo was discovered by his coach when he was into a fight, beating up someone who threatened one of his members. His present coach asked him if he wanted to fight tougher fights in order to become stronger, so now he became a boxer, called "Rocky" of Osaka. (from Rocky Marciano, not Rocky Balboa)

Preparations were made so that people will look forward to the match. Ippo prepared himself by going through Training Camp again. This time, it was on the mountains with Kamogawa's former rival and friend, unfortunately I forgot his name, to help him become stronger in the upper part of his body. (Chest, arms, etc.) He did this by chopping wood, taking round in the mountains and learning a useful move, the feint. Sendo on the other hand prepared by making his lower body stronger. (legs, limbs, etc) He did this by taking rounds while wearing heavy equipment strapped in his legs. (I think it's basketball equipment to make players jump higher) Other preparatins include going on a date with Kumi on the zoo, (he, what a good preparation)promising Kumi that she would be the first one to have an autograph with him when he first become the champion, that kind of stuff.

And so, after those heavy preparations, the actual match had begun. It was a match advertised as "LALLAPALLOOZA", which means, as they explained, are the great hard punches boxers get in a great match. The tickets for the match were sold out like hotcakes, and other people who didn't get any tickets stayed outside the Korakuen Hall. Miyata was there, wearing a yellow shirt and green jacket, Mashiba was also there, with his sister,Kumi. He, for the information of everbody, wears a black jacket and a white-and-red cap. There was also the old man from the mountain (former opponent of Kamogawa), carrying a very huge sack and has a red nose, wearing a dirty white shirt. The sack carries his big dog, Isaac, whom he brought to let him watch Ippo's match. Umezawa and his cheering team are also there, competing with Sendo's fans, who has a drum. Coach Kamogawa has two assistants, Yagi and Mr. Nekota. So much for the details. Anyway, the match was really tough. No one knows who will win because they have the same level of strength, and since they improved their weak spots, nothing can go wrong. For the six rounds, Ippo and Sendo threw and received punches, countered every move and was knocked down 2 times. The seventh round was the last round. During the break, the two fighters refused to sit down and just stood up, staring at each other while panting. The old man said they were doing this to prevent losing the rising intensity on them. Both of them are thinking of the same thing--to end it on this round using all they have got: for Sendo, the smasher, while for Ippo, the Debsi Roll. And so the round began. Genji Kamogawa (the coach for all of you wondering) just stood there and said that he had nothing more to say to Ippo. He said that he regrets that he couldn't find a way to make the Debsi roll complete, so that he could teach it to Ippo and win. Many people, including Ippo, was shocked that Sendo used the cross-arm block. Takamura said that it was clear that Sendo is conserving his strength to give Ippo the final blow, a very strong smasher. Ippo came in first, using his debsi roll, but was stopped by a smasher from Sendo. However, Ippo had already knew that he would do that and he countered the smasher with one of his liver blows, added by a right. So Ippo, seeing Sendo thrown off, thought that it was the chance that he was waiting for. As he was doing the debsi roll again, he sees Sendo's eyes still glaring at him...and Sendo hit him with a strong right!! Unfortunately, Ippo knew he would do that when he saw Sendo's eyes and the right missed him barely. It's Ippo's turn to give his last blow...a complete debsi roll (as said by his coach later in the match)...He first struck Sendo by another liver blow, followed by a feint and then the gazelle punch..it was continued by a debsi roll, hitting Sendo continuously until he fell down, as Sendo continouosly tells himself that he will become strong. (and flashbacks of his past was shown) A knockdown by Ippo. As the referee counts, Ippo asks himself what real strength is. Meanwhile, Sendo rose up with the help of ropes as the referee counts. He tried to stand up, with the cheers of his fans and raise his hand to fight again, to the amazement of Kimura and Aoki. Sendo said to himself that he won't faint just like last time, and that he wants to see the face of the man who had beaten him. But then again, he fainted at the eight count of the referee and ended the match, with Ippo Makunouchi, 19 years old as the winner. The crowd gave him a standing obation in his honor. The coach and Yagi rushed to hime and Yagi actually carried Ippo to his shoulders as he danced happily. Mashiba rose up to go, followed by his sister who didn't want to leave but left anyway. He said to himself that the Ippo had became stronger again and he needs to have a few punches to cool himself down. Miyata also left, leaving a quick smile before turning around. Ippo was still shocked and couldn't belive he won. Kamogawa suggested him to turn around--to see Sendo. Sendo said that Ippo looked like he did something wrong and he said that he should lighten up, because he beat the "Sendo" in that match. Ippo replied that he had given his all to that match, and coould add nothing but his thanks. Sendo promised him that they would meet up again in the ring. As Sendo left, his fans were standing as they clapped for him. He couldn't raise his head to them. (I think he was sort of ashamed) Ippo's attention switched as he wore the Championship belt and after a while expressed his happiness that he won. A photo shoot came afterwards, and the funny thing is, the dog, Isaac was there in the picture. (his record was shown here, that he beat Sendo on the 7th round, 1 minute and 34 seconds, his 12th KO. I don't know the other info since I can't read Japanese).

