20. After the spar

Guys Boxing training is not a joke hahaha, well they let me experience it and also the coach gave me a lot of tips, my training in the other martial art helped me, but it's not the same, I got scolded by my form, and also the changing sides...

I really got scolded a lot, but I'll keep the training.

Also I got an injury on my right arm, my team went into a match and I got "sandwiched" the linebacker crushed my right shoulder with his helmet, it's not broken but it hurts a lot. But we won the game, 12 - 9 the got a touchdown and a kick, and we got two touch, without the bonus.

I know you people don't care of my life but all of this is to say... Sorry for the lack of updates inside the week, I can only dedicate this writing into the weekends, but I'm going to try to get more words every chapter.

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I was confident in my block, but man, Ippo's punch is a real nightmare. Is this anime power? I don't think I have ever been pushed by a punch in the last world. Also, I did get a cut inside my mouth, but I don't feel the cut anymore, ok let's just say this is actually anime power.

Ippo was looking from his corner. I raised my guard and looked at him.

When Kimura gave the order, I dashed. I went for a full swing with my right, but that was a feint. I remember that Ippo was weak at defense and feints in his early fights, and he also doesn't have any experience or training for this.

Furthermore, I stopped the right just as he raised his guard, and hit him with a body blow. My body swayed and, with rhythm, threw punches with my left and did a finishing combination with my right every four punches.

Left jab, Left jab, Left hook, Body blow with my right.

Left upper, Left jab, left jab, and a right hook.

Ippo got hit a lot by this, but he still got his guard up, and I saw his eyes looking at me in between his guard. He threw some punches, but as he didn't put the weight on his legs, I parried them. Then I moved clockwise, just like Miyata did, and punched him in a circle. He lowered his body to cover more space. I slowed my pace and did a left-hook followed by a right upper, but his guard stood hard; I couldn't break it.

I continued this barrage but I couldn't open his guard and the round ended.

Takamura was by his side and, with an annoying face, was telling him something.

"Go for the body." I looked to my side, and Ichiro was talking.

I nodded while controlling my breath.

Ichiro continued, "Try to do two or three body blows to see if he lowers his guard, but be careful; his punch is strong"

I smiled and said, "I'll try"

Kimura rang the bell, and the second round started.

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SECOND ROUND

Sora put his guard up with both hands to the side of his face, he moved next to Ippo, and dodged the first canons, Ippo was throwing jabs with his left, but Sora had more arm length, making him miss, for every three jabs, Sora went and threw some punches, most of them connected with Ippo.

Sora lowered his hands to his chin and went into close range. He pushed Ippo with his shoulder; he wanted to move him and then throw some body blows in super close range, but Ippo didn't budge; he was like a boulder.

Sora was astonished, and Ippo took advantage of the moment, and threw a body blow, Sora blocked but still got hurt, he did a backstep and made some distance.

He said, "I guess I won't be able to push him"

Sora kept the distance, throwing some jabs. When he got his confidence again, he pushed inside and got into some combinations: a diagonal punch followed by a body blow, then a right straight. Ippo didn't buckle from all this; he sent some jabs to Sora, but he parried them and dodged some of them, pushing his body to infight with him.

He knew it was dangerous but it didn't matter to him, Ippo isn't trained, which is the best way to fight him, when Ippo fought Oda he barely knew what a jab was, surely his fight with Miyata was great and the one inch upper was amazing, but in a year he barely made any progress. They need sparring, and losing is the greatest way to improve oneself.

Sora smiled when he thought all that and threw left hooks in a row.

Takamura exclaimed "ahhh that idiot, block them!"

But Ippo was too concentrated; he couldn't hear him. Sora grinned and sent more body blows; it was then that he lowered his guard.

'Finally' Sora said in his mind

With another left body blow, he twisted his hips, and sent a right hook with a full swing, Ippo barely reacted, the punch smashed through the headgear and Ippo opened his legs, pushing his body to the side to not let him fall, but Sora wasn't going to let this moment be incomplete, so he did a step in.

