Eiji Date Vs Ippo Who Won

[Prince Aboubakar]

Hewas a JBC and OPBF featherweight champion and was frequently referred to as the second best featherweight boxer in the world by Ricardo Martinez, before his second loss against the latter, ending his career. He played the initial small time antagonist during the events of Ippo's first national championship road.

Date married Aiko Date, a daughter of a wealthy family. They met after Date's first JBC champion title match, noticing that Aiko had only been dragged along and was not initially interested in watching Date. Date was excited to impress Aiko, and sought the world championship to prove his strength to her.

He travelled to Mexico for his title match against Ricardo Martnez. He was, however, severely outclassed and was knocked out in the second round. It was during this fight that Date gained the scar across his nose.

Upon arriving back to Japan, he discovered that Aiko, who had hidden news of her pregnancy, had suffered a miscarriage. With his boxing dreams shattered and guilty over not being there for his family, he retired from boxing. They would later have a son, Yūji Date.

After his retirement, his brother found a job for him at his business company. It was made known that Date succeeded at his business career and was offered a promotion. However, he was plagued by his natural hunger for boxing. At one point, he had a dream where he won the champion title and was proudly holding his son that was never born in the air. Initially, he rejected these temptations and, in a rage, swept away his boxing trophies. Aiko was greatly upset by this gesture. She revealed that she had missed the man that Date was before leaving Mexico, and that she wanted their son to have a figure he could look up to. Chastised by this, Date gave up his business career and returned to the Nakadai gym.

Date swiftly re-established himself in boxing, gaining the JBC featherweight title for the second time. During this time, he defended his title multiple times and was linked to a return to the world stage. At some point, he met fellow boxer Mamoru Takamura at a commissioner inauguration party.[1]

Arriving at the Kōrakuen Hall to be a TV commentator for the matches scheduled, Date went with Minoru Fujii to meet the tenth ranker in the JBC, Ippo. After commenting on how Ippo looked "cute", Mamoru Takamura informed him that Ippo's punches aren't so "cute", causing Date to request for Ippo to come to his gym to "play" after his right fist heals.

Later, Date sent a request to spar with Ippo to the Kamogawa gym. Three days later, when Date came back to the Nakadai Boxing Gym from roadwork, he noticed Ippo waiting for him for the spar. The scheduled three round spar shortly began. After Date hit the overwhelmed Ippo in the face, Date began attacking Ippo's guard aggressively while also guarding Ippo's punches. Date was eventually hit in the face cleanly, and when Ippo was about to do a followup punch, the gong rang, ending the round. Before walking back to his corner, Date claimed that he may have to use his "Magic Punch". He and his trainer, Nakadai believed it to be time to test the "Magic Punch", as Ippo's fighting style was similar to Date's next opponent. When the second round began, Date was unable to use his planned Corkscrew Blow due to Ippo's weaving.

Ippo's movements to prevent Date from using the Corkscrew Blow costed him to go into the corner unknowingly. With Ippo trapped at the corner, Date used the Corkscrew Blow on Ippo's heart. With his opponent immobilised, Date hit Ippo with a followup punch, knocking him down. As Date claimed the test was a success, Ippo got back up, wanting to continue. The spar then continued, ending to the third round's gong. With the spar finished, Date went to take a shower, unable to lift his hands due to the injuries from Ippo.

After learning that his gym mate, Keigo Okita requested to challenge Ippo, Date asked Okita why he chose him, despite knowing how strong he is. Date was then surprised when Okita used a Corkscrew Blow on a sandbag. When the match between Ippo and Okita began, Date watched from afar while he waited for his own match. After Okita's loss, Date was told by him that he would start over, as he has a long way to go to reach Date. Date then thought how the match was between two different goals: those who try to reach him, and those who try to surpass him. Date's match against second ranker, Toshio Suzuki then began. After knocking Suzuki down twice in the first round, Date hit Suzuki with the Heart Break Shot. Date then hits Suzuki with a followup punch two times, causing a third down and ending the match. Upon winning the match, Date was asked in the victory interview whether or not he would relinquish the belt and go for the world. Date answered that he would not be relinquishing the belt, as he has things to take care of in Japan, glaring at Ippo, who then glared back.

