I Am Boxer (2025) s01e02 Episode Script

1
[announcer]
The winner of I Am Boxer will receive
a grand prize of 300 million won
and a top-of-the-line flagship SUV.
The One-on-One Showdown.
Now, let's reveal the first matchup.
[contestant 1]
Whoa, the shutter's going up.
-Who is it?
-[contestant 2] Whoa, that's…
[Dex] Who's it gonna be?
[contestants exclaiming]
-Wow!
-Whoa, shit!
This is insane!
-[contestant 1] This is nuts.
-Boy, what's gonna happen there?
[contestant 2] Whoa,
Jung Dawoon and Myung Hyunman.
[contestant 3] Didn't expect that matchup.
That's gonna be fun.
Jung Dawoon versus Myung Hyunman.
Wow!
-Wow, this is gonna be a big match.
-Gosh, Myung Hyunman and Jung Dawoon?
Wow, that's just…
[contestant 1] Oh, it's Jang Hyuk!
-[Dex] He shouldn't even be on this show.
-[Jongkook chuckles] Well, he's…
-[Hyeongbin] He's the oldest here.
-[contestant 2] He's up for a challenge.
[contestant 4] Look,
Seol Yeongho and Kwon Ohgon.
[Hyeongbin] This side's stacked too.
Damn, this lineup's just as crazy.
Who's it gonna be for your first pick?
The first ring I choose is…
-Ring No. 5.
-[contestants exclaim]
[announcer] From the red corner,
we have former Korean Lightweight
and Super Lightweight Champion,
Kwon Ohgon!
KWON OHGON, FORMER LIGHTWEIGH
AND SUPERLIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
Kwon Ohgon?
He's insanely good.
He's one of Korea's strongest boxers.
For his weight class, his power is unreal.
-[Dex] Is that so?
-[Lee] Yeah.
Hello, I'm Kwon Ohgon,
former champion in two weight classes,
Lightweight and Super Lightweight.
You can't beat me
with just your fists. Never.
I'm confident I can win.
Anyone's welcome to step up.
There are too many "champs" around.
Everyone claims they're a champion.
But I don't care who I'm up against.
I'll be the next champion anyway.
[Hyeongbin] Well, it's Seol Yeongho.
You know he's gonna bring something.
[contestant 1] Red's too strong.
[contestant 2]
Seol Yeongho's gonna get beat up.
I'll show you why boxing
is called the original sport of the fist.
Just don't chicken out.
This one's going to be exciting.
All right then,
-box!
-[bell rings]
-Let's go!
-You got this!
[contestant 1] Fire it up!
[contestant 2] He's fast.
[contestant 3] He's got a quick jab.
[contestant 4] He's fast.
[contestants exclaiming]
[Lee] Ohgon's got real speed like that.
-[Jongkook] He really is fast, huh?
-[Lee] He's really fast.
He's incredible at those
sudden burst moves.
It's hard to catch from here.
Imagine being right in front of him.
-I bet you can hardly see it coming.
-[Dex] Right?
[contestant 5] Oh! Go again! Left hook!
[Dex]
Seol Yeongho's starting to smile now.
That's his signature move.
[Jongkook] He kind of enjoys getting hit.
[Dex] Yeah, exactly.
[Ohgon] I landed a shot,
then he came right at me smiling.
[Yeongho] It stung a little.
But I wasn't that bothered.
You can't keep taking hits
and grinning forever. [chuckles]
-[contestants exclaiming, murmuring]
-He moves like a real weapon.
[contestant 2] Look at that skill.
He's got insane speed.
[Jongkook]
Seol Yeongho's watching for an opening,
-but he can't land a clean shot.
-[Lee] Yeah.
It's not easy keeping up
with that kind of speed.
-He's not gonna catch him like that.
-He can't keep up.
[Dex] Looks like
he's getting a little tired now.
-[bell rings]
-Thank you, both. Well played.
-[announcer] The fight is over.
-[contestants exclaiming]
That was a straight-up master class.
Seriously, man.
We could barely see those punches.
-No, they were so fast.
-If we can't see them from here,
imagine standing right there.
If I'd had just 30 more seconds,
I could've finished him.
More like you would've
been finished. [chuckles]
The survivor of this match is…
Kwon Ohgon from the red corner.
-[contestants applauding, exclaiming]
-[Jongkook] Congratulations!
[Lee] That was one hell of a fight.
My next pick is
Ring No. 6.
[contestants exclaiming, applauding]
[Dex] This is going to be a fiery match.
This one's got real alpha energy.
Better move up for this.
Yeah, come on out here.
Get out here.
Come on up.
[contestant 1] Heavyweight division's
such a crowd magnet.
[contestant 2]This is going to be good.
[Lee] All right, big game coming up!
[announcer] In the blue corner,
we have a three-time
National Sports Festival champion,
representing Seoul City Hall,
Hong Sungmin!
-[Dex exclaiming, laughing]
-[applauding]
Let's go!
[Dex] He's something else.
[announcer] In the red corner,
we have an MMA heavyweight fighter
nicknamed "Gorilla," Jeon Eojin!
-[contestants cheering]
-Good luck!
Let's go, Eojin!
I swear I've seen Hong Sungmin
somewhere before.
You're lovely from head to toe ♪
[laughs]
Hello, I'm Hong Sungmin.
I've been boxing for 10 years.
I've got serious punching power
for my weight.
If anyone faces me,
they just don't stand a chance.
[Eojin] I think MMA is the ultimate form
of all martial arts.
If I had to name my specialty,
that would be my left hook.
If that connects,
even an elephant would drop in one go.
That's for sure.
[Hyeongbin] Ah, this one's a big match.
[Lee] Can't wait to see this one.
Okay.
-Box!
-[bell rings]
-Let's go!
-Box!
[contestants cheering]
[contestant 1]
They give off a similar vibe.
-[contestant 2] Ooh.
-[contestant 3] Whoa, look.
[contestant 2] Whoa!
[contestant 4] That sounds heavy.
[contestant 5] Look at them go.
[contestants gasping, murmuring]
This is insane.
[contestant 6] Those punches look deadly.
He's good.
[contestant 2] All right!
[contestants exclaiming]
Let's go!
[contestants exclaiming]
[contestant 1] He ate that shot.
[contestant 2]
His counterpunches are amazing.
[contestant 3] Red corner's going to
go down soon at this rate.
[contestant 4] Whoa, he looks shaken.
[contestant exclaims]
Oh, please no.
-[Lee] Okay, we'll stop it here.
-[bell rings]
-[Lee] Well played.
-Wow!
[announcer] The fight is over.
That was awesome!
Seriously, that was crazy.
How do you take hits like that
and still stand?
[contestant 1] Wow, seriously.
Neither of them backed down.
[contestant 2] Absolute legends.
The survivor of this match is…
Hong Sungmin from the blue corner.
-[contestant 3] That was rad!
-[contestants applauding]
[contestant 4] Well fought!
-[contestant 5] That really was amazing.
-It was a great fight.
The next ring I'd like to choose is…
Ring No. 8.
-[contestant 1] Wow.
-[contestant 2] No. 8?
[contestant 3]
Ring No. 8? This one looks fun too.
[contestant 4] Whoa, it's Yang Sellchan.
[contestant 5] Ah,
it's Yang Sellchan's ring.
Sellchan's got power. He's good.
[contestant 6]
From the Youth National Boxing Team.
Hi, I'm Yang Sellchan,
former Youth National Team boxer,
and now a pro boxer.
I've had three wins and one draw so far.
The Korean scene
feels a bit limiting to me.
My goal is to become a world champion.
It doesn't matter who my opponent is.
I'm here to win.
[contestant 1] Do you know who that is?
[contestant 2] No idea.
[announcer] In the red corner,
from Japan's prestigious
Teiken Boxing Gym, Moon Youngwoong!
"Teiken"?
"Teiken"?
Naoya Inoue's from there, right?
The current world champ.
NAOYA INOUE
Apparently,
his father used to coach Inoue.
-That's wild.
-[Dex murmurs]
Hello, I'm Moon Youngwoong.
I've been boxing for about six years
at Teiken Boxing Gym.
My father used to be Inoue's trainer,
so he handled his bandage checks and such.
I've actually trained
alongside Inoue myself.
Being part of Teiken alone
is enough to set you apart.
That's all I need to say.
He's got that Japanese feel.
I think he'll do well.