Ippo's face flinched, he received a jab, and his head swung to the side. A right pushed him back once again; he opened his mouth, and the mouth guard slipped down. Then a left hook impacted his head, and his knees bent themselves, he fell flat into the canvas.

Kimura moved in and pushed Sora to the corner, counting one… two…

Inside Ippo's head he was still conscious he raised his head and looked at Sora. He felt some despair at being knocked down again, first Miyata let him unconscious then Sora also made him go down.

Five… six…

But something inside Ippo burned with intensity. He knew that he couldn't stay on the floor; those punches hurt, but at the same time they didn't.

Ippo started to laugh.

Everyone was stunned by this, and they looked at him with curiosity.

He put his knee up and raised his body. When he was standing straight, he punched both of his gloves and said, "Come on!"

Sora smiled with happiness and dashed it without waiting the signal from Kimura.

DING DING DING

The bell sounded, Sora's arm was reaching for Ippo, Kimura was holding him with his back, and Ippo was blocking the punch. At the same time, he stopped a punch directed at Sora's unprotected chin.

They stood there for seconds, but everyone was gasping for air. Suddenly, a flash blinded them.

"Huh?" everyone said

Sora looked to the side and there was a reporter and a photographer.

"Coach Kamogawa, where did you hide this guys?" the reporter said.

"Fujii, what the hell? Who let you pass?" Kamogawa asked with empty anger.

Fujji blinked three times and with a finger he pointed to Takamura.

"Figures… Damn brat, you're going to do double roadwork all week"

"hiiiiih" Takamura shouted running and leaving Ippo's corner.

Kamogawa sighed, and with a nod, he told Fujii to wait for him. He went to Ippo's corner and said to him, "Kid, great recovery; he's going to come to the kill. You're tired, but your arm can make all the difference. Do you remember the mitt training?"

Ippo just nodded.

"Great, well, when you block something, that's the moment to go after the body; come on, kid, you can do it!" Kamogawa helped Ippo stand and, smiling, pushed him to the middle.

In the other corner, Miyata was talking with Sora and pointing out the faults in the guard of Ippo, Sora knew all this and humored Miyata, giving his thanks.

The bell sounded for the final round.

THIRD ROUND

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Fujii POV.

The rookies dashed at the same time; the taller one was faster by a small margin, but the short step-in was already great.

"Hey, Aoki, when did they join the gym?" Fujii asked

Aoki looked at him, and with a grin, he said, "Are you interested?"

Meanwhile, Sora was pressuring Ippo with a double left combination with Uppers and left hooks. Ippo blocked them and threw a left and a right straight; the sound those punches made was almost irreal.

Fujii whistled and continue his conversation with Aoki. "Yes, so when?"

Aoki laughed and answered "This monday"

Fujii opened his mouth and said to him, "Are you kidding me?, at least the tall one is not at that level, did he train on another gym?"

Aoki just smiled and said "Well Takamura found them fighting some thugs near the bridge, and one of them made a bet with him. Then they entered and I fought him; he actually made me fight him for real, not with all my strength but with all my speed and tricks"

Fujii put a hand under his chin and said, "Impressive and interesting"

Yagi joined them and told Fujii, "I'll give you first interviews if you promise to wait until both of them do their pro exam"

Fujii "come on Yagi, I can't wait a year"

Yagi smiled and conceded, "Hmm, can you wait three months?"

Fujii pondered and nod.

Yagi clapped and said, "Great! Wow, that punch almost connected"

All three looked at the ring and continued watching the fight.

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When Sora did his combination, Ippo blocked and threw a one-two, but it was slow, so he got a lot of time to dodge; he just moved his shoulder to the left, and then he moved his body to the right in a swing motion. He was looking for the timing, so he kept on doing the same, the time consumed, and in the final minute, he made a determined face and went for the kill.

