I Am Boxer (2025) s01e07 Episode Script
Episode 7
[narrator] The winner of I Am Boxer will
receive a grand prize of 300 million
and a top-of-the-line flagship SUV.
[Bivol, in English] I Am Boxer.
This fight is
Three-Man Battle.
[Youngho, in Korean]
A three-way fight? Geez.
-You're doing awesome!
-Push harder!
Time's almost up!
[Bivol] He's a crazy guy.
Congratulations to the five fighters
who survived the Three-Man Battle.
[Youngho] So it's not over yet.
[Jongkook] Man, this will be tough.
This deathmatch is
The Tire Brawl.
[Jongkook] Both fighters will have
one foot placed in the tire
and box it out from there.
I think we should stop.
[Jongkook] The fight will go on
until the Master calls it.
Should a KO occur,
your survival or elimination
will be decided on the spot.
-[Bivol] There's a 21-kilo difference.
-[Don] Twenty-one? Wow.
That's a bit of a gap.
KUK SEUNGJUN VS PARK YOUNGHO
Honestly, I felt confident. No joke.
I've fought against Kuk Seungjun before.
I could see that he preferred
to fight on the outside.
But say you tie us up close?
"Yeah, I think I can do this."
That's what I thought.
I was terrified.
I was like,
"If he hits me clean, I'm dead."
Still, his boxing experience isn't long.
I figured I'd use the body combos
I've sharpened with my technique
and really use my skills to the fullest
to show what I'm made of.
SAFELY CONDUCTED
WITH PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL STAFF ON SITE
[Don] The Tire Brawl deathmatch…
starts now.
Box!
-Let's go!
-Box!
Okay, nice.
Don't forget to breathe!
-Oh, boy.
-Nice, that's it. Keep going.
Yes! Drive that hook into the body!
-He's aiming at the body.
-He's going to the body.
Nice short shots!
[Youngho] He kept going to my body
in the earlier match too.
But I've never gone down
from taking a body shot.
[Don] Seungjun, get your guard up!
Honestly,
I don't recall feeling any of it.
[exclaims]
[contestant 1] Get lower!
-You're too high!
-[contestant 1] Hey, hey!
Keep it short, man!
-Guard up and breathe!
-Guard up!
Park Youngho's durability is…
Very nice.
[Donghyun] He's about to gas.
Just hang in there, Youngho.
Yes, keep breathing. That's it.
You've got more power!
Guard up!
Don't try to slip everything!
Guard up, man!
Slip!
-Slip!
-Okay, slip, slip.
-His power is insane.
-Right.
Like bam, bam, bam!
He handled that great. Close call there.
You're fine. Nice, that was great!
Man, you're mad strong.
He took control with his power.
He kept firing combos,
and I struggled to put out anything clean.
Box!
So I had to rethink my approach.
You're stepping straight in, Seungjun!
Remember, two-step!
Keep your guard high!
Just try sticking it in!
-Drive that body shot in!
-[contestant 2] Work!
[Seungjun] But even then,
I put a lot more power
into the body shots.
He's starting to feel those body shots.
[intense music playing]
[contestant 1] Pour it out!
Last one! That's it!
[groans]
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
Keep going! Connect the shots!
It landed. Down, down, down!
Down!
Down.
Three, four, five, six!
-Oh, he got… Yeah.
-Yeah, down, down.
-Liver shot.
-Yeah, liver shot.
This is… good.
Five, six, seven, eight!
-Can you continue?
-Yeah.
Okay, let's go again.
Let's go, let's go! Let's go, you two.
Focus, focus.
Box!
Go, go! Left to the body!
Left to the body, man!
[contestant 2] Keep going! Don't stop!
[Seungjun] Seeing him duck down like that,
I just couldn't throw.
As an active amateur fighter,
I didn't want to keep hitting a hobbyist.
I was waiting for the Master to call it.
Come on, what's the matter?
Keep going!
Keep going! Don't stop!
Work, work, work, work!
Seungjun, I get how you feel,
but you can't hold back!
Seungjun, don't get soft!
I realized I had the wrong idea.
Ending the fight quickly
would actually be safer for him,
so I decided to push hard.
There it is, there it is!
Keep going! Don't stop!
-There we go.
-All right!
All right, let's stop here.
-Stop!
-[bell dings]
-Great job.
-Yeah, you too.
-That was insane.
-Man, totally…
Incredible.
How do you even recover from that?
Well, damn…
And even with the weight difference,
Seungjun did very well.
He really used every ounce
of strength he had.
He gave it everything.
I honestly fought the best I could,
and with a desperation like never before.
Honestly, I poured everything out
with no regrets.
[Don] The survivor of this match is
Kuk Seungjun.
-Congratulations.
-[applause]
RED CORNER KUK SEUNGJUN SURVIVES
[in English] Congratulations.
Kuk Seungjun, it was good.
I liked your body shots.
It was the key to win this fight for you.
And I can see
that Park Youngho is also a warrior,
and he wanted to win.
He was pushing. He was doing everything,
but your skills, Kuk Seungjun,
were better.
Yeah, congratulations to you.
[in Korean] Let's run it back
once we're done filming. [laughs]
I won.
I'll set my sights higher
and put on an even better fight next time.
[Jongkook] All right,
back to the Tire Brawl deathmatch.
The fighter to enter the deathmatch is…
I'm confident I can beat
whoever I'm matched with.
Doesn't matter who it is,
I can take on anyone.
Shin Donghyun.
Shin Donghyun. Please step forward.
SHIN DONGHYUN
OE CHAMPIONSHIP MUAY THAI FIGHTER
The fighter facing Shin Donghyun is…
Kim Hyunjun.
Kim Hyunjun.
-What?
-Please step forward.
Muay Thai versus Muay Thai.
Kim Hyunjun.
[sighs]
Both of them are Muay Thai fighters.
The two Muay Thai fighters,
carrying its pride.
You are now about to fight for survival.
-I remember, they are both very strong.
-Yeah.
Very powerful.
Man, Kim Hyunjun?
I wasn't too happy.
He's the only other
Muay Thai fighter remaining.
Oh, they're Muay Thai guys?
Which gym are you from?
I recently fought in OE Championship.
Muay Thai or kickboxing?
-Muay Thai.
-Muay Thai? I see.
During Hyunjun's fights,
I worked his corner for him,
cheering so he'd do well.
Hyunjun, watch out after you land one.
Hyunjun, make it tougher on him.
Shin Donghyun, let's go!
I cheered him on because I wanted to show
that Muay Thai can absolutely beat boxing.
You're not hurt anywhere, right?
Even so,
if only one of us gets to survive,
I think it should be me.
The time has finally come
for two Muay Thai fighters to face off.
Since this one's a Muay Thai matchup,
I'm taking this with a clear win.
[Donghyun]
I plan on finishing this quickly.
Time to show him I'm the senior here.
SAFELY CONDUCTED
WITH PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL STAFF ON SITE
Let's go!
Let's go, guys!
Man, that's super close.
In my opinion, this one's all instinct.
The Tire Brawl deathmatch.
Let the fight begin.
-Box!
-[bell dings]
-Let's go!
-Box!
You got this!
Oof!
Whoa, he stuck that one in.
[Donghyun] I wanted to win by KO,
so I opened aggressively.
-All right!
-Looks like he's switched it on.
He needs to extend more.
Keep it tight!
All right!
[exclaiming]
Look at that power.
Since we were fighting close,
I kept a high guard…
and went for strong, clean singles.
That was the strategy.
He's doing this efficiently.
Their strikes hit different.
[Jongkook] He needs to cover up.
-Oh, boy.
-Slip!
-Oh, boy.
-Slip!
Oh… Slip, slip, slip.
I was like, "Man, this isn't going well."
He was doing better than I thought,
landing those long shots.
I was a bit thrown off.
Box!
-Let's go!
-Let's go, go!
[intense music playing]
[Hyunjun] As soon as
my opponent's attack ended,
I threw a straight
to catch him with the counter.
He's down.
[Jongkook] So powerful.
Okay, stop!
Down!
Three, four…
[Jongkook] Yeah, that was a knockdown.
He got hit and went down.
Kim had a clever strategy.
He covered up, took what he had to,
then went in for the scoring shots,
landing them clean.
Seven, eight! Okay.
Can you continue?
-Yes.
-Okay.
[Donghyun] Once that knockdown happened,
my first thought was,
"All right, one of us is going down."
"Let's do this."
[Hyunjun] I've got control of the pace.
I'm definitely winning this.
Box!
[contestant 3] All right, nice!
Donghyun's no easy opponent.
[dramatic music playing]
Go now! This is it!
There's a clear power gap.
He's strong.
-Down.
-Down!
-Down.
-Down!
-Whoa, he's down.
-Down!
Down!
Stop, stop, stop.
[bell dings]
TKO, FIGHT OVER
-You okay?
-Yeah.
[Youngho] Man, that's a tough break.
-You good?
-Yeah.
