PAH! PAH!
The sound of Ippo's one-two combination landing clean echoed through the gym like gunshots. Miyata's legs buckled and he went down hard, his usual composure completely shattered.
"Incredible!" Fujii exclaimed from ringside, his pen moving rapidly across his notepad. "In all my years covering boxing, I've rarely seen such a dramatic improvement in such a short time frame."
"Eight! Nine!" Takamura continued the count.
Miyata got to his feet, but his eyes held a new wariness. "This isn't the same person I fought three months ago. His movement, his pressure—it's like fighting a completely different boxer."
"Look at that technique," Kamogawa muttered from his corner, his experienced eyes taking in every detail. "The boy's finally learned to use his instincts properly."
As the fighters resumed their positions, Aoki leaned over to Kimura with excitement.
"Did you see that combination? Clean as a whistle!"
"Yeah, but Miyata's not going to make the same mistake twice," Kimura replied. "He's already adjusting his stance."
Indeed, Miyata had subtly shifted his guard higher and his feet were moving more actively, trying to prevent Ippo from settling into that suffocating pressure range again.
Ippo came forward once more, but this time Miyata was ready. As Ippo darted in from the left, Miyata's counter right caught him flush on the temple.
PAH!
The impact sent Ippo staggering, his vision blurring momentarily.
"And there's the response!" Fujii noted. "Miyata's counter-punching ability is truly exceptional."
But even as his head spun, Ippo's body moved on instinct. Instead of backing away, he pressed forward, absorbing the punishment while continuing to close distance.
"His recovery is inhuman," Miyata thought, throwing another sharp left that caught Ippo on the jaw. "But he just keeps coming."
THUD!
This time Ippo went down, hitting the canvas hard.
"One! Two! Three!"
"That's the Miyata we know," Aoki said, though his voice carried less confidence than before. "But look—Ippo's already moving."
"Four! Five! Six!"
"I can't let him control the distance," Ippo thought as he pushed himself up. "If I let him dictate the range, I'll lose just like before."
"Seven! Eight!"
Ippo stood, his legs still shaky but his resolve unbroken.
"I can continue," he said clearly.
As they resumed fighting, the contrast in styles became even more apparent. Miyata tried to use his superior reach and timing to keep Ippo at bay, but every time he thought he'd created space, Ippo was there again, cutting off angles like a shark circling its prey.
"This is fascinating," Fujii murmured, making rapid notes. "Two completely different philosophies of boxing on display here."
The exchanges became more intense as both fighters adapted to each other's improvements. Miyata's counters were sharper and more frequent, but Ippo's pressure was relentless, never giving the out-boxer time to settle into his rhythm.
"Every time I try to create distance, he's already moving to cut me off," Miyata realized. "His footwork has improved dramatically."
Ippo managed to slip inside Miyata's guard and landed a brutal hook to the ribs that made Miyata wince.
PAH!
"Beautiful body work!" Kamogawa called out approvingly. "That's how you break down an out-boxer!"
But Miyata's response was immediate—a perfect uppercut that caught Ippo as he tried to follow up.
PAH!
Down went Ippo again, this time from a textbook counter.
"Two knockdowns for Miyata," Kimura observed. "But Ippo's lasting longer than anyone expected."
DING!
The first round ended with both fighters breathing hard and showing the effects of the intense exchanges.
----
In their respective corners, both fighters received crucial advice.
"You're doing well," Kamogawa told Ippo, "but you're getting caught by the same counter. When you come in, vary your angles more. Don't be predictable."
Across the ring, Miyata's father was giving his own counsel. "His pressure is exceptional, but he's still leaving openings. Time your counters better—he's coming in straighter than he thinks."
DING!
The second round began with both fighters implementing their corner's advice.
Ippo's approach became more varied—darting in from different angles, switching up his timing, making it harder for Miyata to predict where the next attack would come from.
"He's adapted already," Fujii noted with admiration. "The speed of his learning is remarkable."
But Miyata had made adjustments too. His counters were now coming in combinations rather than single shots, making it dangerous for Ippo to commit to his pressure boxing.
"If I can't predict his timing, I'll have to create my own opportunities," Miyata thought, beginning to take more initiative in their exchanges.
The cat and mouse game intensified. Every time Ippo darted in, Miyata had a counter ready. Every time Miyata tried to create space, Ippo was already cutting off his escape route.
"This is incredible boxing," Aoki said, completely absorbed in the match. "They're both fighting at a level way beyond their experience."
A particularly vicious exchange saw both fighters land simultaneously—Ippo's hook to the body meeting Miyata's straight left to the head.
PAH! PAH!
Both staggered, but neither went down.
"He's getting stronger as the fight goes on," Miyata realized. "This isn't normal improvement—it's like he's evolving in real time."
For Ippo, the fight felt almost familiar, as if he'd experienced something like this before through Yuto's memories. The pressure, the constant forward movement, the refusal to give ground—it all felt natural.
"I won't back down," he thought, pressing forward again. "Not when I'm finally able to fight like this."
The round continued with neither fighter able to gain a decisive advantage, but both clearly pushing each other to new levels.
"At this rate," Kamogawa muttered, "they're both going to be completely different fighters by the end of this match."
DING!
Round two ended with both fighters having shown remarkable growth, but the outcome still very much in doubt.
As they returned to their corners, Fujii continued scribbling notes furiously.
"This is exactly the kind of content my readers want to see," he said to himself. "Two young fighters pushing each other beyond their limits."
The rematch was living up to every expectation, and there were still two rounds to go.