Sora threw a left hook to the face, Ippo blocked that, with his guard up, Sora went to another left hook, and Ippo tightened his guard receiving a second blow, but the block was strong, Ippo put his hand into position and clenched his knuckle, Sora went for the third left to the body and Ippo tanked that one, a left jab flew with great speed to Sora's face but he already got the timing, so he dodged to the left, a full right straight came faster this time, but Sora moved the head down and his shoulders lowered and dodged the right straight with ease, then he clenched his right and pulled his full waist to the momentum sending a devastating right hook to the body, the sound it made when it connected to Ippo's body made everyone do a hurt face.

Ippo left knee bent and his arms went to hold his side and exclaim "aghhh"

Fujii saw all that, and his photographer was taking pictures of all the event.

Kimura pushed lightly Sora to go to his corner, but he fell down too.

Almost everyone gasped a collective "Huh?"

Even Fujii was not able to see what happened.

It was Miyata who said, "It was an interchange; just about the timing when Sora countered the right straight, Ippo took the full blunt damage, and threw a left punch to the center"

Sora coughed in the canvas and held his stomach. "Damn, it hurts"

Both of them were conscious.

Kimura continued the counting. Five… six…

Ippo tried to stand up, but his side burned a lot, and every time he moved, it hurt more. Alas, Sora was in the same predicament; he was gasping for air, and every time he moved, it hurt a lot.

Eight… nine…

Miyata sighed and looked at them in a double K.O. He closed his eyes and smiled.

Everyone gasped "Woaaah" and then he heard "BOX"

Miyata opened his eyes, alarmed. Both of them were up and grinning at each other, but none was dashing in; both were hurting.

The first to move was Ippo. He clenched his fists, and with an internal roar, he moved to him, he felt amazing, so he moved his arms, but the bell sounded.

The adrenaline left both of the pugilists, and both groaned in pain.

"It hurts!" "God damn, it effin hurts"

Fujii was the one who started clapping. Soon everyone followed, and Ippo blushed in embarrassment, Sora saw this and went to his side, he took his hand by the wrist and raised up. Everyone laughed at his antics, and another flash was seen.

He moved to them, but Kamogawa didn't let him; he saw him directly in his eyes and just shook his head.

The reporter just sighed, and with an eye closed, he asked for permission. "I already promised Yagi not to publish it"

Kamogawa grunted and opened the way.

When he arrived with the laughing friends, Miyata was also there, helping Sora take off the gloves.

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I don't remember his full name, the reporter Fujii, an Ippo's fan, also the one that helped Ippo with a lot of fights giving him Intel of the challengers, which is one hell of an advantage.

Fujii arrived and asked them, "Hey, you three, can I get an interview?"

I opened my eyes. "Really? We're nobodies"

Fujii smiled and said, "The three pugilists, or maybe the three musketeers, the promising stars of Kamogawa's Gym, I don't have my title yet, but you all are debuting next year, right?, Takamura said you're 16, so next year?"

Ichiro went ahead and said, "Maybe I won't be here… I want to fight them both in the pro ring"

Fujii smile faded a little, also Kamogawa heard this and looked at Miyata senior, but he was sighing and holding his back with his hand.

Kamogawa asked, "You knew?"

Miyata's dad just smiled and said, "It's his wish, but we will wait until October to check another place to start; are you mad?"

Kamogawa grunted and said, "You have always had the freedom to raise your wings, and I also know the feeling of having a rival"

I just smiled and said "Sorry Miyata, but I don't plan to stay in featherweight; I will have to lose like 17 kg to be in that weight class; it's too much," I said, looking at the side

Miyata looked at him and said, "Go for junior lightweight, please"

I just looked at him and sighed.

Kimura entered the conversation "hey hey, are you going to steal my place?"

Miyata looked annoyed. "Just go up a weight class; why not be in lightweight and Aoki in junior welter? That should be easier for you both"

Kamogawa also said, "Let's not be hasty; just let that talk for later"

I pondered the repercussions. If Miyata went into junior light after going into feather class for a while and then went into that class, I could also be with all the former featherweights: Mashiba, Sawamura, Oda, Volg. It was also an interesting class, and with the help of the system, I would be able to do it.

Maybe I'll try to convince the old coach into this.

Fujii continued, "So can I do the interview?"

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