Date had a sparring session against Saeki Takuma, who was going to be Ippo's opponent in the Class A Tournament. During the spar, Date could not land a single hit against Saeki. After the spar, Date claimed that he hates the "speedy types", which Saeki took as a compliment. Date figured that Saeki didn't give it his all, realising that Saeki was not an opponent Ippo could defeat with only a couple plans. He later watched the Class A Tournament matches where Ippo and Alexander Volg Zangief won their matches, commenting how having those two coming after his neck gave him chills.

Date and Ippo then struck a pose for the reporters and Date told him that his other challenger candidate, Volg, was watching his match and warned Ippo that while he does not know who will advance, he would not pull any punches for whomever he faces. Later, the finals for the Class A Tournament began. With Date and Takamra as guests for commentary, Date bet on Volg while Takamura bet on Ippo. After seeing Ippo win against Volg, he quietly left the commentary desk and walked out of the Kōrakuen Hall. As he walked, Date believed Ippo to be the ultimate challenger, and planned to not give up his belt to him.

Date came back to the gym after roadwork and began sparring with a lightweight and a junior welterweight boxer. Later In the Nakadai gym, Nakadai remarked on how cold Japan was at the moment, causing Date to remember how they left Japan in the winter to go to Mexico where it was like summer. Due to the cold, the scar on Date's nose throbbed, forcing him to remember a memory of the day he lost everything due to losing to the WBA featherweight champion Ricardo Martnez. In his house, Date mentioned to his wife, Aiko Date how Nakadai told him to think about the training camp for his match against Ippo. He was initially going to reject the idea until Aiko reminded him how their son, Yūji was growing up fine and that she was well.

Date then decided to go to the Ōarai Golf Course, the same training camp he used to go against Ricardo. While Takamura was going to the ring to fight in the Champion Carnival, Date, who came to see Takamura off, met Ippo at the hall. Date, who came to see Takamura off. Date comments how the match will be difficult even for Takamura, however when Ippo informed Date how Takamura told him that champions have a special power, Date determined that Takamura would win then. Date believed Takamura's punches would be heavy for the fight. He then claimed that it will carry over their match as well, telling Ippo that his punches will be light.

Later, Date went to his doctor for a check-up, which, due to Date's results being like he was before his world title match, the doctor pitied Date's opponent. Date however, did not pity Ippo, as he still had youth, but Date planned to give him the fight of his life. In the waiting room on the day of the match, Date had retirement on his mind if he losst to Ippo as he would not have a future beyond Japan if could not defeat everyone there.

When the match began in the first round, Date noticed how Ippo was guarding his left side to eliminate his Corkscrew Blow. Date began to test Ippo by throwing jabs and saw that Ippo had grown from their spar. Date and Ippo threw punches at each other with no punches landing cleanly until Date left his left side open after missing an uppercut. Seeing no way to block it in time, Date decided to take the hit and was hit by a liver blow. Date was waiting for the moment for him to attack to leave himself open and hit Ippo with a left straight. Ippo rushed towards Date, who backed up to the ropes. Date hit Ippo under the ear with a right hook under the ear. Date continued to show the difference in experience and threw a Corkscrew Blow after landing a counter, however Ippo blocked it and pushed Date to the ropes. Date noticed that Ippo was planning to hit him from a clinch distance, but deduced that Ippo could not land a good hit from that distance. He was then surprised when Ippo landed a liver blow, making Date's body buckle over.

Ippo continued pushing Date back with a barrage to his guard. The round then ended when Ippo pushed Date to the ropes again, ending the round with a draw in points. In the corner, Date claimed that he knew that Ippo would improve, but not that much and titled Ippo as his greatest challenger.

When the second round began, Date attempted to beat Ippo at his best range in an in-fight, which caused Date trouble as he got hit and barely able to keep his guard up. Date noticed Ippo was about to use the liver blow and blockws his right side, however it turned out to be a feint. Ippo then landed a barrage of punches to Date's face, as his neck swings from every blow until the second round ended. Okita suggested to Date to keep his distance and recover as staying in Ippo's best range is suicide, however Date told Okita that that is also his boxing.

The third round began and Date rushed towards Ippo looking for another in-fight. Date was only able to land some light punches as Ippo attacked Date's guard. Ippo landed a body blow and began hitting Date's face again, however Date spun his neck to roll the punches, negating the damage. Date then hit Ippo with a left jab, causing him to go down. After Ippo got back up, Ippo went for body blows, but the punches were unable to do damage due to Date moving his guard along with Ippo's punches at the moment of impact. Ippo attempted to throw a big punch, however Date countered it and hit Ippo with a combination of attacks until the gong sounded ending the round.

3a8082e126