[contestant 1] Red corner's from Teiken.
Sounds like fun, though.
[Sellchan] He was so good-looking
that I honestly didn't think
he was an actual fighter.
Then they mentioned Teiken.
So I'm like, "He's not what he looks like.
Better not underestimate him."
Let's get right into it.
-Okay, box!
-[bell rings]
Box!
-[bell rings]
-[contestants cheering]
-Let's go!
-Come on!
[contestants] Whoa!
[contestant 1] Nice double punch.
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 2] Go, Sellchan!
[contestant 3] Oh, he's good.
[contestant 4] He's really good.
[contestant 1] He's got clean technique.
[contestant 2] He's smooth.
[contestant 3]
It's like he's punching a punching bag.
[contestant 4] That's the Japanese style,
precise and technical.
He definitely has that Japanese vibe.
-You can't let him go on like that.
-No.
[Hyeongbin]
Boy, it's getting dangerous fast.
[contestant 2] Think we're getting a KO.
[contestant 3] No, don't just stand there.
Come on, find your moment.
Throw your punches, Sellchan.
[contestant 1]
Red corner's calling it out.
[Youngwoong] At that point, I thought,
"This might be enough to finish it."
"I could close it out soon.
Let's keep this up."
Looks like he's trying to end it early.
-Yeah, he's pressing hard right now.
-Yeah.
[Lee] I think Sellchan was waiting
for the right moment to counter,
but he took more hits than he expected.
[contestant 1] Stop waiting around.
[contestant 2]
There you go, find your rhythm.
[in English] A liver shot.
-[in Korean] Nice, he's cutting in now.
-Is he getting started now?
-[contestant 3] He's going in.
-[grunts]
[contestants exclaim]
Whoa!
-Oh!
-Whoa!
[contestant 1] Whoa! There it is!
[contestant 2] He's got a sharp left hand.
He's got a punch in him.
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 3]
He's killing it with his left.
[contestant 1] He's throwing with just
the left, barely using the right.
He's not using his back hand.
That left hand, though.
[Sellchan] Honestly,
I was getting pushed around at first,
but that lead hook started landing.
Then it clicked.
That's how I'll open him up.
[contestants exclaiming]
[contestant 4] He's in trouble.
No way he's getting out of that.
Whoa, he's holding on till the end.
Man, this is real fun to watch.
Seeing their contrasting styles.
[contestant 3]
Japan's all about quick, clean combos.
Sellchan likes to go for the big shot.
[contestant 5] Man, I love it.
[contestant 6] This fight's super fun.
-[bell rings]
-All right, that's enough.
-All right, that's enough.
-Stop!
-[announcer] The fight is over.
-Great fight.
[contestant 1] If we're talking
number of shots, it's all red corner.
[contestant 2]
But blue corner had the heavier shots.
[contestant 3]
This one's going to be tough to call.
All right then, I personally think…
they both did very well.
Is he advancing them both?
I'm giving the win
to both red and blue corners.
[contestants exclaiming, applauding]
MOON YOUNGWOONG, YANG SELLCHAN
BOTH SURVIVE
[Sellchan] It was a series
of unexpected moments.
At first, when I was getting pushed back,
I thought I might hit the floor.
But then,
I turned the tables with pure grit.
There was a moment
when my vision went blank for a bit.
I was worried about my stamina too,
but I had so much fun.
Now I'm fired up
to give it everything I've got.
[announcer] Master,
please select the next ring.
[Lee] Sure.
-Let's go with Ring No. 2.
-Oh.
[contestants exclaiming]
[groans]
[contestant 1] It's Jang Hyuk's ring.
[announcer] Ring No. 2.
In the red corner, we have action actor
and aspiring boxer, Jang Hyuk!
[contestants exclaiming, applauding]
JANG HYUK
ACTOR
[contestant 2] You got this!
"Wouldn't that be nice?"
"Un Nyun, my love"!
[contestant 3]
Jang Hyuk is really amazing.
Hello, I'm Jang Hyuk, an actor.
I happened to walk into a boxing gym.
After all that sweating,
I felt recharged after a boxing session.
Though it first began as a hobby,
I later went for it
and got my boxing license.
[announcer] Jang Hyuk,
you've passed the boxing test!
I don't know whether I'll win or lose.
How far can I make it on my own two feet?
I wanted to see for myself
how far I could go in this thing.
[contestant 1]
He's really consistent with his training.
He'll come straight from reading scripts
to hit the mitts nonstop.
[announcer]
In the blue corner, we have a boxer
and aspiring action star, Lee Dowoon!
LEE DOWOON
ACTOR
Hi, I'm Lee Dowoon,
born in 1999. I'm an actor.
I spent three years training
to become a pro boxer.
Since I've boxed for years,
I can really bring
that movement to life in my acting.
It was after watching Jang Hyuk
that I dreamed of becoming an action star.
Through this match,
I hope to carry on his legacy.
It is an honor.
Oh.
[contestant 2] Nice backstory.
Born in '76,
it's already been half a century.
I wish you all the best. [chuckles]
-Born in '76?
-[contestants exclaiming]
He and my mom are only two years apart.
[contestant 1]
I wonder what made him come here.
[contestant 2] Born in '76?
I've got so much respect for him.
[contestant 3]
He must be worried, since they're friends.
[laughing]
I've never seen Jongkook this worried.
He's gone up to the front for this.
[Hyuk sighs]
This is driving me nuts.
I'm well past retirement age in boxing.
So if you ask why I'm here…
Guess I felt like doing it.
Something must've pulled me in.
[Dowoon] I was thrilled to even be
in the same ring with him.
It is such an honor.
I hope to learn a lot
and take away great memories from this.
Let's go in strong.
Everyone, make some noise for them!
-Let's go!
-Come on!
-Okay, box!
-Let's go!
[bell rings]
-Box!
-Let's do this!
[contestants cheering]
[contestant 1] Is Jang Hyuk a lefty?
[contestant 2] So he's a southpaw boxer.
[contestant 3] He's pushing hard.
[contestant 4 grunts]
He's not holding back.
[contestant 5] He's here to win.
This is a fight after all.
[contestant 6] Good defense.
[contestant 1]
Jang Hyuk's got a sharp eye.
[contestant 2]
Yeah, he reads the punches well.
He needs to go on the offense, though.
Come on, move in.
Push forward, come on.
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 3]
His punches have an interesting rhythm.
He switched it up instantly.
That's an unusual rhythm, right?
[contestant 4]
It's almost like Jeet Kune Do.
There it is, the Jeet Kune Do.
[contestant exclaiming]
Got to be careful at times like this.
Cover up, man.
[contestant 1] Gosh, he took a big one.
[contestant 2] He's aggressive.
[contestant 3] This is it. Go for it!
[contestant 1] He's holding up well.
-You got this!
-[applause]
Let's go!
[contestants exclaiming]
[contestant 3] His rhythm's hard to read.
[Jongkook] Keep it going!
Come on, push!
-No, too big.
-Too big a swing.
Come on, push.
He needs to push harder.
[contestant 2]
His backstep's quick, though.
[contestant exclaims]
-[Jongkook] Go, go.
-[contestant 3] Push in.
-[contestant exclaims]
-That one landed hard.
It's okay. You're fine.
Keep pushing.
[Jongkook] Keep going. Go, now!
I'll give you five more seconds.
-Give it one last push.
-You gotta go now.
-Come on.
-One last push!
[Jongkook] Come on, go.
[Hyeongbin] You got this!
Five seconds left.
-[Dex] Five, four!
-[contestants] Keep going!
-[Dex] Three, two!
-[contestants] Go, go, go!
[Dex] One!
-Okay, stop!
-[bell rings]
-[Lee] All right, stop.
-Okay.
[announcer] The fight is over.
[sighs] Damn it.
-That was incredible, considering his age.
-[chattering]
[announcer]
We'll proceed with a medical check.
-Is there a cut?
-Looks like it.
Do we have bleeding?
[contestant 1] Oh, he's got a cut.
[contestant 2]
There must've been a headbutt.
[contestant 1] Oh, no.
An actor getting cut in the face?
[contestant 2] The bleeding won't stop.
[contestant 1]
He must feel awful right now.
[contestant 2] It looks pretty bad.
[contestant 3] Looks like it's deep.
[contestant 4] Oh, boy.
Is he okay?
-Please give him a big hand, everyone.
-[contestants cheering, applauding]
You're amazing, man!