He did well. He did really well.
[in English] He's very good.
Two knockdowns. Before that,
-he also got in some hard punches.
-Right, right.
[Jongkook, in Korean] In terms of striking
points, this side landed more, actually.
-He threw more punches.
-Yeah.
He did well, but…
The survivor of this match,
by KO victory,
is Kim Hyunjun.
BLUE CORNER KIM HYUNJUN SURVIVES
[applause]
Well, boy… What an incredible fight.
That was a fantastic showdown.
First, I'd like to express my gratitude
to my senior and fellow fighter,
Shin Donghyun,
for taking this fight with me.
I'll do my best to show what I can bring.
I feel relieved.
I wish Kim Hyunjun nothing but the best
from here on out. That's all.
-Love that.
-Well said.
-Good game.
-Likewise.
-Well fought.
-Yes, you too.
That was great.
Good game, guys.
This is the final match of the day
for the last survival spot.
Yuk Junseo.
The fighter facing him is
Kim Minwoo.
[Dex]
Skill-wise, Kim Minwoo is definitely…
-[Jongkook] Yeah, skill-wise.
-…at a higher level, of course.
But Yuk Junseo's skills have
come a long way since the start.
He's improved a lot.
In such a short time.
[in English] Who do you think
will win this time?
Oh, I don't know.
It's a very interesting fight.
These two guys are so good.
-They're both good.
-Yeah.
[in Korean] But the people who've
fought Yuk Junseo
say he's really strong.
[Minwoo] Junseo is way stronger
than you'd think.
It won't be easy.
But since it's the last consolation match,
I won't let this chance go to waste.
I'm taking this, no matter what.
True to the name "Mad Dog,"
I'll tear into him like a real mad dog.
[Junseo] At this point,
whether someone's a pro or not…
None of it matters anymore.
Now it's just fighter versus fighter.
I'm going to see this through to the end.
[exhilarating music playing]
Let's go!
-Let's go!
-Let's go!
[Don] The Tire Brawl deathmatch.
Let the fight begin.
-Box!
-[bell dings]
Box!
[Jongkook] Cover up first!
Don't grab, don't grab!
Okay, break!
No clinching.
It's a literal brawl.
A KO's coming for sure.
-You have to punch.
-Use your fists.
Go with short shots.
[Minwoo] The moment it started,
it just turned into a brawl.
[Junseo] With our feet basically tied up,
it didn't feel like a fight
you could really think through.
You just had to crash in first.
-Break!
-Break, break.
Okay, continue!
That one landed clean just now.
I just decided to force my way in.
Okay, now push!
-Push with your shoulder!
-Gotta cover up too!
There you go. Cover, then go back in.
Don't lock up his arms!
-He's going for it.
-Nice, nice.
Yuk Junseo's actually doing pretty well.
He's better than I expected.
Come on, cover up!
[Jongkook] Short shots! That's it!
Yes, there you go. Just like that.
They're fighting like wild animals.
-It's hard to tell who's better, yeah?
-Yeah.
-Short shots!
-Keep it short and sweet!
-Careful, watch the head!
-The head, the head!
-Time!
-His head's going in too much.
Oh, boy.
He's leaning way too far forward.
He needs to center his balance.
Shouldn't dive his head in like that.
Don't push in with your head.
You both need to fight with your fists.
Okay, get ready!
-Box!
-Come on, let's go!
Let's go!
Watch the head.
Stay centered
and use your hands, both of you.
Okay, stop!
It's the distance.
Some headbutting is unavoidable.
-It's not like you can pull back either.
-Right.
[Minwoo] We kept butting heads,
and it was just mutual.
We needed to push in deeper to land shots,
so you couldn't call it anyone's fault.
We both gave it everything we had.
All right, let's go!
Get ready to go again!
-Come on, fight!
-Okay, go.
Box!
[dramatic music playing]
Watch the head. Last warning.
Come on, almost done!
Let's go!
-Hey, don't crash heads!
-Watch the head.
[Minwoo] I'll pour everything out
to the end.
[Junseo] Let's see who's
still standing at the end.
He's strong, all right.
Come on, last push! That's it!
They're running the tank dry.
-That one got in.
-Come on!
Let's go! Not much left!
Let's go!
[bell dings]
Stop!
[Youngho] That was
a total bloodbath, seriously.
They both have a warrior's heart.
Neither of them would back down.
[contestant] They've done
all the cool stuff.
No idea who takes this.
What do we even base this on?
[in English] I cannot… I cannot decide.
One guy is MMA.
And then one guy…
He trained only one year, so…
-Yeah, but the MMA should be better.
-Yeah.
-But that guy is very… very strong.
-Yeah.
[in Korean] From that close,
they were both firing nonstop,
so it's hard to say
one did better than the other.
The judging criteria
will be crucial for this one.
We'll announce the result.
I felt like I'd emptied the tank
and given it absolutely everything.
I'm going to win and move up.
Hearing that three of us
would get back in the game
really fired me up.
Quarterfinals, here I come.
The survivor of this match is…
Yuk Junseo.
RED CORNER YUK JUNSEO SURVIVES
Congratulations.
That was an incredible fight
from both athletes.
[in English] Congratulations.
Both of you were good.
It was very hard for all of us
to choose who's better.
But it was a very equal fight.
It shows that he's very similar.
They were equal levels.
But I know you're practicing
only one year in boxing.
And your opponent is
practicing seven years.
He has advantage for this,
but you were very equal in this.
I think it will be fair
for you to take this win.
[applause]
[in Korean] Let's hear from
our last survivor, Yuk Junseo.
How do you feel?
I want to thank Kim Minwoo once again
for stepping into this match with me.
Since I've earned this win,
I'll remember today's fight
and give everything I have
to move up to the finals. Thank you.
It's tough, but I accept the loss.
Junseo, since you beat me,
I really hope you go higher
and take the championship. Thank you.
You both did amazing.
It feels like the end
is right within reach.
The fact that I'm still a part of this
is truly an honor.
I want to show that I can be
one hell of a boxer too.
That wraps up all the matches.
[uplifting music playing]
Congratulations to the three fighters
who survived the deathmatch.
Yuk Junseo,
Kim Hyunjun,
and Kuk Seungjun.
Congratulations.
-Congratulations.
-Congratulations.
I didn't expect to make it this far.
[Junseo] Just making it from 90 fighters
down to single digits
is an honor.
[in English] Thank you, guys. All of you.
For making this great event for us.
I'm happy to come to Korea
to see this show.
It was very impressive.
It was very incredible fights.
And I hope we will see you in the future.
On the world stage.
[Minwoo] If I could get another chance,
I'd fight 100 times, 1,000 times again.
[Youngho] We all gave it
everything we had.
That alone makes me feel like
I fought well
and can walk away proud.
I feel like
I really left it all out there.
I just want to go home now.
I'm exhausted.
[chuckles]
[classical music playing]
[Jongkook] It's my first time coming here,
but this place is incredible.
-Our fighters have been through hell.
-Right.
So I thought we'd prepare
a glamorous treat for them,
-as a reward.
-Wait, what's that?
-[rock music playing]
-Wait, what's that?
Wow, look at that.
Look, they're all in a tuxedo!
Wow, looking good.
-Hello, sir.
-Hello, sir.
[Sungmin sings] She is the one… ♪
No, don't start.
-Take a seat.
-They look great in a tux.
I know, right?
Feels awkward, though.
-All right.
-Wait, hold on.
Over here, you can…
-You hate me, man?
-No, no.
You can sit over here.
We have three empty seats.
Didn't those three empty seats
make you wonder?
Maybe they're hiding.
Any guesses on who survived?
-I just hope it's not those two.
-[all laughing]
I'm praying they don't show up.
Same here.
-Oh, the ultimate two?
-Yeah.
[all exclaiming]
Hello there. Nice to see you again.
Here's our survivors from hell.
Yuk Junseo, back from hell.
What a handsome bunch!
Congratulations.
Yesterday's deathmatch was indeed brutal.
With a number of injuries too.
-Is your eye okay?
-Yes, it's fine now.
The swelling's gone down.
-You, Junseo?
-That bruise faded quickly.
Right, it's almost gone.
Didn't cover it up, did you?
Maybe just a little.
Junseo seems to recover really fast.
Yeah, I heal fast.
And Kuk Seungjun, dapper.
Now it's only the real heavy-hitters left.
I heard each of you
picked a ring name.
Shall we go around and hear them out?
BODY KILLER
BLAZE
SHOTGUN, TYSON
STRIKER, THUNDER
PRETTY BOY, PRINCE
Hearing all these ring names,
it's really sinking in now.
Do you have a ring name?
No, I don't.
-Everyone just calls me "Mavely."
-[all laugh]
Do you like it? "Mavely"?
Of course. I love it.
-What's this?
-Man, what's this?
-[upbeat jazz music playing]
-Looks delicious.
Amazing!
-Looks tasty.
-That's insane.
It's Korean pork.
