Fighting Spirit (2000) s01e60 Episode Script

1
ORIGINAL WORK BY GEORGE MORIKAWA
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
It looks hopeless for Sendo!
I saw that.
My body blows are hurting, right?
You're bluffing, right?
My boxing is working
on the amateur world champ.
If I keep lying down like this
it would be a waste.
RIVAL
He's up! What horrifying tenacity!
He's back on his feet from
what looked like a conclusive knockdown.
Yeah, but he's barely standing.
Seven seconds remain in Round Six.
That's enough to finish the job.
His legs are moving slow.
The body blows are affecting him.
This will finish it!
I can't move!
Oh, no. I'll fall!
He dodges it!
And there's the bell ending Round Six!
Sendo cheats fate
by the skin of his teeth!
Incredible!
He dodged the White Fang
by sinking back on the rope.
It was a fluke.
The rope happened
to catch his fall, that's all.
Did you see how I defeated the White Fang?
Just be quiet. You have to recover
from the damages.
I hate to say it, but he has you
way outclassed technically.
If you go in head-on, it won't work.
Don't stand directly in front of him.
Throw in some feints and take it steady.
Screw that.
What?
I'm going to take him in a head-on battle.
Otherwise, it's meaningless!
Those hits to the body are taking a toll.
Don't worry. It was foreseen.
I can't defeat a hard puncher
of his caliber unscathed.
He's astoundingly calm for a guy
who has the entire stadium against him.
His old soft spot is now gone.
He's turned into a strong boxer.
Sometimes boxers buoyed by mass cheering
can be revived quickly in a pinch.
-I want you to watch out for that.
-Yes, sir!
Sendo!
Now, it's Round Seven!
Both fighters have gone to the front!
It was like this the last time, too.
Everyone was calling out my name.
They're all looking forward to me winning.
I can't betray their support
for the second time.
He can still throw punches this powerful.
Sendo!
I get it. These voices
have been giving him a boost.
I don't hear my name,
but I'm not fighting
to hear people cheer for me.
I love boxing.
That's all I need to fight anywhere.
Volg has gone on an all-out attack!
Sendo is in trouble!
No matter the situation,
they keep calling for Sendo-san.
I'm amazed Volg-san
can bear this kind of loneliness.
Nationality, never mind loneliness,
has nothing to do with boxing.
I know how you feel, Volg.
I've gotta put up with it.
Look at that. Volg's started
to lose his sidestep.
The body blows are hurting too much
to move sideways.
You're almost there.
Just come forward a little more.
There!
A body blow from Sendo!
Why, you!
Volg hits back with a left!
It's turned into an up-down smash-up!
A test of perseverance!
Who will be first to fall?
Neither can back off!
The one who backs off loses.
Sendo smashes!
Now! I challenge you!
Quick shift?
He switched to Southpaw!
My word! A right smash!
In Round Seven, the teeth of the Tiger
have sunk in deep.
A smash using his writing hand.
What destructive power!
He was saving it for last.
Victory is certain!
He raises his arms up high.
A real awesome one connected!
Don't bother with the countdown!
It's hopeless! He can't get up after that.
Normally, yes.
Volg, can you hear me? Volg!
If you give up, it's all over!
Do you want it to end
in a place like this?
Keep fighting, Volg!
I I can't let it end.
I can't let it end!
Volg-san!
He rises to his feet!
Volg can barely stand!
Amazing.
Can you keep going?
You piece of
I can't move my legs, either!
All right, go for it! Finish him off!
Volg goes into a clinch!
He stops the final move!
-Hey, that's dirty!
-That's unsportsmanlike!
Appearances are irrelevant.
I cannot afford to lose.
Damn it, let go of me!
And there's the bell!
Volg takes it to Round Eight
through sheer tenacity of will.
That was incredibly close.
He was almost there!
Yeah, but he'll win in the next round.
One hit will knock him down.
Rooting for the home team
should only be taken so far.
It's no easy task to show this much
fighting spirit in enemy territory.
Can't you give him
a single round of applause?
-What's with the daydreaming?
-Uh, nothing
It's all so amazing
I'm at a loss for words.
And I feel kind of upset somehow.
That I'm only watching it
from so far away.
I want to fight these guys again.
I want to train and re-train
and fight them again.
Now for Round Ten!
This is the final round!
Sendo!
I guess the entire stadium is against me.
But I'm sure the pressure he's feeling
is more than I can imagine.
I can put out 120% of my power
in this atmosphere.
Also, he took my best shot
and endured for the full rounds.
I have to win no matter what.
That's the one vow that has kept me going.
Perhaps I'm the lucky one to have
been able to box with a guy like this.
You're an amazing guy.
I really respect you.
I'm losing by points!
I'll settle it all with a KO!
The point difference is slim.
I have to knock him down!
I don't want either of them
to lose anymore.
That wasn't an impact knockdown.
He slipped.
Damn, my foot slipped.
What?
To your neutral corner!
Ridiculous! Where are your eyes?
It's obvious he slipped!
It's not a punch! I slipped!
It appeared to be a slip,
but it's pronounced a knockdown!
Volg suffers a painful two point loss
at this late juncture.
Did that hit?
Was it a slight graze?
Boy, what a harsh call.
Please move!
Yeah, come on!
Volg's expression is desperate!
He attacks like crazy
to reclaim the lost points.
However, there is no more time!
Damn it!
And the match is over!
The final decision
has been carried over to the judges.
That was ten full rounds
of hard impact combat.
Kudos to both contenders
for the gutsy fight.
The score cards are being collected.
The decision should be out soon.
Who will the Japan Featherweight
championship belt go to?
