The Genius is the first chapter of The Boxer.
Synopsis[]
In the late evening, a dead-eyed little boy sits beaten and bruised against a wall. Just then, a glowing blonde man with boxing gloves slung over his shoulder walks by. The man stops and gives the boy some emphatic and uplifting words before telling the boy to meet him at the top.
In a boxing gym, the boxing gym director talks to K, a legendary boxing trainer, about the young lad who was effortlessly sparring in the ring with another boxer. Noticing that Ryu was toying with his opponent, K asks the gym director to bring the strongest boxer in the gym to spar with Ryu. Called to the ring and shocked by the appearance of K, Steel gets in the ring with Ryu.
The two begin sparring and Ryu shows just why he was so gifted by completely avoiding all of Steel's punches, landing many of his own and showing his superior level of fighting ability. However, Steel takes advantage of Ryu's lack of boxing experience to corner him and knock him down.
Afterwards, the gym director asks K his opinion of what he saw, and K confirms that Ryu had what it takes to become a champion boxer. Just then, hearing a commotion going on outside, K's attention is grabbed by a dead-eyed lad who is about to get hit.
Appearing Characters[]
- Note: Characters who are listed in bold and italics are appearing for the first time. List is ordered alphabetically.