Ippo, a teenage boy with a pure heart and unrelenting determination, discovers a passion for boxing after veteran fighter Takamura saves him from bullies.
Makunouchi Ippo is an ordinary high school student in Japan. Since he spends most of his time away from school helping his mother run the family business, he doesn't get to enjoy his younger years like most teenagers. Always a target for bullying at school (the family fishing business grants him a distinct odor), Ippo's life is one of hardship. One of these after-school bullying sessions turns Ippo's life around for the better, as he is saved by a boxer named Takamura. He decides to follow in Takamura's footsteps and train to become a boxer, giving his life direction and purpose. Ippo's path to perfecting his pugilistic prowess is just beginning...

หลังได้ทาคามูระ มาโมรุ นักมวยมืออาชีพมาช่วยเอาไว้ตอนที่ถูกแกล้ง หนุ่มน้อยมาคุโนอุจิ อิปโปจึงเริ่มฝึกชกมวย เพื่อค้นหาความหมายที่แท้จริงของการเป็นคนแข็งแกร่ง