Pork's rich in protein,
and helps with post-workout recovery.
I hope you all enjoy it.
Personally, I prefer pork over beef.
-Pork tastes better, to be honest.
-It does.
Pork fat, what we call lard…
People say it's not good for you,
but that's all old talk.
Hope you enjoy.
It's not like you need to cut weight now,
so go ahead and eat.
-[all laugh]
-Let's eat.
-Enjoy.
-Enjoy.
-Enjoy.
-Thank you for the food. Enjoy.
-This must be the pork.
-Mmm.
It's super good.
Can I take the leftovers home?
The meat is ridiculously tender.
Isn't this exactly
what you need for your training?
Yeah, for sure.
Korean pork, man.
Is there a match
that stuck with you the most?
Well, I mean…
Like one that's burned into your mind?
-The Three-Man Battle was super tough.
-Really?
The Three-Man Battle, huh?
Master Lee pressed the button
way too late.
Did I?
Was there a set time to press it?
I mean, I kept thinking,
"Wait, why isn't he pressing it?"
No wonder he kept glancing over at me.
-Like, "What's taking him so long?"
-"It's about time, isn't it?"
That's why I looked away.
Well, let's get down
to business now, shall we?
The eight of you here
will battle it out head-to-head
once again in the next round.
We are
-revealing it right here, right now.
-[all gasp, exclaim]
All right.
Hope this doesn't upset your stomach.
Out of the original 90 fighters,
only eight remain.
The quarterfinals
will be a formal one-on-one boxing match
with six rounds,
each lasting three minutes.
[tense music playing]
Six rounds.
I've never done that before.
I'm dead.
-This is intense.
-It's all stamina.
[chuckling] Why hit us with this
on such a good day?
We literally just finished
a nice meal together.
I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.
All right then,
in Master Don Lee's hands lies
the quarterfinals matchup list.
Let's reveal the matchups
right now.
When your name is called,
please step forward.
The quarterfinals, bout number one.
In the blue corner…
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun.
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun.
In the red corner…
Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun.
Someone's gonna get dropped.
[Gijun] These two never back down.
This one's gonna be fun.
A good-looking pair.
Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner,
do you have any words for your opponent?
I haven't been happy
with any of my performances so far.
This time, I'll leave nothing behind.
As the last man standing
from another discipline,
I'll make sure to prove myself.
It's gonna be a wild back-and-forth.
Who will win?
KUK SEUNGJUN, BODY KILLER
KIM HYUNJUN, SHOTGUN
[Lee] The quarterfinals, bout number two.
[sighs]
I'm nervous.
[Lee] In the blue corner…
Pretty Boy, Cho Hyunjae.
PRETTY BOY
CHO HYUNJAE, 177 CM/65 KG
[Hyunjae] Hearing it was six rounds
was a bit daunting,
but I just wanted to do it already.
I couldn't wait for them
to announce my opponent.
[Lee] In the red corner…
Blaze, Yuk Junseo.
…Yuk Junseo.
BLAZE
YUK JUNSEO, 176 CM/67 KG
[Jongkook] These two have fought before,
though it was three-way.
Yes, that went in clean.
[contestant] He's doubling over.
[Lee] The survivor of this match is
Cho Hyunjae from the white corner.
I'll make it undeniable
that I'm better this time.
He's a really tough opponent,
but losing's not an option for me.
I'll bring the heat.
Whoa.
CHO HYUNJAE, PRETTY BOY
YUK JUNSEO, BLAZE
The quarterfinals, third bout.
Striker, Lee Gijun.
STRIKER
LEE GIJUN, 174 CM/70 KG
In the red corner…
Prince, Lee Chaehyun.
PRINCE
LEE CHAEHYUN, 179 CM/71 KG
LEE GIJUN VS LEE CHAEHYUN
[Chaehyun] He's not too bad
as an opponent.
I can take him.
[Gijun] Strength-wise,
I'm definitely not behind.
But I've got the better gas tank.
All right.
LEE GIJUN, STRIKER
LEE CHAEHYUN, PRINCE
[Lee] The quarterfinals, fourth bout!
Tyson, Hong Sungmin.
Thunder, Kwon Ohgon.
HONG SUNGMIN VS KWON OHGON
Now that I'm fighting Hong Sungmin,
the strongest of the remaining fighters,
I'll finish this with a bang
and move up.
Ohgon's got a family to go home to,
so I'll at least spare his life.
[chuckles]
HONG SUNGMIN, TYSON
KWON OHGON, THUNDER
[Lee] At last, it's the quarterfinals.
Prepare yourselves
to leave everything out there
with no regrets.
[Jongkook] I'll be looking forward
to a legendary set of matches!
-Box!
-[bell dings]
[Seungheon] Nice shot!
Right hook!
Huge left hand!
He's not stopping just yet!
Oh, wow! That was close!
-Here he comes!
-[spectators cheering]
-[Gyuwon] He's looking to finish this!
-[spectator 1] He's throwing full swings!
[spectator 2] You got this!
-[crowd clamors]
-[applause]
EPISODE 7
Hard Eight
I AM BOXER
[applause]
[announcer] The blockbuster
boxing survival show.
I Am Boxer.
Introducing our hosts!
DON LEE, KBF CERTIFIED COACH,
KBA CERTIFIED RINGSIDE JUDGE
[Lee] Hello, everyone.
Your local boxing gym owner,
and the Master of I Am Boxer.
I Am Boxer started with 90 fighters.
And tonight,
only eight will step into the ring.
You're in for an incredible night.
Tonight, we kick things off
with the quarterfinals.
Each bout consists
of six three-minute rounds.
Six three-minute rounds?
Among the eight fighters
competing tonight,
one will become
the ultimate I Am Boxer champion.
The winner will receive a champion belt…
Yes, there it is.
And a top-of-the-line flagship SUV.
[spectators gasp]
I hear the fighters' parents
were thrilled.
[Lee] Yes, of course.
[Jongkook] And finally,
a grand prize.
A grand prize of…
three hundred million won!
…three hundred million won!
[Jongkook] As expected,
the crowd is really reacting to that.
Hearing that makes even me think
if there's a next season,
maybe I should apply.
[Jongkook] Yes, sure.
All right then, welcome to I Am Boxer.
Let's get this show on the road.
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
Hello, viewers.
Welcome to the I Am Boxer Quarterfinals.
I'm sportscaster Seong Seungheon,
joined by commentator Lee Gyuwon.
[Gyuwon] Tonight's stage is
more than just a fight.
It's about showing the world
how far Korean boxing has come.
This is a match that demands more focus
and stronger conviction than any before.
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the first bout begin.
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
Entering from the blue corner,
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun!
KUK SEUNJUN'S PARENTS
I AM BOXER
[spectator 1] Looking sharp!
[spectator 2] Man, he could
easily pass for a celebrity.
[spectator 3] What a stud!
[spectator 4] He's a total prince.
[Jongkook] And the fighter facing
Kuk Seungjun…
Please welcome Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun!
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
[Dex] Well, he's definitely got some fire.
[Jongkook] Nice, he's got good energy.
You got this!
KIM HYUNJUN'S MOTHER
[spectator 1 exclaims]
This one's gonna be good.
-I really don't know how this one will go.
-[Jongkook] Really, no idea.
[announcer] From the blue corner,
wearing the silver trunks.
Standing 180 cm tall,
weighing in at 70 kg.
The 2024 National Sports Festival
welterweight boxing gold medalist.
With body shots so deadly,
please give it up for Body Killer,
Kuk Seungjun!
KUK SEUNGJUN'S SISTER
From the red corner,
wearing the yellow trunks.
Standing 180 cm tall,
weighing in at 80 kg.
The current champion
across three Muay Thai organizations,
the last man standing for Muay Thai.
Give it up for Shotgun,
Kim Hyunjun!
SHOTGUN KIM HYUNJUN
TAEHAN MUAY THAI
[Hyunjun] I'm Kim Hyunjun,
current national Muay Thai team member.
EA,
KK,
and K Hs.
I hold titles in three organizations.
Jab, jab, jab!
I hit with instant explosive force,
hence the ring name "Shotgun."
Think of me as Seungjun
and go for the body.
KIM TAEHAN
KIM HYUNJUN'S MUAY THAI MASTER
[Hyunjun] Since Kuk Seungjun is tall,
I mostly practiced punching
upward. [grunting]
Given his ring name, "Body Killer,"
I figure if I take the fight inside,
I've got a real shot at winning.
I want him to get a taste of my power.
[Seungjun] I'm Kuk Seungjun
of the Hwasun County Boxing Team.
I won gold medals in both high school
and university divisions at the KNSF.
My main weapon is the body shot.
That's why I went with "Body Killer."
Since it's a six three-minute bout,
you can't waste your stamina.
Keep moving as you throw.
[Seungjun] Kim Hyunjun is
in a higher weight class than me,
so I prepared by doing longer rounds
with a heavier sparring partner.
That's the only way to get him!
