The Naniwa Tiger

[Benry]

This story follows Sendo Takeshi until his death.(Italics are thoughts.)

“Sendo Takeshi releases the smash!But the champion dodges it and here it comes the champion speciality: liver blow!The Naniwa Tiger screams in pain.And here it comes!Makunoichi Ippo releases the Dempsey Roll for a second time!His body starts weaving like a horizontal 8 simbol and starts throwing punches one after another!Sendo takes them all.And here the champion strength is out but Sendo still stands.All the crowd is yelling his name.It seems like he can sti- ah Sendo goes down.The refree goes to check it out.And it’s over!It’s all over!The Naniwa Tiger crumblrs ine the last round and Makunoichi Ippo defends his Featherwheight title for a third time!”

The Featherwheight title match concluded.Sendo woke up seeing the lights of the ring.From the other part he could listen to the screams of his fans for losing.He got up and went to Makunoichi barely walking.He saw Sendo and his face got serious.They were watching each other and then unexpectedly Sendo said: “It was a great fight.Let’s do it again sometime.”Then he left the ring.As he was going away he couldn’t see his fans in the face.He had deluded them all.They had come from a long to Tokyo just to watch him get the title.But it was all over.He had lost.

*****

“Sendo-san are you okay?”

“Yananoka-san.Yes I’m fine. So when are we leaving?”

“Well the coach got us the tickets for the train so we should be leaving now. Come on follow me.”

“Ok.”

They walked thrugh the exit of Korakuen Hall and a taxi was waiting there.There was an old man waiting inside.He had white hair only at the back of his head.His body looked strong even through the the white suit he was wearing.Sendo got in the car next to the old man.No one spoke.The taxist began to drive.

“Coach…I-“

“You did well Sendo.It doesn’t matter.We will train harder and next time we will win.”

“Yes but if he did’t hit me at the jaw the fourth round I could have-“

“It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“Y-yes.You are right.”

The coach was the only person whitch Sendo talked to with great respect.When he had found Sendo and took him off the streets, he changed Sendo’s life completely.For this Sendo was very grateful to his coach.

They arrived at the train station and got in.They sat down and waited for the train to start.After half and hour Sendo wanted to take a piss.But he couldn’t move to the other car.It was full of his fans and he didn’t have the courage to face them.

“Sendo-san what’s going on?”

“Yananoka-san. I thought I’d take a piss bu the other car...it’s full of my fans.I gave everything I had and lost and I accept this.But I made them a promise I couldn’t keep.And this really hurts.”

“Maybe we should go back at our seats.”

“Hey don’t stand in front of the dor.Its an automatic one.”

Just as he said these words the door opened.Everyone was looking at him.

“Uh..”

“S-Sendo”Some guys said.

Sendo looked at them.

“Guys”
He couldn’t say anything.He wanted to say “I’m sorry”but his mouth just couldn’t.This was more difficult to do than any match he had had.When suddenly one of them spoke.

“What’s wrong Sendo?”

“Yeah you’re not acting like yourself.”

“Be proud man.This was the best fight we have ever seen.”

“We were quiet cause we couldn’t express our feelings into words.”

“Yes come back at Osaka proud and fight again.We will always support you.”

“Do your best Sendo.”

Sendo looked at them and felt proud he had such great fans.

Everyone.Thank you.Thank you!

“I’m going to start over.AndI’ll be back and the next time I’ll beat Makunoichi for sure!For sure!”

“That’s our Sendo!”

“We’ll follow you everywhere man!”

*****

The scene switch to a traditional Japanese room.And old woman with a cat is sitting there.Next to her on top of the drawer was a photo.Sendo opened the door.

“I’m back grandma.I’m tired so I’ll just go to sleep tonight.”

“I’ve already made your bed.”

“Hey grandma…”

“Hm?”

“I’m…still weak.”

As Sendo got to the other room the woman looked at the picture.It was a picture of a man with a woman.The man seemed like an older Sendo.

Your boy…just came home a bit stronger.

[Benry]

One month after that night.

He woke up early at the morning.This was a special day for him.It was the day when the opponent for his comeback fight would be decided.He got up and wore a gray sweater and a pair of jogging pants like usual.He drank coffee ate something fast and got out to do his road work.It was November 15 and the time was getting colder each day.He started running altering from sprints to jogging and throwing some jabs and some one-two combinations.The cold he felt at the beginning was all gone.After one hour of roadwork he got to the gym.As he entered he saw that no one was there exept Yananoka-san.

