Apologize beforehand since the text is quite long, don’t know the outcome and might be speaking too soon as if the current matchup between Martinez and Sendo is a foregone conclusion. George Morikawa could have something different in mind. But if the outcome is as most think it is intended. Then likelihood is Sendo isn’t winning, with multiple hints leading up to Ippo would eventually facing Ricardo.
Think the camp where the four fighters reunited during Wally’s preparation, was intentional, after Sendo had made his opportunity to be the main challenger, the opportunity fell it to Wally of all people, was intentional written to set up a deadline for Ippo to return.
Coach Kamogawa is his 80s struggling with health conditions, Martinez a veteran nearing his retirement, Ippo Makanouchi who has to take drastic action, and while getting there, there are others unintentionally paving the way for him aiming to make the most of what the previous baton holder had succeeded passed on if failing at the task. All having faced Ippo, to Martinez’s knowledge. From Date, Wally, Sendo, and potentially Volg. The Dempsey Roll Boy, who he had sparred years ago, who he forgot to warn Alfredo of his potential. Who beaten the men who he considers have reached the summit of the sport, It likely secure Ippo Makanouchi’s opportunity.
Considering the circumstances of Ippo’s comeback, the protagonist would require time to climb up in a similar time period as Eiji Date, who claimed the JBC within the first year in his comeback, after his four years of inactivity and defended a few more until he came back to the world stage. There be a considerable gap of time between his comeback and world championship fight.
It seems clear that the current fight will be a catalyst for Ippo’s comeback, with Eiji Date stating earlier that a boxer needs passion and a strong fire in one’s heart. This could insinuate that Sendo’s fire will ignite Ippo’s. If Martinez “devours” Sendo as Stewart put it, the wildness factor might no longer be an unknown, an advantage having fought two opponents possessing such instincts back to back. Pouncing aggressively in the first round, will likely backfire on most fighters.
So it is back to refined technical experienced fighter like Eiji Date to neutralize and survive any deployed tactics.
There are things I want to note:
Team White Fang likely possesses the right combination to prepare the strongest game plan against him, between Alexander Volg Zangief and Dankichi Hama, to make the most of the fights that Eiji Date, Wally, and Takeshi Sendo have displayed multiple things to take away from that is applicable to most boxers:
- Disrupt Ricardo’s vision, taking away his first-rate ascertainment.
- Pressure adds tension, delaying reaction time.
- Ricardo cannot brace if his form is off balance like anyone else (unlike Ippo), which can be set up; it is less of a weakness and more of creating of your own opportunity.
So it will be up to a highly technical boxer that has the versatility to attack quite aggressively having high specs and box effectively in a chess match. Being able to make adjustments like Ricardo per minute. Volg executing every single thing that has been gathered, making the most competitive fight, revealing how to fight him head on, but likely lose either due to plot convenience or because, in terms of ability or experience, he couldn’t make up for it.
There is the factor that Ricardo Martinez is in his mid-thirties (34-36 years old), in the second half of his career, it wouldn’t be ridiculous if he moved up to Junior Lightweight. That the professional boxer he is based from, Finito Lopez, had also done such a thing after the consideration that he felt he underperformed, getting knocked down by Rosendo Alvarez, who could have won the fight. He opted to move up after his rematch to his second weight class at 33 years old and retired two years later.
Think Ricardo Martinez defeating the WBA Super Featherweight and then retiring a fourth person Ippo is close to, the IBF World Champion, would solidify his status as the final boss for Ippo Makunouchi, with a unification fight or Volg taking a unusual risk of vacating his belt McCallum did.
Ippo who is at the second half of his career, has physically matured and built up during his break, he take the WBA title at featherweight and use it to become an immediate challenger moving up.