When it comes to boxing,
I think I've got a definite advantage.
[Jongkook] Before we start,
let's hear what the fighters have to say.
[Hyunjun] I climbed past
a lot of heavy hitters to get here.
No knees, no kicks.
I'll put him down using only my fists.
[audience cheering]
To a Muay Thai fighter
who trains with both hands and feet,
I'll demonstrate the beauty of boxing,
where we train only with these fists.
[audience] Ooh!
[cheering]
Their lines are getting good.
[Seungheon]
The first match prepared for today
is between Kuk Seungjun and Kim Hyunjun.
One of the biggest factors this time is
that it's a six three-minute round bout.
[Gyuwon] Exactly. The sixth round
will be the biggest factor.
-Kuk Seungjun is used to three-rounders.
-[Seungheon] Right.
[Gyuwon] This is his first six-rounder.
I'm curious if he will be able
to withstand the pressure.
[Seungheon]
Meanwhile, Kim Hyunjun's strengths
are his endurance and relentlessness.
I'm really looking forward to seeing
how he's adapted to the boxing rules.
Seungjun is tall and has long reach,
but he's no out-boxer.
-He just crashes in and brawls.
-That's right.
-So this fight should be super fiery.
-[Jongkook] It'll be fun.
Yeah, real fiery.
You can turn into it and swing.
Don't just stay square.
And don't play in the center.
Push him to the corner.
You have plenty of time
to show your skill, okay?
Lure him in, tag with your lead hand.
Rotate, then rip the body.
Who's your bet? My vote's on Shotgun.
You too?
[Jongkook]
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the fight begin!
[audience cheering, applauding]
[in English] Box!
[bell dings]
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon, in Korean] Here come
both fighters for the first round.
Kuk Seungjun starts off with a jab
to the body using his long reach.
Sticking light jabs.
Curious to see how his opponent
plans to get past that reach.
-He's using his footwork today.
-Mmm.
[Lee] With the larger ring,
he's really making use of his footwork.
[Jongkook] He's going a bit out-boxer.
[Seungjun]
When it comes to boxing distance,
that's where I've got the edge.
My plan was to establish my range
and run the fight from there.
[Gyuwon] Nice body shot!
-That was perfect timing.
-[Seungheon] Indeed.
[Lee] That's it.
Strike and keep pivoting.
[tense music playing]
Kuk Seungjun's jabbing
to bait him in a little.
And Kim Hyunjun looks like
he's loading up for a big shot.
-[audience gasps]
-Just like that.
Oh.
[Jonghoon] Relax, he missed! Take it easy.
[audience member] He's coming!
[audience gasps]
[audience gasps]
[Hyunjun]
I thought Seungjun was an infighter,
but when I saw him
trying to fight from a distance,
I knew I had to close the distance.
[trainer] That's it!
Get in there! Don't let him off the hook!
Keep it long!
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's showing zero fear
of Kuk Seungjun's punches.
[Seungheon] Looks like he's thinking
he can handle the shots.
And he closes in!
[audience member] Nice!
[Seungheon]
Sharp left hand on Kuk Seungjun!
Whoa, big left landing there.
[audience member] Slip that!
Kim Hyunjun's punches aren't connecting
as much as expected.
He's moving his feet a lot.
-You mean Kuk Seungjun? I see.
-Yeah.
[Dex] He's constantly going
for that hit-and-move.
[Lee]
He's constantly circling left and right.
-The hit-and-move.
-[Dex exclaims]
Hyunjun can't get the distance.
He hasn't found his range at all.
[Dex] He's gotta be thrown off.
[Lee] Look, those kinds of body shots.
He's hunting for those.
-[bell dings]
-[referee, in English] Okay, stop!
[Seungheon, in Korean]
And that's the end of the first round!
[audience cheers]
[Gyuwon] That was a first round
fought like a final round.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun pushed forward
and tried to take control,
but Kuk Seungjun's pinpoint shots
were incredibly impressive.
What's smart about Kuk Seungjun's play is,
when we gave him a small ring,
-he fought inside.
-Yeah.
Now that the ring is big,
-he's showing much more movement.
-Mmm.
You're fighting great right now,
but you get clipped when you get out.
-Watch out for that, okay?
-[Seungjun] Okay.
I'm thinking if I keep this up,
I should have the edge in this fight.
[trainer] He keeps throwing jabs.
That's when you should stick it.
Don't try to end it with one shot.
Make your moment, got it?
[Hyunjun] Right now,
I'm losing on distance and footwork,
so I have to dig further in.
[whistle blows]
All right, let's start the second round!
[audience cheering, applauding]
-[bell dings]
-[Seungheon] The second round begins.
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 9, KUK: 10
[Jongkook] That's it.
You have to just go for it.
-[audience member] Go in further!
-Right.
[Lee] He's pivoting.
[Jonghoon] Okay, nice body shot!
[Dex] Yes, there it is.
[Seungheon] He's now using
his footwork more. Falling back.
And another body shot!
[audience member] All right!
He's starting to work the body.
[Seungjun]
With Hyunjun coming forward aggressively,
I took a step back
and worked my specialty, the body shots.
[audience member] That's it!
-[audience member 2] There you go!
-Ooh.
[Gyuwon] That body shot landed
right in the gut!
[audience member] Move away!
[Lee, Dex gasping]
[Dex] He's definitely feeling it now.
[Seungheon]
Kuk Seungjun drifts to the back.
[Hyunjun] I pushed in harder
than in the first round,
but Seungjun's footwork was too good,
I couldn't catch him.
I knew I had to stop him somehow.
So I decided to corner him.
[audience member] All right!
[Seungheon]
Kim Hyunjun fires back! Left and right!
He's got to really pressure him
to drain his gas tank.
Kim Hyunjun's not going to
run out of steam easily.
[Dex] He's got solid durability too.
[Seungheon exclaims]
[Seungheon exclaims]
[audience gasps]
Go for it! Yes, go for it!
-There you go.
-That's it.
Can't just sit and wait, you know.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun
threads that left in beautifully!
Nice body shot!
[Gyuwon exclaims]
[Seungheon] Neither fighter is
fighting for points.
They want real damage
that could lead to a knockdown.
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's adding pressure,
and it's genuinely terrifying.
That's probably making it tough
for Kuk Seungjun to find clean openings.
-[bell dings]
-Stop!
[Seungheon] And just like that,
the round ends!
[audience cheering, applauding]
Keep it rough like that.
And you have to fire back
when he comes in.
Hard to tell
where Hyunjun's stamina is right now.
He might look fine,
but he has still taken a few to the body.
-Little by little, that adds up.
-Right.
Those body shots are starting
to take their toll, I believe.
Even for someone like him.
[Hyunjun] Seungjun's punches
weren't painful per se.
But when you keep eating them,
it gets annoying.
Since he knows
I'm hunting for that big shot,
I figured I'd have to sneak it in
in the third round.
You're doing well.
Keep the footwork under control.
He's easy to read.
-Am I right?
-Right.
[Seungjun] The plan was to conserve energy
and keep movement to a minimum.
Fight with confidence, kid.
[Seungheon] Let's see how Round 3 unfolds.
Round 3 coming up next.
Let's go, Seungjun!
I'm curious to see
how Kuk Seungjun handles this round.
[bell dings]
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon] Round 3 has begun.
Kim guards up and goes back in.
[Gyuwon] Round 3 is going to be
crucial for both fighters.
[audience member] All right! Nice shot!
-[audience member 2] That's it!
-[audience member 3] You're good!
Don't trade with him!
[Seungheon]
He digs inside, aiming upstairs.
Kuk Seungjun backs out.
[dramatic music playing]
-[Dex exclaims]
-[exclaims] Nice.
[Lee] Kim tried to corner him,
but Kuk got out.
[Jongkook exclaims]
Look at Hyunjun,
countering right back to the body.
[audience member] Nice, there you go!
-[Seungheon] Excellent uppercut!
-[exclaims]
[audience gasping]
[Lee exclaims]
[Gyuwon] That was an excellent uppercut!
[audience exclaiming]
[Lee] Well, that was neat!
That one-two was sharp.
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's still taunting,
but he can't afford to eat shots here!
That connected!
[exclaiming]
[Gyuwon] But it seems
Kim Hyunjun is tracking every punch.
The shots you see won't drop you.
[Seungheon] That's right.
Let's go, Hyunjun!
You got this, Seungjun!
[intense music playing]
[audience member] All right!
Use the rear hand!
[Dex] Seungjun's running out of steam now.
[Lee] He's slowing down a bit.
-[audience member] Use your rear hand!
-All right!
-[Lee exclaims]
-[Seungheon] Nice sway.
-[audience gasping]
-[exclaims, chuckles]
[Gyuwon] That sway is an indicator
that he's figured out
Kuk Seungjun's rhythm.
[Seungheon] That's right.
And Kuk Seungjun is looking visibly tired.
[Lee] Seungjun needs to tighten his guard
and start engaging.
