Makunouchi Ippo's life has been marred by ceaseless bullying. The daily routine of running errands and being pummeled by his classmates has left Ippo with nothing but a longing to change his situation, but a lack of drive to make it happen. During another brutal attack, Ippo is rescued by the boxer Takamura Mamoru. He is taken to Takamura's boxing gym to recover from his injuries, where Ippo is amazed by the new surroundings but too unsure of himself to make a move. Takamura forces Ippo to punch a photo of his bully on a bag, igniting something within Ippo that leads him to ask Takamura to train him in boxing. Despite Takamura's initial belief that Ippo doesn't have what it takes to succeed, he gives him an impossible task with a week's deadline. Thriving on a newfound desire to get stronger - for himself and his hardworking mother - Ippo trains tirelessly to complete the task within the given timeline, and thus his journey to becoming a top boxer begins. This one-shot is from volume 84 of the series Hajime no Ippo.