He really is amazing.
Well, that was a true show
of grit and determination.
That was incredible.
As your friend, I couldn't be prouder.
[Lee] Technique aside,
that fighting spirit is
what I Am Boxer is really about.
You both fought an extremely close match.
The winner of this match is…
for landing more effective
and damaging punches…
[contestant 1] Who will it be?
[contestant 2]
This is a really tough call.
Lee Dowoon from the blue corner.
-[contestants exclaiming, applauding]
-Jang Hyuk, you were truly inspiring.
I'll never forget your fighting spirit.
Thank you.
[Jongkook] Congratulations. Well done.
[Dowoon] Even when my hand was raised,
it really didn't matter that I'd won.
I was just so worried
about Jang Hyuk's injury.
Before that shutter went up,
we had a long talk together.
I dreamed of becoming an actor star
after watching you, sir.
Action scenes are built in collaboration
with the director and stunt coordinator,
making sure the moves and blocks
align with the character's traits.
[Dowoon] He gave me so much good advice.
Thank you, sir.
This moment will definitely go down
as something I'll never forget in my life.
All right, folks.
Next up is the showdown
between Korea's two strongest.
[contestants exclaiming]
-No way.
-This is insane!
MOST ANTICIPATED MATCHUP?
Myung Hyunman versus Jung Dawoon.
Myung Hyunman and Jung Dawoon.
Jung Dawoon versus Myung Hyunman.
Let's be real,
the best fighter in Korea right now?
No doubt, everyone would say Jung Dawoon.
[Hyeongbin] When it comes to MMA,
he's number one in the country.
And for stand-up striking,
that's Myung Hyunman.
[Kang] Myung Hyunman? Heavyweight
kickboxer, like, total top class.
You don't see a match like this anywhere.
This is insane.
It's really happening.
[in English] This is the real deal.
[contestants cheering]
[contestant 1, in Korean]
That's a scary sight.
-Holy cow.
-[contestant 2] This is insane!
-Wow.
-Here we go.
Better watch this up close.
Let's watch from up here.
We can't miss this.
[contestant 3] It's the main event!
Man, this is incredible.
You can't see this anywhere else.
[Lee] Asia's top kickboxer
versus one of the UFC's strongest.
They're finally facing off.
Incredible. I can't wait to see this.
It's a battle of the monsters.
[contestant 3]
Wish this had a full three rounds.
A battle of the two strongest in Korea.
Who's your pick?
-[contestant 3] I still say Jung Dawoon.
-[contestant 4] I honestly can't pick.
[Dawoon]
Fans debate about it all the time.
Who'd win between Myung Hyunman
and Jung Dawoon?
Honestly, I never gave it much thought.
I have the same answer for anyone.
I'm just on another level.
The difference is astronomical.
You'd better be ready to give it your all.
People call me "the old, retired fighter."
They say I just sell
soy-marinated crabs now.
But Myung Hyunman is back.
Dawoon, I'm not the kickboxer
you once knew.
Now, I'm just a boxer. So brace yourself.
This is gonna be good.
[contestant 1] I bet each landing shot
will sound like a cannon.
[Lee] It's the ultimate showdown.
-Box!
-[bell rings]
-Box!
-[bell rings]
-Box!
-[contestants cheering]
[contestant 1] Ooh.
-It's like watching bears fight.
-[contestant 2] Oh!
[contestants grunting]
[contestant 1]
They're breaking each other.
[contestant 3] That was slick.
[contestant 4]
One of them might actually die.
[contestant 5] Those shots look lethal.
[Lee] Right there. That can knock you out.
That hook knocks you out.
-[Dex] Right?
-Yeah.
-Whoa!
-[contestants exclaim]
[contestants exclaim]
[contestants exclaim]
-[referee, in English] Stop!
-He's down!
[referee] He's down.
-[in Korean] Whoa, I actually flinched.
-[gasps]
Whoa!
Whoa! No way!
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 1]
I thought I heard a bomb go off.
[contestant 2]
He landed that punch right behind the ear.
-The temporal region.
-Yeah.
[referee] Stop! He's down!
[in English] Down. Three, four…
[Hyunman, in Korean] There were fights
where Jung Dawoon left his face open.
That flashed through my head.
So I thought I'd land a hard hook
and do some real damage.
I gave it a shot, and it landed.
My plan worked.
-Four, five, six…
-[Dawoon] When I took that big hit,
I was actually stunned that I went down.
My vision flashed. I was like, "What the?"
I thought, "This is bad."
"I've got to fight back with heavy shots."
[in English] Seven, eight…
[in Korean] Can you go on?
Lift your hands for me.
All right then.
-Box!
-[contestant 1] Let's do this!
[contestant 2] You got this, man!
No open hands!
[contestant exclaim]
[contestant 3]
If that connects, he's done.
[contestant 4] For real.
He's a goner then.
[contestant 5] With heavyweights, it's
about power rather than technique, huh?
[contestant 6]
One of them is going down for sure.
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 1] Whoa.
He took that.
[contestant 2] Oh, nice dodge!
[contestant 1]
He saved himself by clinching.
-They're neck and neck.
-It's like watching dinosaurs fight.
[in English] Break!
[in Korean] Break it up!
They sure are huge.
He needs to loosen up.
[contestant 2]
Jung Dawoon's getting impatient.
It's because of that knockdown earlier.
He shouldn't throw hooks.
Dawoon shouldn't throw hooks.
-He needs to stick to straights instead.
-[grunts]
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant] That's too big a swing.
[contestant 2]
He's trying too hard for the knockout.
Break it up!
-[contestant 3] Whoa.
-[contestant 4] Let's go, man!
-[contestant 5] That landed nicely.
-It was clean.
Myung Hyunman strikes like no other.
-[contestant 5] He can really hit.
-[contestant 6] Whoa!
[contestant 3] Nice body shots.
[Dawoon] I'd taken some damage.
I needed time to recover,
but I guess I rushed back in too soon.
[contestant 2]
Hyunman's looking more relaxed now.
Break!
Break it up!
[Lee] Keep it up, gentlemen.
I'd like to watch a little longer.
Almost there!
[contestants exclaim]
[contestant 1] Wow,
those hits are spot-on.
Myung Hyunman's punches have real impact.
It's got that weight.
[contestants exclaim]
-We'll stop here.
-[referee] Stop!
-Thank you. Well done.
-[bell rings]
[contestants cheer]
[contestant 1] Awesome fight! [exclaims]
That's insane.
I'd be dead if I got hit by that.
The fact that he got knocked down, though.
How about an overtime round?
Can we get an overtime round?
Now this is what I call
a legendary matchup.
Seriously.
That was truly an incredible fight.
That could easily be
the highlight of I Am Boxer.
[contestants cheer]
[contestant 1] That was insane!
The winner of this match is…
Please don't let them
both survive. [chuckles]
The one who dealt heavier damage,
more in line with modern boxing…
[contestant 1] Myung Hyunman?
[contestant 2] Jung Dawoon!
Myung Hyunman from the red corner!
Congratulations!
RED CORNER
MYUNG HYUNMAN SURVIVES
Congratulations.
That knockdown stung, huh?
That really got me, you know.
[Dawoon] I learned so much.
I now realize
I still have a long way to go.
Hyunman was seriously strong.
You all saw that, right?
That's Myung Hyunman for you.
You'd better look forward
to the next fight as well.
[announcer] Round 1 is officially over.
The current number of survivors…
is 45.
REMAINING SURVIVORS: 45
The number of those eliminated…
[sighs]
…is also 45.
ELIMINATED FIGHTERS: 45
[contestant 1] Right down the middle.
There are a few fighters
I just think
are such a waste.
I know the production team
won't be a fan of this idea,
but I'd like to give
some of them another shot.
[exclaiming]
Those getting a second chance are…
Lee Sangsoo did well.
Kim Taesun.
Park Seongjun.
For real?
PARK SEONGJUN
"UNDERDOG"
That's one strength of mine,
never giving up mid-fight.
Kim Taesun.
Kim Taesun.
CURRENT KOREAN
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
[Taesun] I had a feeling I'd be picked.
I gave it my all, after all.
ROUND 1 RESULTS: 48 SURVIVORS
[O3ohn] Whoa, what is this?
-[contestant] Damn, this place is massive.
-[O3ohn] No freaking way!
-[contestant 2] Damn it!
-We might actually die doing this.
-[contestants] Yes, that's it!