[Seungheon] Guard up, back in he goes.
He keeps going to the left.
He's pushing hard. Going back in.
[Dex, spectators exclaim]
-[bell dings]
-[Seungheon] And that wraps up this round.
[applause]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 27, GUK: 30
[spectator 1] Hey, he's good.
He's really good.
-This is fun.
-It really is.
Totally.
It's just getting started.
It's hard to tell
how Rounds 4 and 5 will go.
-Right, yeah.
-It'd be easier if there was a clear edge.
You don't have to chase him.
He'll come to you anyway. Why rush in?
Just throw one or two more than him.
-Got it?
-Yes.
Don't fight at range.
You can't throw at range.
[Hyunjun] The feeling-out rounds are over.
Now the real fight begins.
From here on out, this is my stage.
I'm going to light it up.
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
ROUND 4 OF 6
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Gyuwon] This is the round
Kim Hyunjun has been waiting for.
[spectator] All right!
Rough and aggressive!
Perfect! Keep that up!
Man, look at him go right from the start.
-He's going in! Body shot!
-[spectators exclaim]
[spectators exclaiming]
[spectator 1] That landed!
[spectator 2] Hyunjun,
stay rough! Throw them in pairs!
Looks like he's been saving energy.
[Seungheon] Here he comes!
[spectators exclaim]
Whoa, that landed.
[Seungjun] I felt
like I was finding my groove…
[exclaiming continues]
[Seungjun] …but then I ended
up eating a big one.
I'm like, "He's got insane power."
"If that lands clean, I'm in trouble."
He's falling for the same shot.
He could use more head movement.
[spectator 1] All right!
[Hyunjun] Kuk Seungjun kept running
around during the first three rounds,
so once we hit Round 4,
he was clearly gassed.
I hadn't even used half my tank,
so I had the edge in stamina.
[Seungheon] Now he presses forward.
Kuk Seungjun goes in
and lands a great body shot!
Circle out of there!
Kim Hyunjun fires back with an uppercut!
Kim Hyunjun fires back with an uppercut!
He's got to watch that hand.
Eyes on his chest! Push in!
[spectator 2] Nice shot!
[spectator 3] Keep going!
His shots aren't landing though.
There's no weight behind them.
[Lee] He's burned a lot of energy.
He keeps leaning forward like that.
That's how you get tagged big.
[spectator 1] Backhand, counter!
[spectator 2] Nice! That's it!
Doing good, Seungjun!
Ten seconds!
[Jongkook] He's swinging big.
[bell dings]
-Stop!
-[Seungheon] And that concludes the round!
[applause]
This is gonna be tough to call.
We're already in the fifth. What now?
-[Jongkook chuckles]
-[sighs]
[Seungjun] Honestly,
I was starting to gas out.
So I told myself to lock in.
[Hyunjun] I managed to land a big shot,
so I just needed to keep it up.
[bell dings]
Now, the fifth round.
[spectators exclaiming]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 37, KUK: 39
[spectator 3] Man, that was close!
[Jongkook] He slipped well this time.
You've gotta go. Yes, go now.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun charges
forward relentlessly.
[Lee] Hey, careful, careful.
Stop!
[Dex] They both seem a bit tired.
All right, box!
[referee] Go in now!
[spectator 1] That's it!
[Dex] Oh, boy.
Is he bleeding?
[gasps] His fighting spirit is insane.
[Dex exclaiming]
[spectator 1] That was…
That same shot keeps landing.
[Seungjun] He was throwing
at strange beats, and it threw me off.
I couldn't afford to lose focus.
[spectator 1] Great!
[spectator 2] All right!
[Seungheon] Once he got
that distance down,
he's landing with more effect now.
He just keeps coming.
[referee] Careful, the head!
-[exclaims]
-Man, they've headbutted.
There must've been a headbutt.
[Gyuwon] That was a heavy collision.
When you charge in like that…
This happens all the time in pro boxing.
[Seungheon] That's right.
[referee] Hold on.
Let's wipe the blood off.
Well, that wasn't intentional.
[bell dings]
[Lee] All right.
[applause]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 47, KUK: 48
This is tricky.
Do we judge on impact
-or ring control?
-Right.
[coach] This is the final round, okay?
Just score points.
Go in confident.
-Like you're going for the KO.
-Got it.
Deep breaths now.
Pour it all out in the last round.
Dive headfirst, but don't lift.
Just dive in and pour it all out.
-It's over anyway, okay?
-Got it.
This is the final round.
Let's hear it, everyone!
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Seungheon] Only the sixth
and final round remains.
Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun versus
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun!
Let's go, Hyunjun!
[spectator] You got this, Seungjun!
[Hyunjun] If I don't show it now,
I never will.
So I'm gonna squeeze out every last drop
in this final round.
[Seungjun] I've got to dig deep now.
I'll pour everything into this last round.
ROUND 6 OF 6
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon] It's the final round.
Here we go.
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] A gesture
of respect from both fighters.
[spectators exclaiming]
Okay, let's go!
Here we go.
Stepping forward,
Kim Hyunjun moves in tight.
[Dex] They're lighting it up.
[Jongkook] Yes, that's how you do it.
[Lee exclaims]
[Seungheon] He swings big with the left,
then pulls back!
Kuk Seungjun presses forward again,
using big upper-body movement!
While in close,
Kim Hyunjun fires short punches!
-Doing pretty well.
-I'm proud of him.
He's good.
[spectator 1] Very.
[spectator 2] All right!
[spectator 3] Yes, that's it! Nice shot!
[Lee gasps]
Kuk Seungjun's using
a ton of head movement.
[Gyuwon] He's waiting for
the right timing, looking to put him down.
It's the last one,
so they're just going all out.
No need to think about what comes next.
[Seungheon] The volume definitely matters,
but landing clean shots is crucial here!
[Lee] There you go!
There you go!
Work it up and down.
[Gyuwon] Kuk Seungjun is showing
amazing speed.
[Seungheon] Kuk Seungjun's finding
a second wind this round.
[Gyuwon] Real grit he's got there.
[spectator 1] Nice rhythm!
-Kuk's more durable than you'd think.
-You're right.
He just keeps going like that.
[spectator 1] All right! That's it!
[Seungheon] Kuk Seungjun is focusing
on volume now.
[Jongkook exclaiming]
[Gyuwon] Since Kuk Seungjun is
always the one to land first,
it's definitely starting
to take a toll on Kim Hyunjun.
[spectators exclaim]
-[Dex] It's a slip!
-[spectator 1] Slip!
-[referee] Get up.
-[spectator 2] Last round, focus!
[spectators exclaiming continues]
You got this!
[spectator] Let's go, Kim Hyunjun!
[Hyunjun] Don't give up.
Finish it with no regrets.
[Seungjun] Show
that fighting spirit to the very end.
[referee] Box!
[Seungheon] Here comes
the final push from Kim Hyunjun!
He's targeting the inside. Body again!
Kuk Seungjun's actually pushing him back.
Exactly.
[spectator 1] All right, nice!
[spectator 2] Keep it up!
[referee] Break it up!
[Lee] Look, he's backing up now.
[Dex] Hyunjun's the one retreating now.
[referee] Ten seconds!
[spectator 1] Ten seconds!
[bell dings]
-Stop!
-[Seungheon] That's it for this fight!
-The bout has officially ended!
-[spectators cheering]
-Kuk Seungjun versus Kim Hyunjun!
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] Wow,
what an incredible back-and-forth!
[spectator 1] You did awesome!
[Dex] Fighters,
step to the center, please.
Let's give them a big hand!
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] This bout goes
beyond wins and losses.
Both fighters proved themselves.
Once again,
this was a tough fight to judge.
Thank you both
for giving your absolute best.
-We will now announce the result.
-[sighs]
[Jongkook] Judge one scores it for…
Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner.
JUDGE 1
BLUE CORNER KUK SEUNGJUN WINS
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Dex] Judge two scores it for…
Kim Hyunjun from the red corner!
JUDGE 2
RED CORNER KIM HYUNJUN WINS
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
One-one so far.
God, my head hurts.
[Jongkook] Lastly, please announce
the final decision from the third judge.
[Lee] By judges' decision…
[Seungjun] I landed more than I took,
so I think I did well.
[Hyunjun] I made every shot count,
landing one impactful punch at a time.
I think I won.
The winner is…
-Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner.
-[cheering, applause]
Congratulations.
Well done.
[cheering continues]
Boxing isn't
Kim Hyunjun's main discipline,
so I underestimated him, to be honest.
But I believe he can stand toe-to-toe
with any boxer out there.
[sniffs]
And
I'd like to say something to my father.
[breathing heavily]
Dad, we used to watch
world champions on TV when I was little.
Do I look as strong and cool as they did?
Certainly!
I'll come back even stronger
for the next round.
Thank you.
[cheering, applause]
As a Muay Thai champion,
I thought I'd handle boxing easily.
But as you can see,
I took way too many shots.
