Watch Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura Online

Tatsuya Kimura is beginning to feel left behind. With his friends Ippo Makunouchi and Mamoru Takamura holding the championship belt in their respective weight classes, Kimura's inability to become Japan's Junior Lightweight boxing champion eats away at him. Scheduled to fight with the current champion Ryo Mashiba, Kimura begins to train with Ippo's rival Ichirou Miyata, who previously suffered a crushing defeat from Mashiba's signature "Hitman" style of boxing. But Mashiba has his own desire to hold onto the belt, hoping to soon shoot for the World title and secure financial stability for his sister Kumi. Will Kimura's overwhelming drive to prove his strength as a boxer overcome Mashiba's desperate wish to provide a better life for Kumi?

After intense battles, defeating Sendo, Makunouchi Ippo finally grasped the place as the Japanese Feather-Weight Champion. And so, Ippo changes from a "Challenger" to a "Champion", and the opponent of his first defence match is decided. The name of the challenger was Sanada Ikki. A fierce opponent who, aiming for a Dual Class Conquest, returned the title of Junior- Feather Class.Sanada has a different face as a Current Medical University Student, which enables the intimate understanding of the human body, of where a punch should land to deprive stamina and to down the opponent with consistent damage. Furthermore, he coolly analyses his condition from a medical perspective, based on his amount of perspiration, breathing rate and heart rate, and is thus a boxer with one of the most intelligent tactics. On the other hand, Ippo, in front of his first defence match, not only is nervous but suffers progressively from fear and anxiety as he hears more about his opponent. Furthermore, Sanada Ikki's trainer was Hama Dankichi, the rival of Chairman Kamogawa when he was still active in the ring. Dankichi's special move in the days when he still fought, "Hien" ("Flying Swallow"), has been passed down to Ikki.Encouraged by the predecessors of the gym Ippo belongs to, Takamura and Kimura, his past opponent and his mother, watched upon by Kumi who he secretly has feelings towards, the date of the first defence match draws closer. Ippo versus Sanada, and the settling of the scores of the coaches, Chairman Kamogawa and Hama Dankichi, each of their thoughts crosses over, and now, the day of the decisive match arrives!Can Ippo dodge the "Hien" and find victory?

A special episode included in the DVDs. It tells how Takamura started boxing.

Ippo, a timid highschooler, is one day saved from being beaten up by Takamura, a boxer. Enthralled by Takamura’s skills Ippo begins to learn boxing, soon finding love for the sport and a drive to challenge the boxing world.  

Ippo continues to defend his Japanese Featherweight title from an ever stronger pool of challengers. Meanwhile, Takamura challenges for his second WBC title in the middleweight class, and Aoki challenges for the Japanese Lightweight title.