-[Dex] This is insane.
[Jongkook]
This one's gonna be a test of endurance.
Keep going!
-Let's go, guys!
-Run!
Keep going till the end!
Do that, and run back here!
[contestant 3] We can win this thing!
Last one! Come on!
What? Which is it?
[exclaiming, shouting]
[Junyoung] This is freaking insane.
EPISODE 2
[contestants exclaiming]
This looks freaking awesome.
Love the look of this.
[exclaiming continues]
This is insane.
[contestant, in English]
It's our dream gym.
[contestant 2] "No pain, no gain."
[in Korean] It's like a gym
you'd see overseas.
[contestant 3]
Look at that cardboard cutout.
[contestant 4] Are we having a match here?
-[contestant 5] This place is awesome.
-Right?
[contestant 6] You'd actually want
to train in a gym like this.
[contestant 7] Yes, caffeine.
Jumping straight into practice, huh?
KUK SEUNGJUN
KNSF GOLD MEDALIS
KIM MINUK, SUPER LIGHTWEIGH
FORMER WORLD-RANKED NO. 5
LEE HAENGSEOK
FORMER NATIONAL TEAM BOXER
HONG SUNGMIN
SEOUL CITY HALL AMATEUR BOXER
[Hyunman] His punches were so fast
you could barely see them.
I thought, "That's what
a real boxer's punch looks like."
-Hello there, everyone!
-Oh, hello.
Hello, sir.
-Hello.
-Hi, how's it going?
[Jongkook] It's good to see you all.
Round 1 was way more intense
-than we expected, huh?
-It was.
Congratulations to all 48 survivors.
-[Dex] Congratulations.
-[all cheer]
[Jongkook] Right now, Master Don Lee
is preparing Round 2,
something on a whole other level.
Round 2 of I Am Boxer is…
a team round.
[contestants exclaiming]
What's that going to be like?
Better build a good team then.
Where's Kim Donghoe?
[chuckles]
Boxing's an individual sport,
so when they said "team round,"
I couldn't quite wrap my head around it.
As to what they'd have us do.
I have this mind-set
that I am the weakest one here,
so I felt I had to pull my own weight.
I was worried I might drag the team down.
The 48 fighters here will be divided
into eight teams of six for this round.
In each Six-on-Six match,
all six from the winning team
will survive.
Whereas the losing team's six…
will all be eliminated.
[contestants gasping]
-All six?
-Yeah.
[exclaims]
-[exclaims]
-That's intense. [chuckles]
I want to survive.
From I Am Boxer's Round 1
One-on-One Showdown,
we've chosen eight top performers
to serve as this round's captains.
The first captain is…
Kim Minuk!
[contestants exclaiming]
-[Dex] Of course.
-[Jongkook] Well, he's…
-No objections there.
-[Dex] None at all.
-I'll join him right now.
-[laughs]
The second captain is…
-Myung Hyunman!
-[contestants exclaiming]
[Jongkook] He sure was phenomenal.
-[Dex] The floor was practically shaking.
-[Jongkook] That match was…
-We were all pretty fired up.
-[Dex] Absolutely.
[Jongkook] The third captain is…
You can pretty much tell.
Shin Jaehyuk!
-Shin Jaehyuk!
-Wait, me?
-Huh?
-[contestants exclaiming]
-[Dex] There he is!
-Yeah.
[Jaehyuk] I was like, "Why me?"
SHIN JAEHYUK
-He's a beast.
-He's got crazy stamina.
[contestant 1]
He never gets tired, does he?
[Jongkook] He showed true fighting spirit
all the way through.
It was a great match.
-[Dex] Your passion also counts.
-That's right.
-The fourth captain is…
-Yeah?
[Dex] Hong Sungmin!
[contestants exclaim]
-[Dex] Hong Sungmin, he's…
-Looks just like me, doesn't he?
HONG SUNGMIN
SEOUL CITY HALL AMATEUR BOXER
He calls himself my look-alike.
That's right.
I think he looks more like Seo Janghoon.
[all laughing]
[Jongkook] All right, moving on.
The fifth captain is…
Cho Hyunjae!
[contestants exclaiming]
[Dex] He is one of
I Am Boxer's pretty boys.
-[Jongkook] That's right.
-[Dex] He'll be serving as a leader.
Hello, I'm Cho Hyunjae from the KAFAC.
[contestant 1] He's the type
to really get on your nerves, huh?
[contestant 2] His footwork is no joke.
[contestant 3]
He's so fast. He's flying out there.
-[contestant 4] Good going!
-[Jongkook] He's got great showmanship.
[Hyunjae] I just want to show
that I'm enjoying myself out there.
[Dex] The sixth captain is…
Lee Daeyoung!
Lee Daeyoung!
Where is he?
Lee Daeyoung?
-Wait, me?
-[Dex] Yes.
[all laughing]
You sure that's not a mistake?
I'm just a regular office worker.
LEE DAEYOUNG
L ELECTRONICS EMPLOYEE
Who's that guy with the glasses?
The office worker.
We had a regular office worker in his 50s.
I didn't see that coming.
[Dex] He powers up when he takes off his
glasses just like a comic book character.
[contestants exclaim]
-[laughs]
-Rumor has it that those glasses are fake.
[Dex] That's right.
A disguise
to catch his opponent off guard.
[Jongkook] And to hide his real power.
The seventh captain is…
Shin Donghyun!
[contestants exclaiming]
That guy's really good.
[Donghyun] I've won the championship
in four organizations in Korea,
and I debuted
with one of the world's top promotions,
ONE Championship.
[Jongkook] He's a Muay Thai fighter,
but he can box too.
Last but not least, the eighth captain is…
-Kim Donghoe!
-[contestants exclaiming]
He's our very last captain.
[Jongkook] No objections there.
[Dex] None at all.
KIM MINUK, MYUNG HYUNMAN,
SHIN JAEHYUK, HONG SUNGMIN
CHO HYUNJAE, LEE DAEYOUNG,
SHIN DONGHYUN, KIM DONGHOE
Now, let's begin the team selections
right now!
First, let me explain how it works.
Each team will have six members,
so one captain
and five teammates.
Each team captain
will personally pick five members
from those who picked them.
-Who do I pick?
-Your brother, who else?
Forget about connections.
[In English] Are we allowed to pick?
-They are gonna pick.
-Ah, they're gonna pick.
[in Korean] This is gonna
hurt some feelings. [laughs]
If you don't get picked,
it'd be awkward to join another.
It'd be humiliating.
-Team selection starts now!
-All right!
Come on, world! [chuckles]
God, this is cruel.
What should I do?
What now?
Gotta be decisive.
Minuk's basically
having an audition there.
Who's done a ton of matches?
[Kyungmin]
When they named the team captains,
I knew I had to join Kim Minuk's team.
"The one team that would never lose."
I figured that'd be his team.
Our star from Japan.
-The one in the back?
-Yeah.
I'm sorry, guys.
I'm sorry, man, seriously.
[Minuk] Yes, I'm satisfied.
They're all experienced,
seasoned fighters.
They've all been through a lot.
I figured that'd work in our favor.
Come on, that's not fair.
-Wow, that's…
-No fair!
What are you,
forming a national team there?
-That's just cheating.
-It totally is.
KIM TAEKMIN
3-TIME KNSF CHAMPION
Coach, come up here.
Ah, appreciate it.
LEE SANGGEUN
BOXING GYM OWNER, 177 CM/82 KG
Would you like to join us?
PARK YOUNGHO
FITNESS MODEL, 180 CM/91 KG
[Donghoe] I was planning to build my team
mostly with guys on the bigger side.
-[contestant] Donghoe's team looks strong.
-[contestant 2] They're tough.
-There's clearly a crowd favorite.
-It seems so.
[Hyunman] Seeing everyone pick Kim Donghoe
and Kim Minuk got me thinking,
"I've got to promote myself."
Want some soy-marinated crab, sir?
Unlimited soy-marinated crab, everyone!
Looks like Hyunman's trying
to win them over with his crabs.
The two in front of him look like
they love soy-marinated crab.
They've got that vibe, you know.
[Hyunman] All right!
-I love soy-marinated crab!
-[Hyunman] Okay! Nice!
Hey, you like soy-marinated crab?
Want free refills for life?
-He's got speed.
-Right.
We're a perfect mix of power…
-Okay, great!
-[contestants cheer]
Now we're talking!