[chuckles]
Though my journey ends here,
I'll continue to shine in Muay Thai,
referred to as Thai boxing.
Thank you.
[cheering, applause]
-You did great!
-Hyunjun, darling! Great job!
Great job, you two.
-Aw, look at you. [laughing]
-[laughing]
You did so well.
You did wonderfully.
-Does it hurt?
-I'm fine.
Hello, sir.
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
You did awesome!
-You were awesome, Kim Hyunjun!
-You did so well.
Goodness, that was great.
[Hyunjun]
I Am Boxer was a huge challenge for me.
It let me prove all the work I've put in,
which made it even more fun and rewarding.
[no audible dialogue]
Remember how we used to watch
-the world champions on TV together?
-Yeah.
-I wanted to do just as well as them.
-You did great.
-[man] You did well enough.
-[older sister] You did well, really.
Keep working hard to learn
and show everything you've got.
[Seungjun] Only four fighters
are entering the semifinals.
-One, two, three!
-Let's go!
[Seungjun] Whoever I'm up against,
I'll make it to the finals.
[applause]
We've got some
very interesting fighters coming up.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Dex] You'll be very surprised
by this next fighter.
[Lee] The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the second bout begin!
I AM BOXER
[cheering, applause]
[Dex] Entering from the blue corner,
Pretty Boy, Cho Hyunjae!
[rhythmic music playing]
CHO HYUNJAE'S FAMILY
-Well, he actually is pretty!
-[chuckles]
[shouts]
[cheering]
[Dex] Man, he's oozing confidence.
[Jongkook]
Here's the fighter facing Cho Hyunjae.
[cheering, applause]
[audience gasping]
Is that Yuk Junseo?
[giggling]
[Jongkook] Entering from the red corner,
Blaze, Yuk Junseo!
[ intense music playing]
[cheering, applause]
Let's go, bro!
Whoo!
[cheering, applause continues]
I AM BOXER
YUK JUNSEO X CHO HYUNJAE
AGE: 29, 25
HEIGHT: 176 CM, 177 CM
WEIGHT: 67 KG, 64 KG
REACH: 177 CM, 179 CM
Next up is the second quarterfinal bout.
Yuk Junseo versus Cho Hyunjae.
[ rhythmic music playing]
Considered one of the top elite boxers,
here's Cho Hyunjae getting warmed up!
Facing him is Yuk Junseo,
showing confidence and constant growth!
[spectator 5] Let's go, Yuk Junseo!
-[spectator 6] Let's go!
-[spectator 7] Let's go!
-They're nearly identical physically.
-[spectator 2 mumbles]
[spectator 3] Let's go, Junseo!
This is gonna be wild.
[announcer] From the blue corner,
wearing the white trunks.
Standing 177 cm tall,
weighing in at 64 kg.
From Seoul PE Middle and High School,
former member
of the Yongin University boxing team.
The 2025 Korean Boxing Association
President's Cup
lightweight silver medalist!
A member of the KAFAC,
his overwhelming speed leaves no openings.
And that's why his face stays unmarked!
Please give it up for Pretty Boy!
Cho Hyunjae!
PRETTY BOY CHO HYUNJAE
[cheering]
He looks comfortable up there.
[announcer]
In the red corner, wearing the red trunks.
Standing 176 cm tall,
weighing in at 67 kg.
With just one year into boxing,
he's an artist reborn as a boxer!
He relentlessly moves forward
and fights like a flame!
Please welcome Blaze!
Yuk Junseo!
BLAZE YUK JUNSEO
Let's go! You're the man!
Bell rings, you keep the lead hand active.
Throw some feints
and see how he comes in, okay?
Wait, the fringe is gonna cause friction.
Who knows what'll happen? You never know.
[Jongkook]
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the fight begin!
Let's go, Yuk Junseo!
Box!
[bell dings]
[Seungheon] Round 1 has begun.
ROUND 1 OF 6
YUK JUNSEO X CHO HYUNJAE
Cho Hyunjae starts with light punches.
Nice shot from Yuk Junseo!
-There it is.
-See that?
You can't avoid every punch.
[thrilling music playing]
[Junseo] I threw a jab pretty early on,
and he got hit.
That's when I realized,
it might not be impossible after all.
[Gyuwon] He landed a heavy straight
with that lead hand.
[Dex]
I bet Cho Hyunjae's feeling the weight.
[Jongkook] He's probably never felt
shots like that before.
[Dex] Right, he throws with raw power.
-It's all instinct, you know.
-[ref in English] Stop.
[brother] Hyunjae, use your footwork.
No holding.
[Hyunjae] I was a bit caught off guard.
-[in English] Box!
-[tense music playing]
[Hyunjae] I'd fought him before,
so I thought I had a read on his style,
but he opened
with a completely different approach.
That caught me off guard.
[Junseo] I plan to be really aggressive
in the clinch.
That kind of grabbing
should really rattle him up.
[spectator 5]
Nice, he's pretty tense right now!
[Seungheon] Coming in, Yuk Junseo.
[tense music playing]
[spectator 6] All right! Doing good!
All right! Doing good!
[Lee] Counters like that.
-They're big if you walk into them.
-Exactly.
Nice shot!
[ref] Break it up!
[spectator 5] Guard up, man!
[Gyuwon]
After Yuk Junseo took that one shot,
he's struggling to find his range.
That's right!
And that's when you need composure.
[Gyuwon] Yuk Junseo,
now carefully putting up his guard.
-[Lee] That right hand's all Junseo's got.
-[Jongkook] You're right.
[coach] Guard up!
[Dex]
He just needs to drive it in with power.
It all depends on that one shot.
He's not gonna get caught.
Wait, he got caught? For real?
Ha, ha, ha. See, I told you!
[gasps]
He's totally found his rhythm.
This is bad.
Yes, that's it!
[Gyuwon]
Look at that unpredictable explosiveness!
Cho Hyunjae won't like that at all.
Damn it!
Man, this one's hard to tell.
[Dex] Striker, Lee Gijun!
Prince, Lee Chaehyun!
That's it, one-two! Nice!
[audience exclaiming]
Go for it!
He's fast.
[ref] Down!
-Keep going, keep going!
-Whoa!
[Dex] Thunder, Kwon Ohgon!
Tyson, Hong Sungmin!
[audience shouting]
-Come on!
-Don't let him hit you!
[Lee]
He's fighting on a one-percent chance.
[Hyunjae] I'll fight to the end and win,
no matter what.
[Lee] The winner of this match is…
[rhythmic music playing]
[theme song playing]
receive a grand prize of 300 million
and a top-of-the-line flagship SUV.
[Bivol, in English] I Am Boxer.
This fight is
Three-Man Battle.
[Youngho, in Korean]
A three-way fight? Geez.
-You're doing awesome!
-Push harder!
Time's almost up!
[Bivol] He's a crazy guy.
Congratulations to the five fighters
who survived the Three-Man Battle.
[Youngho] So it's not over yet.
[Jongkook] Man, this will be tough.
This deathmatch is
The Tire Brawl.
[Jongkook] Both fighters will have
one foot placed in the tire
and box it out from there.
I think we should stop.
[Jongkook] The fight will go on
until the Master calls it.
Should a KO occur,
your survival or elimination
will be decided on the spot.
-[Bivol] There's a 21-kilo difference.
-[Don] Twenty-one? Wow.
That's a bit of a gap.
KUK SEUNGJUN VS PARK YOUNGHO
Honestly, I felt confident. No joke.
I've fought against Kuk Seungjun before.
I could see that he preferred
to fight on the outside.
But say you tie us up close?
"Yeah, I think I can do this."
That's what I thought.
I was terrified.
I was like,
"If he hits me clean, I'm dead."
Still, his boxing experience isn't long.
I figured I'd use the body combos
I've sharpened with my technique
and really use my skills to the fullest
to show what I'm made of.
SAFELY CONDUCTED
WITH PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL STAFF ON SITE
[Don] The Tire Brawl deathmatch…
starts now.
Box!
-Let's go!
-Box!
Okay, nice.
Don't forget to breathe!
-Oh, boy.
-Nice, that's it. Keep going.
Yes! Drive that hook into the body!
-He's aiming at the body.
-He's going to the body.
Nice short shots!
[Youngho] He kept going to my body
in the earlier match too.
But I've never gone down
from taking a body shot.
[Don] Seungjun, get your guard up!
Honestly,
I don't recall feeling any of it.
[exclaims]
[contestant 1] Get lower!
-You're too high!
-[contestant 1] Hey, hey!
Keep it short, man!
-Guard up and breathe!
-Guard up!
Park Youngho's durability is…
Very nice.
[Donghyun] He's about to gas.
Just hang in there, Youngho.
Yes, keep breathing. That's it.
You've got more power!
Guard up!
Don't try to slip everything!
Guard up, man!
Slip!
-Slip!
-Okay, slip, slip.
-His power is insane.
-Right.
Like bam, bam, bam!