Yananoka-san was the guy witch took care of all the promotional posters for the fights and he also did arrange the fights.He was also a very good friend of Sendo.He was the first one to get close to him since he joined the gym.He was 45 years old and loved boxing as much as Sendo did.He was a pro boxer too but was not very skilled at this.

“Hello Yananoka!”

“Good morning Sendo-san!How are you doing today?”

“I feel great!” And he really felt so.Now he was the fourth seed and he was going th challenge the first seed so if he could win the match he could challenge Makunoichi Ippo again for the Japanese Featherweight title.

“Ok then go see the coach.He is waiting at his office.”

Sendo san entered without even knocking.

“Hey coach!”

“You idiot!How many times I have told you to knock at the door before entering!”

“Yeah yeah..whatever…So who is my ticket to the belt?”

“Hmph..his name is Miyata Ichirou.He is and outboxer with 20 wins and 2 loses.And he is also called..”

“The counter genius..yeah I know.” Said Sendo indifferently.

“So when will we fight?”

“Two weeks from now.We have no time to lose.Get in the ring cause you are gonna hit the mitts like crazy today.”

“Yes sir!”

Coach Kamogawa was a 68 year-old man.When it came to boxing he was really strict and Sendo followed him in whatever he told Sendo to do.This was an important match not only for Sendo but for the coach as well.Miyata’s coach was called Sakaguchi.He was a short 56 year-old guy who was also very rich.When Kamogawa and Sakaguchi were young they fought and Kamogawa was winning but Sakaguchi used a dirty trick and won causing permanent damage to Kamogawa’s fists making him retire.Im Miyata won this match then he could challenge Makunoichi for the Featherweight title and if he won he could go for the world.Since Sakaguchi was very rich he could do all of this.But for him Miyata was nothing more than a tool.If he found a better boxer than he would throw Miyata away and try to get that boxer at all costs.

Two weeks later the fought began.Sendo was in his best shape ever.But Myiata was fast too.He would use the first round to observe the opponent and in the next round he would use the data gathered to land a counter against him.But Sendo was one who was not afraid of punches.He could take them all as long as he landed some too.His fists were considered to be at par with those of Makunoichi.At round seven Sendo landed a smash after taking a counter but didn’t care that he took the counter cause Myiata was down.The refree counted till ten and Sendo won by KO.

After the match they were going to celebrate.As Sendo and his friends were going to celebrate Sakaguchi shows before them.He was really short most likely 148cm from what Sendo could see.

“Sendo-san hello.I’m sure you know me.I’m Sakaguchi and I’m here to make you a deal.”

Sendo knew what type of person he was so whatever deal he might throw Sendo would refuse that even if the deal would be about challenging the world champion witch could be immposible even for Sakaguchi.

“Become my boxer and if you win against Makunoichi I’ll make you challenge the world champion.”
Sendo was amazed.He never thought Sakaguchi could do that.

“R-really?!You can do that?”

“Of course, son.”

For a moment Sendo really imagined the possibility of becoming the world champion.But then he got back to reality and said:
“Even if you make me challenge the world champ you got nothin’ to teach me so get lost.”

“You know you shouldn’t be talking to me like that.I have great influence over..well anything.”

“If you think you are scaring me..well think again.”

Then he got away with his friends ignoring everything Sakaguchi was saying.

“Are you sure?If you don’t accept my offer some bad things could happen to you.”

“I’ll accept everything that fate has for me.” Said Sendo smiling.

“Very well.So be it my boy.It’s unfortunate,very unfortunate.”

After a long party Sendo was ready to go home.It was 2 am and no one was around.He was thinking that now he could fight for the title again.
And now Makunocihi wait for me!We made a promose that we would fight again and we will!

But then someone appeared in front of him.

“And just who the hell are you?” said Sendo.

“It doesn’t matter.What it matters is that I’m here to kill you.”

“Oh yeah?Well why don’t you try?” he said this as he raised his fists.

“Hahahahhaha…you think I’ stupid enough to fight you with fists?This is my baby.” He said that as he showed his machine gun.

“Wha-“ as he was saying that the man fired.Sendo couldn’t even react.The only thing he felt was a strong pain everywhere in his body as his head cracked in the ground.Then everything started to get black and cold.
The promise…I made a promise..i can’t break it again.

As he said this word in all the black he was seeing appeared the belt.He tried to grab it with his hand but he couldn’t as the belt got further away.The belt started changing shape and it became a black ball….