Got some real characters there.
TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN
CELEBRITY SQUAD
All the national team guys grouped up.
Those amateurs.
TEAM CHO HYUNJAE
ELITE AMATEUR BOXERS
We're done forming our team.
Size doesn't matter.
What matters is our teamwork.
GIJUN, YUNCHAN, JUYEONG,
SELLCHAN, SUNGMIN, JIHYEOK
They're a team of foreigners.
TEAM HONG SUNGMIN
GLOBAL BOXING SQUAD
[Donghyun]
Our team is the "No Real Boxer Squad."
KIM HUNSU, KIM MINWOO, KO YOHAN,
NAM MINWOO,
SHIN DONGHYUN, KIM DONGHYUN
You can pick us last. It's fine.
Team Lee Daeyoung? The weakest link.
Feels like we can easily beat them.
All right,
our eight teams are now complete!
[Dex] Now,
it's time for the pre-game challenge
with a major advantage at stake.
Right now?
The reward for this pre-game challenge is…
A consolation match?
[Jongkook] The right
to pick your opponent!
-I like that.
-What a major advantage.
That's huge.
[Dongeon]
If we can get a favorable matchup,
we could have a real shot at winning,
even as the underdogs.
[Dex] For this Six-on-Six team round,
the pre-game event
with a huge advantage is…
[Sungwoon]
Something that takes brains, please.
What will it be?
-[Dex] …the punching machine!
-[contestants exclaim]
Okay, the punching machine.
Sounds good.
Oh, come on…
This is just…
DEMONSTRATION BY
A SKILLED INSTRUCTOR
Oh! I scored 9,988.
[in English] Good!
[Dex, in Korean] Out of all eight teams,
the one with the highest
punching machine score
will earn the right
to choose their opponent.
Before we get started,
let's play a game just for fun.
All right then.
I don't want to use both hands
and embarrass myself with the score.
I'll stick to one hand.
Okay, nice and easy.
-[grunts] Like this?
-That's right.
[Jongkook exclaims]
Hey, that was pretty good!
That's pretty high.
It went over 9,000.
-[Jongkook] Hey, whoa!
-[Dex] My back hurts.
Let's hope someone slips up.
I hope you all learn from me
and play smart.
[Jongkook] First up!
Team Myung Hyunman's representative,
please step forward.
That's a no-brainer.
[Dex] As expected!
[Jongkook] There's no surprise there!
I knew it.
I knew it.
He's got a nuke of a punch.
Do you play this game often?
-After a drink.
-Right.
Of course.
I think I always hit the top score.
-The top score?
-Yes.
-Of course.
-I bet he tops us all.
Please slip up.
Okay, here we go!
-Let's go!
-Let's do this!
[Jongkook] Ready.
[O3ohn] He might punch a hole in it.
He'll destroy it.
Myung Hyunman's got that nuclear punch,
so I was feeling pretty confident.
I knew we'd take first place.
[Jongkook]
Put your weight behind it. And boom!
Put your weight behind it. And boom!
[exclaiming]
TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN: 9,291 POINTS
Is the max score 9,999?
Oh…
I thought it'd be around 9,600.
I swear I heard it break.
-Told you it measures differently!
-Ah…
-There must've been a glitch!
-That's right!
It sounded insane, though.
-Who cares about that? It's about power.
-[laughing]
There's no way.
-[Hyunman] Maybe I hit it wrong.
-One more try!
-Shoot.
-What an unexpected turn of events!
But it sounded like…
Maybe I hit it too hard,
and the sensor broke.
It couldn't handle all that power.
That's gotta be it, right?
[Jongkook] Next up,
Team Kim Minuk's representative.
-Please come forward.
-Oh!
[contestants exclaiming]
[Jongkook] Please come forward.
TEAM CAPTAIN KIM MINUK
It's the team captain himself.
I bet he'll do well.
He's got that one-punch power.
I don't think anyone can score over 9,300.
-You think 9,300 is the max?
-[Hyunman] Yes.
Yes, that's the max.
-All right, are you going in with a hook?
-Yep.
[Jongkook] He's going in with a hook.
All right, whenever you're ready…
[Jongkook gasps]
[exclaiming]
TEAM KIM MINUK: 9,367 POINTS
That's 9,367 points!
-What the…
-No way!
Wow.
[Jongkook] This works differently!
See? It's different!
What did I tell you!
Lee Sanggeun here is the owner
and head coach of my gym.
[Hyunman] I don't think
anyone can score over 9,300.
-Let's see.
-You got this!
Let's go!
[exclaiming]
TEAM KIM DONGHOE: 9,313 POINTS
That's pretty high.
Okay, we beat them.
But still!
He beat Myung Hyunman's score!
-Nice!
-Ouch, that stings.
[Jongkook] Team Lee Daeyoung's brought out
their heaviest member!
-Oh, he's staring down the machine!
-Look at that glare!
-Come on!
-Here we go!
[Jongkook] And swing!
That was a solid hit!
[Hyunman] I don't think
anyone can score over 9,300.
-You got it!
-You got it!
That was clean!
-You got it!
-You got it!
TEAM LEE DAEYOUNG: 9,342 POINTS
[Jongkook] Looks like anyone can beat
Hyunman's score.
[Dex] And now, from Team Cho Hyunjae,
we have Kwon Ohgon,
former Lightweight
and Super Lightweight Champion!
-Go, Ohgon!
-All right.
Ohgon's got heavy hands.
Let's go!
[Jongkook] I hope he also beats…
…he also beats…
[Hyunman] I don't think
anyone can score over 9,300.
[exclaiming]
That wasn't too bad! Still going up!
TEAM CHO HYUNJAE: 9,354 POINTS
Get it, man!
[cheering]
Kwon Ohgon!
Team Cho Hyunjae
just took down Myung Hyunman!
-All right. Let's see now.
-Nice!
Coming in first is Team Kim Minuk!
MATCHUPS
[announcer]
The blockbuster boxing survival show.
Round 2 of I Am Boxer.
Fighters, please step into the arena.
The look of this place…
It looks deadly, all right.
[Lee] I mean, just look at all this.
[Dex] They're going to be dying out there.
-Let's do this!
-All right!
-[grunts]
-Let's go!
Let's do this.
What is this?
Damn, what is all this?
-Hitting till it breaks?
-What is this?
[in English] Damn!
[in Korean] What is all this?
No freaking way.
Are we supposed to pop all of these?
Guess we're smashing them all.
Ah.
I think we have to move them.
-I think that's it.
-Okay, got it.
-We're supposed to knock them off.
-By hitting them.
By hitting them, huh?
How many are there?
Around a hundred?
[Lee] Round 2 of I Am Boxer is…
the Six-on-Six Punching Race.
-All right!
-Okay!
Bring it on!
[announcer]
In the Six-on-Six Punching Race…
two teams of six will face off.
Each team will get
a hundred 60 kg punching bags,
and they must knock them all down
using punches only.
[grunts]
The first team to knock down
all 100 punching bags
wins the Six-on-Six Punching Race.
[contestants exclaim]
This is fun already.
[announcer] The Six-on-Six Punching Race
is divided into two halves.
The first half lasts six minutes.
FIRST HALF
Three members
from each team start the race.
After three minutes,
-they must switch out.
-Come back!
Get back here now!
Time to switch!
[announcer] Once time is up,
no more punches are allowed.
And all three members must return
to the starting line
before the next group begins.
The second half
has no time limit.
But only one member from each team
can compete at a time,
and substitutions are unlimited.
-Come back!
-Come back!
Only one at a time.
[announcer] The first team to knock down
all 100 punching bags…
wins the Six-on-Six Punching Race.
All members of the winning team
will survive.
The losing team…
is immediately eliminated.
[in English] Okay.
TEAM HONG SUNGMIN
VS TEAM SHIN JAEHYUK
[Lee, in Korean]
Team Red is made up mostly of boxers,
while Team Blue's got
a few MMA fighters in the mix.
-But Hong Sungmin is a great boxer.
-Yeah.
HONG SUNGMIN
3-TIME KNSF CHAMPION
[Dex] Shin Jaehyuk's really good too.
What they have in common is,
-they're aggressive fighters.
-[Jongkook] Yeah, totally.
They're both strong.
-[Lee] This already feels like the finals.
-[Dex] Right?
[Lee] I wonder who will win.
Who's feeling good right now?
TEAM RED
Raise your hands. I feel pretty good.