He handled that great. Close call there.
You're fine. Nice, that was great!
Man, you're mad strong.
He took control with his power.
He kept firing combos,
and I struggled to put out anything clean.
Box!
So I had to rethink my approach.
You're stepping straight in, Seungjun!
Remember, two-step!
Keep your guard high!
Just try sticking it in!
-Drive that body shot in!
-[contestant 2] Work!
[Seungjun] But even then,
I put a lot more power
into the body shots.
He's starting to feel those body shots.
[intense music playing]
[contestant 1] Pour it out!
Last one! That's it!
[groans]
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
-That's it!
-All right, all right, all right!
Keep going! Connect the shots!
It landed. Down, down, down!
Down!
Down.
Three, four, five, six!
-Oh, he got… Yeah.
-Yeah, down, down.
-Liver shot.
-Yeah, liver shot.
This is… good.
Five, six, seven, eight!
-Can you continue?
-Yeah.
Okay, let's go again.
Let's go, let's go! Let's go, you two.
Focus, focus.
Box!
Go, go! Left to the body!
Left to the body, man!
[contestant 2] Keep going! Don't stop!
[Seungjun] Seeing him duck down like that,
I just couldn't throw.
As an active amateur fighter,
I didn't want to keep hitting a hobbyist.
I was waiting for the Master to call it.
Come on, what's the matter?
Keep going!
Keep going! Don't stop!
Work, work, work, work!
Seungjun, I get how you feel,
but you can't hold back!
Seungjun, don't get soft!
I realized I had the wrong idea.
Ending the fight quickly
would actually be safer for him,
so I decided to push hard.
There it is, there it is!
Keep going! Don't stop!
-There we go.
-All right!
All right, let's stop here.
-Stop!
-[bell dings]
-Great job.
-Yeah, you too.
-That was insane.
-Man, totally…
Incredible.
How do you even recover from that?
Well, damn…
And even with the weight difference,
Seungjun did very well.
He really used every ounce
of strength he had.
He gave it everything.
I honestly fought the best I could,
and with a desperation like never before.
Honestly, I poured everything out
with no regrets.
[Don] The survivor of this match is
Kuk Seungjun.
-Congratulations.
-[applause]
RED CORNER KUK SEUNGJUN SURVIVES
[in English] Congratulations.
Kuk Seungjun, it was good.
I liked your body shots.
It was the key to win this fight for you.
And I can see
that Park Youngho is also a warrior,
and he wanted to win.
He was pushing. He was doing everything,
but your skills, Kuk Seungjun,
were better.
Yeah, congratulations to you.
[in Korean] Let's run it back
once we're done filming. [laughs]
I won.
I'll set my sights higher
and put on an even better fight next time.
[Jongkook] All right,
back to the Tire Brawl deathmatch.
The fighter to enter the deathmatch is…
I'm confident I can beat
whoever I'm matched with.
Doesn't matter who it is,
I can take on anyone.
Shin Donghyun.
Shin Donghyun. Please step forward.
SHIN DONGHYUN
OE CHAMPIONSHIP MUAY THAI FIGHTER
The fighter facing Shin Donghyun is…
Kim Hyunjun.
Kim Hyunjun.
-What?
-Please step forward.
Muay Thai versus Muay Thai.
Kim Hyunjun.
[sighs]
Both of them are Muay Thai fighters.
The two Muay Thai fighters,
carrying its pride.
You are now about to fight for survival.
-I remember, they are both very strong.
-Yeah.
Very powerful.
Man, Kim Hyunjun?
I wasn't too happy.
He's the only other
Muay Thai fighter remaining.
Oh, they're Muay Thai guys?
Which gym are you from?
I recently fought in OE Championship.
Muay Thai or kickboxing?
-Muay Thai.
-Muay Thai? I see.
During Hyunjun's fights,
I worked his corner for him,
cheering so he'd do well.
Hyunjun, watch out after you land one.
Hyunjun, make it tougher on him.
Shin Donghyun, let's go!
I cheered him on because I wanted to show
that Muay Thai can absolutely beat boxing.
You're not hurt anywhere, right?
Even so,
if only one of us gets to survive,
I think it should be me.
The time has finally come
for two Muay Thai fighters to face off.
Since this one's a Muay Thai matchup,
I'm taking this with a clear win.
[Donghyun]
I plan on finishing this quickly.
Time to show him I'm the senior here.
SAFELY CONDUCTED
WITH PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL STAFF ON SITE
Let's go!
Let's go, guys!
Man, that's super close.
In my opinion, this one's all instinct.
The Tire Brawl deathmatch.
Let the fight begin.
-Box!
-[bell dings]
-Let's go!
-Box!
You got this!
Oof!
Whoa, he stuck that one in.
[Donghyun] I wanted to win by KO,
so I opened aggressively.
-All right!
-Looks like he's switched it on.
He needs to extend more.
Keep it tight!
All right!
[exclaiming]
Look at that power.
Since we were fighting close,
I kept a high guard…
and went for strong, clean singles.
That was the strategy.
He's doing this efficiently.
Their strikes hit different.
[Jongkook] He needs to cover up.
-Oh, boy.
-Slip!
-Oh, boy.
-Slip!
Oh… Slip, slip, slip.
I was like, "Man, this isn't going well."
He was doing better than I thought,
landing those long shots.
I was a bit thrown off.
Box!
-Let's go!
-Let's go, go!
[intense music playing]
[Hyunjun] As soon as
my opponent's attack ended,
I threw a straight
to catch him with the counter.
He's down.
[Jongkook] So powerful.
Okay, stop!
Down!
Three, four…
[Jongkook] Yeah, that was a knockdown.
He got hit and went down.
Kim had a clever strategy.
He covered up, took what he had to,
then went in for the scoring shots,
landing them clean.
Seven, eight! Okay.
Can you continue?
-Yes.
-Okay.
[Donghyun] Once that knockdown happened,
my first thought was,
"All right, one of us is going down."
"Let's do this."
[Hyunjun] I've got control of the pace.
I'm definitely winning this.
Box!
[contestant 3] All right, nice!
Donghyun's no easy opponent.
[dramatic music playing]
Go now! This is it!
There's a clear power gap.
He's strong.
-Down.
-Down!
-Down.
-Down!
-Whoa, he's down.
-Down!
Down!
Stop, stop, stop.
[bell dings]
TKO, FIGHT OVER
-You okay?
-Yeah.
[Youngho] Man, that's a tough break.
-You good?
-Yeah.
He did well. He did really well.
[in English] He's very good.
Two knockdowns. Before that,
-he also got in some hard punches.
-Right, right.
[Jongkook, in Korean] In terms of striking
points, this side landed more, actually.
-He threw more punches.
-Yeah.
He did well, but…
The survivor of this match,
by KO victory,
is Kim Hyunjun.
BLUE CORNER KIM HYUNJUN SURVIVES
[applause]
Well, boy… What an incredible fight.
That was a fantastic showdown.
First, I'd like to express my gratitude
to my senior and fellow fighter,
Shin Donghyun,
for taking this fight with me.
I'll do my best to show what I can bring.
I feel relieved.
I wish Kim Hyunjun nothing but the best
from here on out. That's all.
-Love that.
-Well said.
-Good game.
-Likewise.
-Well fought.
-Yes, you too.
That was great.
Good game, guys.
This is the final match of the day
for the last survival spot.
Yuk Junseo.
The fighter facing him is
Kim Minwoo.
[Dex]
Skill-wise, Kim Minwoo is definitely…
-[Jongkook] Yeah, skill-wise.
-…at a higher level, of course.
But Yuk Junseo's skills have
come a long way since the start.
He's improved a lot.
In such a short time.
[in English] Who do you think
will win this time?
Oh, I don't know.
It's a very interesting fight.
These two guys are so good.
-They're both good.
-Yeah.
[in Korean] But the people who've
fought Yuk Junseo
say he's really strong.
[Minwoo] Junseo is way stronger
than you'd think.
It won't be easy.
But since it's the last consolation match,
I won't let this chance go to waste.
I'm taking this, no matter what.
True to the name "Mad Dog,"
I'll tear into him like a real mad dog.
[Junseo] At this point,
whether someone's a pro or not…
None of it matters anymore.
Now it's just fighter versus fighter.
I'm going to see this through to the end.
[exhilarating music playing]
Let's go!
-Let's go!
-Let's go!
[Don] The Tire Brawl deathmatch.
Let the fight begin.
-Box!
-[bell dings]
Box!
[Jongkook] Cover up first!
Don't grab, don't grab!
Okay, break!
No clinching.
It's a literal brawl.
A KO's coming for sure.
-You have to punch.
-Use your fists.
Go with short shots.
[Minwoo] The moment it started,
it just turned into a brawl.
[Junseo] With our feet basically tied up,
it didn't feel like a fight
you could really think through.
You just had to crash in first.
-Break!
-Break, break.
Okay, continue!
That one landed clean just now.
I just decided to force my way in.