And so, the celebration begins. Kamogawa said that since Ippo needs rest from the tough match, the celebration should be held tomorrow. And..after having some difficulty of saying it, he said to Ippo that he was great during the match. Ippo said his thanks to all of them. (his coach and assistants) The end of the much awaited Lallapallooza came about. Fujii's assistant said that it would be difficult to write the fight--since she said it is hard to describe the excitement and tension the match had, and how hard it was. As Fujii said that she should just write all what had happened as it was, he also said that he was afraid that after having two defeats on the same opponent, Sendo would soon have the possibility to retire on his boxing career.

Sendo was again shown, on the train to go back to Osaka. He was looking uneasy, and his coach asked why. He said that he really wanted to go to the bathroom, but since the only way to go there is to pass his sad fans, he didn't have the courage to go there. But the coach had a mistake and caused him to step on the switch that opens the door right in front of his fans. Sendo, being ashamed of losing, can't face his fans but after a while, his fans said to take it easy, as that fight was really tough, and they had witnessed Sendo's greatness again, and that they weren't quiet just because he was defeated, but because they were stunned and amazed at the greatness their idol gave. Sendo was again given praises and claps. As he returned to his Grandma, who is still holding a small tiger, (stuff toy?) he said that he would go to sleep, and also said seriously, "I'm sorry, but I'm still not strong." After he left, his Grandma faced the picture of Sendo's dead parents, and announced to them that their son came home stronger than before.

On to the celebration of Ippo. It was held on a karaoke bar, and as Ippo was going to that place, he saw his coach Kamogawa. The coach told him that during the match, Sendo's rib cage was broken by his liver blows and comments that if that didn't happen, Sendo may be the one who had won. Kamogawa admitted that even if Sendo was the boy's opponent, he still admires Sendo's skills. He also asks Ippo if he had found his answer he asked during the match, "what true strength is". Ippo answered that during the match, he thought he had found the answer, but there was still nothing. So, he said that he would find that answer in boxing, and asked Kamogawa to still remain his coach until then. As they approached the karaoke bar and Ippo was greeted by his friends and Kumi, he said to himself that what the boy is finding is not a thing to hold, but something bigger. And he wishes that until that day comes, he may still have the strength to help him find it.

WheW! And now, after the many episodes, this series has met its conclusion...or has it??The second ending song was sounded here. Ippo was shown at the karaoke bar, giving Kumi his autgraph. The old man from the mountains gave him a puppy from Isaac, at first he liked the dog but when it peed on his championship belt, he threw it stupidly. They all laughed to see him wipe the belt. He thanks everyone and then sings, but was thrown by stuff since I guess he sings rather stupidly. I didn't get to see everything. But if you know more about this, you should tell it so I can write it here. Just remember, Ippo hasn't met its end even today. Its manga is still running... Well, I am surprised that you've got to this long part without getting bored. Congrats!! Thank you for reading this part, even though its soo long...

Back