You good? All right.
Then we'll go first in the first half.
All right, it's decided.
Now, I think it's better
to start clearing from the far end.
-Got it.
-So let's start from the end.
Okay, we're starting from the end.
-Anyone want to go first?
-Who wants to be Group 1?
No, current fighters should go first.
-Current fighters first?
-Yes.
-So, us three?
-Gotta set the tone.
-Okay.
-You're Group 1.
But objectively speaking here,
those guys are just…
They're all scrawny, and they're amateurs.
If we're talking punching power,
they can't beat us.
That's true.
[Jaehyuk] I'm a middleweight,
and so is Chungil.
If there's a weight difference,
our punches are bound to have more impact.
So I thought,
"We've got this. Totally got this."
Honestly, I wasn't worried.
I thought the weight difference was huge,
but we're younger,
and we've got more current fighters.
So, we're definitely the stronger team.
[announcer] The Six-on-Six Punching Race.
Team Hong Sungmin versus
Team Shin Jaehyuk.
Come on, let's go!
It's all about your grit!
-Let's do this!
-We got this!
[announcer, in English] Ready.
[whistle blows]
-[in Korean] Go!
-All right!
-Let's do this!
-Let's go!
[whistle blows]
-All right!
-Let's do this!
Come on, we got this!
-[Jongkook] What's their plan?
-Oh, both teams are going to the end!
[Lee] They're both starting from the end.
Looks like they have a similar strategy.
TEAM RED
Look at Hong Sungmin!
He's looking light on his feet!
[Jongkook] Whoa,
he's going in with a flurry of punches.
Yes, that's it.
He's not doing too badly
with those combos.
They're doing well on the inside.
[Dex] Red's fast!
The other side's fast too.
They're both quick.
TEAM BLUE
Nice!
KIM TAESUN
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
This team's doing solid too!
[Chungil] Taesun, you're doing great!
[Dex] Wow, that was fast!
[Jongkook] Man, he's good.
I can't tell.
-I can't tell who's winning.
-[contestants grunting]
[Lee] Seriously, they're neck and neck.
Wait, he's burnt. Look.
-He can't go on.
-[Lee] He's tired.
[grunting, panting]
PARK SEONGJUN
0 PUNCHING BAGS DROPPED
[Chungil] Seongjun doesn't
seem to how to do it.
[Jaehyuk] Stay calm!
You gotta push as you hit!
Push through it!
[panting]
[Juhyun] Yejun's not making progress.
-Must be pretty heavy.
-Yeah.
[grunting, panting]
Whoa, the bag just won't drop.
[Jaehyuk] It won't budge.
It's getting caught at the end.
[Juhyun] You're right.
[chuckles] Honestly,
I thought it'd drop right away.
But there was this little hook at the end,
so it wouldn't fall off easily.
Why won't it drop?
[Sungmin] You know that hook at the end?
It kept getting stuck there.
It's not moving, damn it!
-[Lee] They're out of energy.
-[Jongkook] They're gassed.
No, stop.
No, that's not how you do it!
When you've got enough energy,
you can drop the punching bag.
But if you're worn out, it won't budge.
[exclaiming]
[contestant 1] Switch it up!
Taesun, try another!
[Dex] Kim Taesun's struggling big time.
He can't drop it.
-[Jongkook] He can't anymore.
-[exclaiming continues]
Looks like both Blue and Red
are stuck right now.
[contestants cheer]
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 70 - BLUE: 85
[Juhyun] You gotta get back soon!
Three, two, one, switch!
Come on, come back now!
[announcer] Switch players.
-[Juhyun] Run, run, run!
-[contestant] Hurry up!
-Run, run, run!
-Hurry up!
[Juhyun] Run, run, run!
-Run!
-[Sungmin] It won't budge.
[in English] Go, go, go!
Their strategies are similar,
knocking them down from the back.
[grunting]
TEAM BLUE
SHIN JAEHYUK, 80 KG
Wait, it won't drop.
Shin Jaehyuk looks a little flustered too.
Wait, I think he's got the hang of it.
SHIN JAEHYUK/80 KG
4 PUNCHING BAGS DROPPED
Look at this team. They're doing well.
They're doing great!
Seriously, though…
-[Lee] Park Chungil's got…
-Insane power, right?
He's strong.
Look at him.
His punches carry real weight.
[grunting]
-How's Team Red doing?
-[Jongkook] Let's see. Who's doing well?
Sellchan, keep going!
-Sellchan, use your feet!
-Keep going!
Don't stop!
-No hooks, just straight punches!
-Just straight!
[Dex] Oh, no.
[Lee] If you hit it like that,
it's not going to fall.
[Sellchan] God, it was heavy.
I felt like there was no way through.
[Jongkook]
Gotta put your weight behind it.
Put your weight behind it.
There's no other way.
Move on to the next one!
Move on! Just move on to the next one!
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 63 - BLUE: 64
[Jongkook] One of their guys is just
too light to pack much power.
LEE JUYEONG/63 KG
0 PUNCHING BAGS DROPPED
[Juyeong] I was like,
"Why isn't this moving?
Wait, why won't it drop?"
"Wait, this is bad." [exclaims]
"I'm dragging everyone down.
We have do a hundred of them? No way."
That's all I was thinking.
LIM YUNCHAN/75 KG
5 PUNCHING BAGS DROPPED
[Dex] Oh, boy. Yunchan…
He's completely out of gas.
[announcer] Ten seconds left.
[contestants grunting, exclaiming]
[Dex] They're all exhausted.
Both teams are totally drained.
[Lee] Man, it hurts to watch.
-My heart breaks for them.
-[Jongkook] Right?
-Come on!
-[whistle blows]
[announcer] First half is over.
[Jongkook] They've got spirit, at least.
I really can't tell.
This side's dropped a few more, though.
[Lee]
Yeah, this side's dropped a few more.
[announcer]
We'll now announce the mid-game score.
[Yunchan] We might be screwed.
Oh, I know we're fine.
I think we're in the lead.
[announcer]
We'll now announce the mid-game score.
How big is the gap?
[announcer]
The number of remaining punching bags…
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 60 - BLUE: 51
[Lee] They're nine apart.
-Okay, good!
-Yes!
-[in English] Nice!
-[in Korean] Okay, we're good!
Remember, losing sucks, man.
-It's fine. We're good.
-[blue team contestants cheer]
TEAM RED
[Jongkook] They're nine apart?
TEAM BLUE
[Lee] This team's cleared about half.
Whereas they've only cleared 40.
[sighs] It's gonna be tough
to close that gap now.
[contestants whispering]
[Yunchan] We were down by nine points.
Since we don't have many heavyweights,
it was tough,
knocking the punching bags off the hooks.
[announcer] In the second half
of the Six-on-Six Punching Race,
each team can send out
only one player at a time,
but substitutions are unlimited.
Strategy is key here.
You've got to move fast.
Right.
It's easier
for the heavier guys after all.
It's easier if you're heavy,
so number one, two, three. Got it?
[Jaehyuk] I figured the second half
would all come down to individual skill.
If you're not too gassed,
we'll stick with the same order.
All right, the other team's lost spirit.
[panting]
-It gets stuck on the hook at the end.
-I know.
But if it won't drop and you're too tired,
just leave it and come back.
-Okay, got it.
-All right?
[Sungmin]
You know that hook at the very end?
That's where they seemed to get stuck.
But I figured
I could knock that off in one hit.
-We got this.
-Yeah.
Let's do this.
Just look straight ahead
and give it your all!
[Jaehyuk] The goal was simple:
focus only on what's in front of you
and knock it down.
[announcer]
We'll now begin the second half.
We're doing great, man.
[announcer, in English] Ready.
-[in Korean] We got this!
-Let's go!
TEAM BLUE
-Nice, doing good!
-Keep it up!
[exclaiming]
-Great! Keep it up!
-Whoa, he's on a roll!
-They've still got game!
-[Eojin] That's it.
Push it out,
then kill it with a one-two combo.
That's it! He's found his rhythm.
All right, that's it!
Nice one!
-He's so darn good!
-Great!
[shouting]
That's it!
-Wait, what? [exclaims]
-[contestants chattering]
TEAM RED
[exclaiming]
All right!
-You got this, man!
-Let's go!
-Okay, good!
-That's it!
-Nice!
-Keep going!
-Keep going!
-Let's go!
-That's it!
-Yes!
All right!
