Tatsuya Kimura is beginning to feel left behind. With his friends Ippo Makunouchi and Mamoru Takamura holding the championship belt in their respective weight classes, Kimuras inability to become Japans Junior Lightweight boxing champion eats away at him. Scheduled to fight with the current champion Ryo Mashiba, Kimura begins to train with Ippos rival Ichirou Miyata, who previously suffered a crushing defeat from Mashibas signature Hitman style of boxing.