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Ippo Makunouchi spends his free time helping his mother with the family fishing business. This doesn't leave much time for a social life outside of high school and it lends a rather unpleasant odor. As a result, Ippo gets picked on and beat up by bullies on a regular basis. After he suffers one particularly vicious attack, he is noticed by Mamoru Takamura, a professional boxer who is passing by. He brings Ippo back to the gym where he trains and lets Ippo vent his frustration on a punching bag. Ippo's skill becomes immediately apparent to Mamoru and Ippo feels, for the first time, a sense of drive and accomplishment. Now, he is devoting his life to the goal of being a professional boxer, and along the way, he might just pick up the skills to teach those bullies a lesson.