Nice!
Awesome, man!
Honestly, I got chills back then.
-Great!
-That's it!
Hurry! Come on!
Okay, come back!
Switch!
Go, go, go!
-[exhales]
-That's what I'm talking about!
-You're doing great!
-Let's go, man!
-You got this!
-Let's go!
When I saw how easily the ones
my teammates had loosened were coming off,
I started to feel confident.
-Just lay the groundwork.
-Okay.
-Okay, move on!
-All right!
We'd figured it out.
As for the lightweights,
it's hard to knock
the punching bags off completely.
But it's easy to push them
to the point where they're about to drop.
Ah, so it's a pre-push strategy.
Yeah, they've got to
set them up like that.
-From the back!
-Who'll do the pushing here?
-I'll do it.
-Okay.
[exhaling]
[exclaims]
[Juyeong] Sungmin told us
just to push them to the edge,
so that's exactly what I did.
Thinking, "I'll leave the rest to them."
"I trust them."
[exhaling]
-Down by two! Now, one!
-Good going, man!
Whoa, that's…
TEAM RED: 46 - TEAM BLUE: 46
Whoa, it's a tie!
-All right!
-[Sungmin] We can't lose, no matter what.
No matter what, we're winning this.
-[all exclaim]
-That's insane.
[shouting]
TEAM BLUE
-Come back.
-That's enough.
-Come on back!
-Let's switch!
-Let's switch!
-Switch!
[contestants cheering, clamoring]
TEAM RED: 45 - TEAM BLUE: 45
All right!
[Taesun] I could've done a little better.
Did I stay in too long?
[contestant] Come on, man!
-Nice!
-That's it!
-But they're doing well.
-Yeah?
Yeah, they are.
After the pre-push, with a combo…
Keep it up, man!
[Jaehyuk] We've got a shot at this.
-Who's recovered a bit?
-Juyeong, that's enough!
-Can you go next?
-Come back here!
You're gassed. Just push it to the edge.
-Juyeong, that's enough!
-Run!
-Run!
-Juyeong, come! Hurry!
Sungmin, finish them off.
-Your turn!
-Go, Sungmin!
That's it!
[Dex] Whoa, look.
He's pounding away.
He's pounding at them.
-[exhaling]
-[red team cheers]
All right! Nice!
Gijun's going in!
[exclaiming]
That's it!
-Lee Gijun's fast!
-[Dex] Seriously, whoa!
-Wow.
-Wait, what?
[Lee] Whoa, he's super fast.
[Dex] What's gotten into him?
Using his right hand only.
-Come back!
-Come, come!
[Jongkook]
They're swapping each other right out.
In you go!
[both laughing]
That's some killer strategy.
[chuckles] They're thinking smart.
What's good about their strategy is
that they only use 30% of their energy,
then tap out and recharge,
so it's super efficient.
They're now in the lead!
Ah, he's gassed. I'm tapping in.
Go, Park Chungil!
TEAM BLUE
-Nice one.
-Yes, that's the way to go.
-Yes, that's it!
-Going good, man!
-You've found your rhythm!
-Use one-two combos!
One-two combos!
-[Jongkook] One-two! That's it!
-All right!
-You got it, man!
-Nice.
Team Blue, you can still turn this around!
-Great!
-He's killing it right now.
-He got the hang of it.
-Yes!
-Just leave it to him.
-You okay?
No switching. He's good.
-Come back if you want!
-Just trust him.
He's got this.
[Dex]
Why's he doing everything by himself?
They need to switch.
Team Blue, you've gotta switch!
You've gotta switch now!
[Jaehyuk] Chungil was doing really great.
We just wanted to trust him on this.
[Jongkook] He's doing great.
That's why they're letting him keep going.
[Dex]
But that's a heavy load for one person.
TEAM RED
[exclaims] Well, look at that.
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 3 - BLUE: 21
-[contestants shout]
-[in English] Sungmin, let's go!
-[in Korean] You got this!
-All right, time to wrap it up!
[exhales]
[exclaiming]
Last one!
Go, Sungmin! Go!
[announcer] The match is over.
-[shouts]
-Awesome!
TEAM HONG SUNGMIN WINS
[red team cheering, shouting]
-All right!
-We did it!
We're done!
[all exclaiming, cheering]
[shouts]
-Great job, all!
-Nicely done!
-Nice job, guys!
-We did so well!
[Jongkook] Wow, it's usually impossible
to turn this around.
Well, that was…
-[contestants cheering]
-[applauding]
Turning the tables isn't easy, though.
-They closed that 10-point gap.
-[Jongkook exclaims]
[exhales]
Damn it!
[Jaehyuk] It was frustrating.
-We did well.
-[red team cheering]
[Jaehyuk] We were solid in the first half.
Things went downhill the moment
we went with that one-person strategy.
We thought it'd be fine
to leave it to individual skill, but…
In the end, a team game takes
more than just one person doing well.
[announcer]
Team Shin Jaehyuk has been eliminated.
TEAM ELIMINATED
[Dex] Here they come.
-[Jongkook] This is it.
-[Dex] They've entered the arena.
So many skilled players on this team.
Seriously, there are so many players…
-[sighs]
-…to look forward to here.
TEAM RED CAPTAIN KIM DONGHOE
14-TIME KNSF CHAMP
TEAM BLUE CAPTAIN MYUNG HYUNMAN
FORMER KICKBOXING CHAMP
Let's go, guys!
Let's do this.
TEAM KIM DONGHOE
VS TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN
[announcer]
Fighters, please step into the arena.
-Let's go!
-Here we come!
-Let's do this!
-Go, go!
[exclaims, sighs]
-What the heck?
-What's this?
What's all this?
Wait a minute!
Why are there so many of them?
No way!
Damn, this place is massive.
-Just how many punching bags are there?
-This is wild.
-[exclaims]
-[Donghoe] Seeing all those bags,
I was honestly shocked.
I kept thinking,
"Why are there so many punching bags?"
I'd never seen anything like it before.
TEAM KIM DONGHOE
VS TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN
-I think we need a plan.
-We do.
I'm thinking, one-two combos.
-Push them as you hit.
-I agree.
Who's gonna be the first three to go in?
-Should we go? Us three?
-Sure.
Okay, that's decided then.
We need a game plan.
[Hyunman] The bars were L-shaped.
The bars the bags were hanging from.
So to knock them down,
you shouldn't use short bursts of power.
You've got to hit them straight,
like when you drop an opponent.
Who will go first?
-The heavyweights should go in later.
-Later?
You three go first.
Ah, got it.
Don't get hung up on the ones
you can't drop.
"If it doesn't drop,
the next person can finish it off.
So, just move on."
That was our strategy.
[Jongkook] Before we begin
the Six-on-Six Punching Race…
-[exhales]
-…let's hear how the teams are feeling.
We'll do our best
to knock them all down as fast as we can.
[Jongkook] Sounds good.
We'll all work together.
The first three will do their part,
and we'll do whatever it takes
to knock them down, even blowing on them.
[all chuckle]
That sounds awesome.
We're a bit worried
since your punches aren't the strongest.
Think you'll do okay?
[all laughing]
Well, this is punching bags
we're talking about.
-I've got this.
-All right, great.
Looking forward to seeing a fiery match.
Good luck.
-Let's go!
-Let's go!
-Look at Team Red's lineup.
-[exclaims]
Sending out their strongest.
Who's going first?
Ah, it's the three up front.
Kim Donghoe and Kim Taekmin
are heading in there first, huh?
[Dex] And this side's got
a completely different setup.
YUK JUNSEO, O3OHN, BM
Rear-wheel versus front-wheel formation.
-Oh, right.
-Yeah, it's… [chuckles]
You know what I mean.
RED: 258 KG, BLUE: 210 KG
[Dex] Rear-wheel versus front-wheel.
[Jongkook] It's going to be a nail-biter,
opposite strategies and all.
[Donghoe] Honestly, I think we'll win.
I was confident.
-Let's go, guys!
-Let's go!
[Junseo] Since it's a team round,
we'll work together and give it our all.
[announcer] The Six-on-Six Punching Race.
Team Kim Donghoe versus
Team Myung Hyunman.
[in English] Ready.
[whistle blows]
-[in Korean] Okay, go!
-Let's go!
-Okay, go!
-Let's go!
TEAM RED
[Sanggeun] That's it.
All right!
[Jongkook] Whoa, he's strong!
