#HajimenoIppo ch981: this is the most hypest non-fighting chapter ever! #manga 

So it's finally all lined up! Ippo's road to the championship! It's
a lot shorter than I had imagined. First then second ranked in the
world... and then maybe the first, or even Ricardo himself. I can't
blame Ippo for being a little - no, a lot of scared (horrible grammar,
I know). Last time they even scrimmaged, Ricardo knocked him out on
his feet. And Ippo hasn't really demolished his competition in a way
that impresses anybody on the outside. So I can understand the need
to prove himself a bit.

This Gonzalez guy seems to be a gatekeeper. Having lost to Ricardo
twice, his career is basically over with a third loss, and he's
probably taking a big gamble fighting the seventh ranked, in Ippo.
Then again, he may not even respect Ippo as a boxer and could see this
as a way to bide his time until his last shot at Ricardo.

All this information just sorta surprised me, it didn't shock me.
What shocked me was the stunner that Vorg is the first ranked
contender in the division just above Ippo's. I knew he was good, but
damn! This likely means that the next big fight we see will be Vorg
in his title shot. Vorg has never been a boring boxer. Morikawa has
given us a hell of a surprise with this one. I suppose the only thing
I'm left wanting is to find out what Ippo's one true rival is doing
next.