@Ivotas:
I wouldn't count out the possibility that Sendo isn't getting punched a lot in his matches. While it is true that Ippo takes a huge lot of punches, we also have to consider that he's the main protagonist of this manga. That means we've seen every single fight he's been in ever since he took on boxing. For Sendo we can't say the same. I know that this doesn't automatically mean that he takes a lot of punched each match. However he seems to mostly be about "let's make this a slugfest" in his approaches so the chances he already took a lot if punches are high.
I'm sure Sendo gets punch decently. I just dont think its close to Ippo. Like you say he is the main character. Most of the best boxers have only a couple matches that pushes their limit because their talent protect them from most. But Ippo manages to make 80% of his matches into life or death and most of them have some reason or another why they are super dangerous.
That's ok mate. Having issues with a fight is perfectly fine. I myself hated the Dragon fight because we had more chapters of built up for the luck factor (Ippo's annoying good luck charms shenanigans, Yagi and the Mahjong duel) only for it to play almost no role at all. We've spent more chapters on establishing how strong Takamura is in thus weight class (which is no new info at all) and kept that luck thing down to a minimum. I'm not saying that I persinally intregued into the luck factor thing. But if you build it up that much then at least give us some pay off Morikawa. Otherwise it's just been a waste of time.
I can understand the annoyance with weight class fake out about how the bad feeling was him being too strong. But I disagree with the luck thing. I think it was treated right where Dragon got lucky on several circumstances but Takamura skills was able to make up the difference and win.
His leg got screwed before the match, he got a couple of bad call from the referee in his match and he even managed to bump into the referee and mess his leg more. He got several unlucky breaks that could cause him a loss. We could have gone crazier with the luck with Takamura being unable to punch him without understanding why but I like that we kept the bad luck with things that can happen like a pre match injury, bad referee call and accidental bumps. Having Keith be lucky but not supernatural either.
But I also read the match basically together so that might have help me enjoying it. That and I liked the Takamura/coach dynamic in this one.
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@desa:
I would say that maybe its because the characters dont do endorsement where the real money is and that's where Mashiba was planning on doing some decent dough once he is in a high position. But he doesnt do that either.
Seems like Imai is the one guy that actually is into endorsment/sponsorship. I knew I liked that kid for a reason. He has a solid chunk of sponsors on his trunks.
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The Ricardo running from Sendo is stupid.
Rant on why
! You could have had Sendo mention that he wasnt interested in a fight with Ricardo for now just Gonzales (which he kept mentioning prior to the fight), you could have had Sendo's coach ask them for postponement because of Sendo's hand, you could simply have made it so the promise was for a match not the next match, could even have it be that Ricardo find Wally mystery more challenging than Sendo straightforwardness, or Wally managed to snatch #1 rank while Sendo was recovering.
! Breaking a promise made in public by the champion and forget his tradition of only fighting the first rank? That just makes him look like a giant coward to a country where manliness is supposedly quite important. But nope Ricardo has to be the one running from the great Sendo.
! Also Wally is terrible choice for a tune up match when you have so little data on him aside that he doesnt seem to get lasting damage from his matches and is very close to the first rank. You would pick someone you have actual data on and can analyze to be sure you can get a confortable win against not just jump in the dark.
I didnt think about it until it suddenly showed up but I think Wally being a challenger to Ricardo is a much more interesting match up than Sendo. I think their Alpha/ Omega match up is a lot more interesting than wathever Sendo will do.
Why I think it's an interesting idea
! Their matchup also makes for a good thematic.They share that element of quasi invincibility and almost taking no damage from their fights but they do it using 2 opposed methods. One man has perfected his basics and dominate the world with it while the kid that has little basic but overhelm everyone with non conventional moves. Peak formal boxing(Ricardo) vs Peak bs boxing (Wally). Alpha vs Omega.
! I'll even go further and say that legendary first down Sendo should have been Wally. That way legendary first down Martinez suffer can have some meaning. Where Wally does it and it proves how dangerous his bs style is since it is an unknown weapon to Martinez. And that he finally found someone that can be his equal(he still win of course but he's actually pushed to fight at full strength for once).
! I think the less people you have affect Martinez the better he is. And Wally's ridiculous OPness is the perfect one to be that first person to prove Martinez is human(but still win). Kinda like Hawk vs Takamura where Takamura finally met an equal that relied on natural talent and had to push himself to triumph with the years of skills he built. Maybe not going that far but a similar idea.
If he has to fight both you should have had him fights Sendo first.
why I think so
! The proper narrative direction should Sendo then wally. Not the other way. You want to build to something different, something special. And win or lose Sendo vs Martinez will either be him dominating like usual or another slug fest. While deating (and beating) Wally with his unconventional is more challenging task or at least its a fight that would be very different from what we've seen before.
! You reverse the scenario where Sendo is 3rd and Wally is 1st. And Ricardo makes an exception to his rule of only fighting the first so he can get some experience fighting someone that relies on instincts (but with tradional boxing techniques) before taking on Wally who has little data.
! Of course none of that Ricardo breaking his word crap. Just a declaration that once he has taken down the japenese tiger he will face his real opponent. And Sendo could be fired up because Ricardo is trying to use him as a stepping stone/ a tune up.
! You can make even make the legendary down Sendo's consolation prize in his match even if I prefer if Martinez get that first big loss agains Wally. But either way dont waste the down on a spar. Use for real effect of how someone got kinda close to dealing real problem to Martinez.
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And finally back to Mashiba match. I'll wait to catch up. matches tend to read better once its all together.
I really like the chapter with Mashiba and Kumi talking their prospect. They are way too codependant for their own good.
I wish I'd get More Takamura / Miyata interaction. They known each other pretty long and their relation to their coach is not that dissimilar. With Ippo leaving it would be nice to see Takamura making sure Miyata still has what it takes.