[grunts]
That's it! Nice!
-[whistle blows]
-[contestants cheering]
Tackle the middle!
TEAM BLUE
Straight punches!
Yes, that's it!
Straights are effective.
Go with straight shots, guys!
[both exhaling]
Straights! That's it!
-We're doing great, guys!
-Good going!
We're doing awesome!
Stay strong!
TEAM RED
[Taekmin] This is tough.
Why's it not dropping?
Hey, what's up with this!
-See? It won't drop.
-[exclaims]
It won't drop easily.
[exclaiming]
-[Taekmin chuckles] What? It won't budge!
-Why won't it drop?
[Youngho]
Taekmin was right in front of me.
He was clearly hitting it hard,
but it still wouldn't move.
I thought,
"If even a pro like him can't drop it,
what chance do I have?"
So I figured I'd better pick up
the knack of it fast.
[exclaims]
God, what is this?
-Try another one!
-[Taekmin] Darn it!
The thing is,
we usually throw with a snap.
That's how we pack power into the punch.
And when we first learn boxing,
we're told not to make
the punching bag move.
But here, the goal was to make it move,
and it wouldn't drop.
It got me thinking,
"My team might lose because of me."
It just wouldn't drop.
One minute and thirty seconds left!
Keep going!
Kim Donghoe's struggling over there.
-He's exhausted.
-[Jongkook] Yeah, he is.
No, don't throw hooks!
[Donghoe]
It just wouldn't budge, you know.
I had a long way to go.
Donghoe, just move on!
-Just push it to the edge!
-[exhales]
Donghoe, move on!
-They've switched to a push-only strategy.
-Oh, right.
Yeah, it's working!
-Great thinking!
-[Dex] Nice! That's better!
Keep it up!
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 85 - BLUE: 76
Push it as you go!
TEAM BLUE
Go, go, go!
[O3ohn] After about a minute,
I was completely spent.
-It won't budge.
-I tried hitting it in different ways,
but nothing worked.
[sighs] Damn, this is driving me nuts.
He's completely spent.
[Hyunjun] You got this!
You're doing great!
[exclaiming]
TEAM RED
I got the hang of it now.
Yes, I got it!
All right!
-Nice one!
-I see.
-I got it now!
-Keep going!
Just like that!
-All right!
-All right!
Whoa, he's really strong.
He got the hang of it now!
-Taekmin's whizzing through.
-[Jongkook] That's exceptional.
Let's go!
-You got this!
-[Taekmin laughs]
All right!
Ten seconds!
-Ten seconds!
-You're almost there!
All right, back it up!
Do we go back?
Let me see.
-Come on!
-Back it up!
Come back!
You've got to come back now!
[Hyunman]
I don't think there was much of a gap.
Our strategy worked.
I figured the next group
could head out and finish them off.
-Switch players!
-Let's switch!
MYUNG HYUNMAN,
KIM DONGHEE, JULIEN KANG
-Back it up!
-[announcer] Switch players.
You've got to come back now!
Back it up!
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 61 - BLUE: 61
-Man, this is not easy.
-Okay, let's go!
FIRST HALF, 2R
HYUNMAN, JULIEN, DONGHEE
TEAM BLUE
[contestants exhaling]
[Dex] Whoa, Myung Hyunman. [exclaims]
-Go, Myung Hyunman!
-He's knocking them down with jabs!
What the…
Hold up!
-Doing awesome, man!
-[Jongkook] What the heck?
[exclaims, chuckles]
Myung Hyunman's on fire!
Those aren't some lighter bags, are they?
[Jongkook, Dex chuckle]
[Jongkook] Wait, what?
What the heck?
[O3ohn]
Our captain seemed to be tapping lightly,
but the bags just kept sliding forward.
That's what you call a nuke punch.
You've gotta run! Run!
We have to wait for him.
All right, let's go!
FIRST HALF, 2R
HYUNJUN, YOUNGHO, SANGGEUN
TEAM RED
-Hitting hard won't do!
-You've gotta push it!
Wait, what in the world?
What the heck!
Punch a bit lower!
A bit lower, man!
Take this!
[exclaims]
REMAINING BAGS
TEAM RED: 44
We're almost there!
Keep it up!
TEAM BLUE
[Dex] Whoa, what the…
[Lee] Hyunman's dropping them
with just a few punches.
[Dex] Oh, wow!
REMAINING BAGS
TEAM BLUE: 42
[blows landing]
Let's go!
Come on!
They're neck and neck!
I don't think we'll need a second half.
They could end it here!
[Jongkook] These teams are killing it!
They're both so good!
You're almost even!
You have to push! That's right!
[Youngho] I just kept thinking,
"If we don't pull this off, we're done."
Seriously,
I poured everything I had into it.
-Nice.
-They're doing great.
This guy's good.
[Lee] Nice, he's good.
You've got to push it in first,
and then strike.
Push it! Now, finish it off!
-That's it!
-Yes!
-[laughs]
-Nice one! Keep it up!
Keep going! You're almost there!
It's neck and neck!
Almost there!
[Hyunman]
I was locked in on the punching bag,
thinking, "Either you go down or I will,"
and I didn't have time to look over.
I felt sure that if I gave it my all,
we could definitely win this.
[Kang] I was thinking, "Don't give up.
Be a machine
and smash them all till the end."
[announcer]
One minute left before half-time.
-This is chaos!
-You're doing great!
-This might end soon. [exclaims]
-[Jongkook exclaims]
-Team Red?
-[Dex] What's going on?
No, it's down to the wire.
Keep going till the end!
That's it!
Push it!
Push it, then strike!
That's it!
Wait, they're almost done here too!
Just a few more!
-[in English] Nice!
-[in Korean] Almost there!
TEAM BLUE
Yes, that's it!
Push it first, then finish it off!
-There you go!
-In the back!
-In the very back!
-Three more!
TEAM RED
There we go!
Last one! Come on!
They're nearly done here too!
We're almost there!
TEAM BLUE
One more time!
-You got this! Come on!
-One last time!
Last one! Thirty seconds!
All right, awesome!
Strike! That's it!
Push, push!
Push it!
Push first!
-Yes!
-All right!
[Taekmin] Push it forward!
No, you've got to push it!
We're almost there, for real!
[Jongkook exclaims]
What's going on?
Last one!
-Last one!
-Come on!
Last one!
They're almost done.
Last one!
Last one! Come on!
What? Which is it?
Okay, last one!
[contestants] There you go!
[whistle blows]
REMAINING BAGS
RED: 0 - BLUE: 3
[announcer] The match is over.
[shouting, cheering]
TEAM KIM DONGHOE WINS
[all exclaim]
-Insane!
-[Lee chuckles]
Wow, I can't believe this.
-They finished without the second half.
-[Jongkook exclaims]
[shouts]
-We won!
-[exclaims]
[Donghoe] The players who came in later
did such an amazing job.
I thought, "I picked the right teammates."
-That's it!
-[Youngho] Sure, I was exhausted.
-But I could hear…
-Push it!
…my teammates cheering me on,
and it kept me going.
"Guess this is
what makes team matches special."
That's what I thought.
-Ugh, we lost.
-Yeah.
TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN LOSES
-Well played, sir.
-You were great.
[contestants panting]
That's too bad. We were so close.
[Kang] We really gave it our all,
so seeing that result…
It's a shame.
We did great.
[Hyunman]
My team really brought their A-game.
I just can't believe we lost.
It almost…
It feels like I'm dreaming.
We fought so well,
so it's hard to believe we lost.
It's such a shame.
TEAM KIM DONGHOE
VS TEAM MYUNG HYUNMAN
TEAM ELIMINATED
[Jongkook] Team Red's made up entirely
of amateur fighters or former fighters.
Keep it together!
[contestant]
We're going to win, no matter what.
-Let's go!
-Do the combo!
Nice going!
-What the?
-This is bad.
Damn it!
This is the rise of the underdogs.
-Let's win this, guys!
-Let's go!
-Pour it all out!
-Last one!
Can we turn this around?
Just one more! It's the last one!
You will be given one more chance.
[Hyunman] The time has come.
[Junseo] I'll push full throttle.
[Kang] I'm confident. Yes.
-[bell rings]
-[contestants cheer]
-This is insane!
-That's brutal!
The survivor of this deathmatch is…
[announcer] Round 3 of I Am Boxer.
This is crazy!
What the heck is that?
Is dying the only way out of there?