Makunouchi Ippo is the new Featherweight champion of Japan and is now ready for his first title defense. His opponent, the former Jr. Featherweight champion and a medical student, Sanada Kazuki.

Some of the best sports movies lean on an underdog story, and Ippo Makunouchi fits the bill perfectly. A loner at his high school, he's bullied mercilessly and told he smells like earthworms due ...