Sendo? Or Volg?
The winner is
HAJIME NO IPPO: THE FIGHTING!
The winner is
Sendo, in the red corner!
It's Sendo!
What a disappointment for Volg.
At this moment,
the Japan Featherweight belt
is delivered into Sendo's hands.
The Tiger of Naniwa shone brilliantly
as Japan champion
in his hometown of Osaka.
Sendo's the new champion!
Volg-san?
Way to go, Sendo! You won!
Go on, raise your arms
and respond to the spectators!
What's wrong? Raise your arms.
Sendo?
This is a mockery!
Where were the judges looking?
He had a three-point lead!
This judgment is unacceptable!
I demand it be retracted!
It's unacceptable! Retract it!
Volg
Hold it.
I don't feel like a winner
after being beaten up so badly.
I will temporarily hold on to the belt.
I'll make any challenge
from you my priority.
Next time, I'll settle it for real!
What next time?
According to my tally,
Volg was in the lead,
but there's no use complaining
because the damage is already done.
Anyway, it was a good fight.
Yeah. It's too bad about Volg-san,
but this is also a part of boxing.
Sendo!
Being in the ring sure is attractive.
I want to stand in the ring soon, too.
I want to box! Immediately, if possible.
Huh? Miyata-kun?
Oh, boy.
He always shows up
and disappears in a flash.
Whenever I think I'm closer,
they distance themselves again.
I couldn't keep up with them
even if I fought for dear life.
The world of boxing is packed
with incredible people.
I'll take it stage by stage.
And then someday I will catch up
to Date-san and Miyata-kun.
I need to start with the Japan title.
My first goal
is the Featherweight champion.
That's Sendo-san!
KAMOGAWA BOXING GYM
Kid!
You have a phone call.
Right.
Hello?
Hi, Ippo-kun. It's been a long time.
Fujii-san!
That Featherweight title face-off
was amazing, wasn't it?
Yes! It got me totally pumped up.
Both Sendo-san and Volg-san
were so incredible.
Yeah, I'd like to get your comment
on that later,
but there's no time,
so I'll just get to the point.
This news is just in.
Otowa Gym has severed its contract
to manage Volg Zangeif.
He'll be sent back to Russia
as early as this evening.
What?
You mean instead of going back
on his own, he's being sent back?
What?
Why does he have to
I thought I should tell you.
Well, talk to you later.
Volg-san is being sent back?
Gyms have their own reasons.
Positions offered to high-level foreign
boxers promote revitalization of the gym,
as well as the advancement
of Japan's boxing.
However, they can't keep giving a paycheck
to a boxer who doesn't attract the fans.
But how could he not please the fans?
With Volg-san's talent and ability
He failed twice in succession.
He's already lost market value.
But he's only lost twice!
It's too much!
He hasn't recuperated from the fight.
Volg had to know it was coming.
He's only fought as a pro five times,
but it's likely everything
was staked on those fights.
That is precisely
why Volg's fighting stood out.
He knew it all along.
Volg-san is not good at taking a beating.
He got up in the middle
of taking those smashes.
Coach Ramuda protested
the decision fiercely.
It was all because they knew
it would come to this all along.
You might think it's heartless,
but this is also
a part of professional boxing.
Did he say this evening?
If you rocket a taxi all the way
to Narita, you'll make it in time.
Go on. You don't want him
to leave like this, do you?
Thank you so much!
I guess there are some nice things
about you.
I had a basic idea
of what he was thinking.
Thanks to that, I'm in the poorhouse.
Hey, that's not funny! That's my wallet!
When did you take that?
What? Naturally, I found it
inside my pocket.
I thought it was strange
for you to be that flush.
Give it back!
Shut up! What's yours is mine.
What's mine is mine!
What the heck does that mean?
NEW TOKYO INTERNATIONAL AIRPOR
Anyway, I have to see him.
I want to see him
and say something, anything!
Damn it, I've never been in an airport
before, so I don't know where to go.
Excuse me, I need to have someone paged.
Um, he's heading to Russia
Volg-san!
Makunouchi.
You came.
Yeah. Uh, listen
It's This happened so suddenly.
And I don't know what to say.
That's how it goes.
Results are everything in this world.
I didn't work out as a professional.
That's all.
That's not true!
You were really powerful!
In every match,
you were powerful and brilliant!
To be honest, I do have a regret.
I came to this country with a dream
and I couldn't do anything.
I'm very disappointed.
Volg-san.
But I don't need sympathy.
It's not like I'm returning
to my homeland empty-handed.
I learned the severity
of the professional boxing ring.
I also learned its enjoyment.
I learned the meaning of boxing.
I am grateful to you.
What, me?
When I return to my homeland,
I want to teach
what you have taught me to my juniors.
And be proud that I fought
a strong boxer in Japan.
That I fought a great fighter
named Ippo Makunouchi.
I don't deserve that.
By then I want you to be a champion.
Not of Japan, but on a larger scale.
Not of Japan?
You don't have to swear to it for now.
Volg!
It's time. I have to go.
They've gotten old, but
I want you to have these.
I intended to stay a long time,
so I studied Japanese very hard.
When I return to my homeland,
I probably won't use it again.
So this is my last Japanese word.
Makunouchi
"Sayonara."
I won't forget you, either.
I won't forget
that I fought you.
I swear
I won't ever forget.
Weaving.
A defensive movement that involves
moving the upper body side to side.
As long as there is a limit
to human stamina,
there is a need to refine defense.
But I have a feeling that isn't enough.
I want to understand it in order to win.
In order to catch up to everyone
as soon as possible,
I don't want to lose anymore!
Next time, "Comeback Anxiety."