Okay, now push!
-Push with your shoulder!
-Gotta cover up too!
There you go. Cover, then go back in.
Don't lock up his arms!
-He's going for it.
-Nice, nice.
Yuk Junseo's actually doing pretty well.
He's better than I expected.
Come on, cover up!
[Jongkook] Short shots! That's it!
Yes, there you go. Just like that.
They're fighting like wild animals.
-It's hard to tell who's better, yeah?
-Yeah.
-Short shots!
-Keep it short and sweet!
-Careful, watch the head!
-The head, the head!
-Time!
-His head's going in too much.
Oh, boy.
He's leaning way too far forward.
He needs to center his balance.
Shouldn't dive his head in like that.
Don't push in with your head.
You both need to fight with your fists.
Okay, get ready!
-Box!
-Come on, let's go!
Let's go!
Watch the head.
Stay centered
and use your hands, both of you.
Okay, stop!
It's the distance.
Some headbutting is unavoidable.
-It's not like you can pull back either.
-Right.
[Minwoo] We kept butting heads,
and it was just mutual.
We needed to push in deeper to land shots,
so you couldn't call it anyone's fault.
We both gave it everything we had.
All right, let's go!
Get ready to go again!
-Come on, fight!
-Okay, go.
Box!
[dramatic music playing]
Watch the head. Last warning.
Come on, almost done!
Let's go!
-Hey, don't crash heads!
-Watch the head.
[Minwoo] I'll pour everything out
to the end.
[Junseo] Let's see who's
still standing at the end.
He's strong, all right.
Come on, last push! That's it!
They're running the tank dry.
-That one got in.
-Come on!
Let's go! Not much left!
Let's go!
[bell dings]
Stop!
[Youngho] That was
a total bloodbath, seriously.
They both have a warrior's heart.
Neither of them would back down.
[contestant] They've done
all the cool stuff.
No idea who takes this.
What do we even base this on?
[in English] I cannot… I cannot decide.
One guy is MMA.
And then one guy…
He trained only one year, so…
-Yeah, but the MMA should be better.
-Yeah.
-But that guy is very… very strong.
-Yeah.
[in Korean] From that close,
they were both firing nonstop,
so it's hard to say
one did better than the other.
The judging criteria
will be crucial for this one.
We'll announce the result.
I felt like I'd emptied the tank
and given it absolutely everything.
I'm going to win and move up.
Hearing that three of us
would get back in the game
really fired me up.
Quarterfinals, here I come.
The survivor of this match is…
Yuk Junseo.
RED CORNER YUK JUNSEO SURVIVES
Congratulations.
That was an incredible fight
from both athletes.
[in English] Congratulations.
Both of you were good.
It was very hard for all of us
to choose who's better.
But it was a very equal fight.
It shows that he's very similar.
They were equal levels.
But I know you're practicing
only one year in boxing.
And your opponent is
practicing seven years.
He has advantage for this,
but you were very equal in this.
I think it will be fair
for you to take this win.
[applause]
[in Korean] Let's hear from
our last survivor, Yuk Junseo.
How do you feel?
I want to thank Kim Minwoo once again
for stepping into this match with me.
Since I've earned this win,
I'll remember today's fight
and give everything I have
to move up to the finals. Thank you.
It's tough, but I accept the loss.
Junseo, since you beat me,
I really hope you go higher
and take the championship. Thank you.
You both did amazing.
It feels like the end
is right within reach.
The fact that I'm still a part of this
is truly an honor.
I want to show that I can be
one hell of a boxer too.
That wraps up all the matches.
[uplifting music playing]
Congratulations to the three fighters
who survived the deathmatch.
Yuk Junseo,
Kim Hyunjun,
and Kuk Seungjun.
Congratulations.
-Congratulations.
-Congratulations.
I didn't expect to make it this far.
[Junseo] Just making it from 90 fighters
down to single digits
is an honor.
[in English] Thank you, guys. All of you.
For making this great event for us.
I'm happy to come to Korea
to see this show.
It was very impressive.
It was very incredible fights.
And I hope we will see you in the future.
On the world stage.
[Minwoo] If I could get another chance,
I'd fight 100 times, 1,000 times again.
[Youngho] We all gave it
everything we had.
That alone makes me feel like
I fought well
and can walk away proud.
I feel like
I really left it all out there.
I just want to go home now.
I'm exhausted.
[chuckles]
[classical music playing]
[Jongkook] It's my first time coming here,
but this place is incredible.
-Our fighters have been through hell.
-Right.
So I thought we'd prepare
a glamorous treat for them,
-as a reward.
-Wait, what's that?
-[rock music playing]
-Wait, what's that?
Wow, look at that.
Look, they're all in a tuxedo!
Wow, looking good.
-Hello, sir.
-Hello, sir.
[Sungmin sings] She is the one… ♪
No, don't start.
-Take a seat.
-They look great in a tux.
I know, right?
Feels awkward, though.
-All right.
-Wait, hold on.
Over here, you can…
-You hate me, man?
-No, no.
You can sit over here.
We have three empty seats.
Didn't those three empty seats
make you wonder?
Maybe they're hiding.
Any guesses on who survived?
-I just hope it's not those two.
-[all laughing]
I'm praying they don't show up.
Same here.
-Oh, the ultimate two?
-Yeah.
[all exclaiming]
Hello there. Nice to see you again.
Here's our survivors from hell.
Yuk Junseo, back from hell.
What a handsome bunch!
Congratulations.
Yesterday's deathmatch was indeed brutal.
With a number of injuries too.
-Is your eye okay?
-Yes, it's fine now.
The swelling's gone down.
-You, Junseo?
-That bruise faded quickly.
Right, it's almost gone.
Didn't cover it up, did you?
Maybe just a little.
Junseo seems to recover really fast.
Yeah, I heal fast.
And Kuk Seungjun, dapper.
Now it's only the real heavy-hitters left.
I heard each of you
picked a ring name.
Shall we go around and hear them out?
BODY KILLER
BLAZE
SHOTGUN, TYSON
STRIKER, THUNDER
PRETTY BOY, PRINCE
Hearing all these ring names,
it's really sinking in now.
Do you have a ring name?
No, I don't.
-Everyone just calls me "Mavely."
-[all laugh]
Do you like it? "Mavely"?
Of course. I love it.
-What's this?
-Man, what's this?
-[upbeat jazz music playing]
-Looks delicious.
Amazing!
-Looks tasty.
-That's insane.
It's Korean pork.
Pork's rich in protein,
and helps with post-workout recovery.
I hope you all enjoy it.
Personally, I prefer pork over beef.
-Pork tastes better, to be honest.
-It does.
Pork fat, what we call lard…
People say it's not good for you,
but that's all old talk.
Hope you enjoy.
It's not like you need to cut weight now,
so go ahead and eat.
-[all laugh]
-Let's eat.
-Enjoy.
-Enjoy.
-Enjoy.
-Thank you for the food. Enjoy.
-This must be the pork.
-Mmm.
It's super good.
Can I take the leftovers home?
The meat is ridiculously tender.
Isn't this exactly
what you need for your training?
Yeah, for sure.
Korean pork, man.
Is there a match
that stuck with you the most?
Well, I mean…
Like one that's burned into your mind?
-The Three-Man Battle was super tough.
-Really?
The Three-Man Battle, huh?
Master Lee pressed the button
way too late.
Did I?
Was there a set time to press it?
I mean, I kept thinking,
"Wait, why isn't he pressing it?"
No wonder he kept glancing over at me.
-Like, "What's taking him so long?"
-"It's about time, isn't it?"
That's why I looked away.
Well, let's get down
to business now, shall we?
The eight of you here
will battle it out head-to-head
once again in the next round.
We are
-revealing it right here, right now.
-[all gasp, exclaim]
All right.
Hope this doesn't upset your stomach.
Out of the original 90 fighters,
only eight remain.
The quarterfinals
will be a formal one-on-one boxing match
with six rounds,
each lasting three minutes.
[tense music playing]
Six rounds.
I've never done that before.
I'm dead.
-This is intense.
-It's all stamina.
[chuckling] Why hit us with this
on such a good day?
We literally just finished
a nice meal together.
I suddenly felt like I couldn't breathe.
All right then,
in Master Don Lee's hands lies
the quarterfinals matchup list.
Let's reveal the matchups
right now.
When your name is called,
please step forward.
The quarterfinals, bout number one.
In the blue corner…
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun.
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun.
In the red corner…
Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun.
Someone's gonna get dropped.
[Gijun] These two never back down.
This one's gonna be fun.
A good-looking pair.
Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner,
do you have any words for your opponent?
I haven't been happy
with any of my performances so far.
This time, I'll leave nothing behind.
As the last man standing
from another discipline,
I'll make sure to prove myself.
It's gonna be a wild back-and-forth.
Who will win?
KUK SEUNGJUN, BODY KILLER
KIM HYUNJUN, SHOTGUN
[Lee] The quarterfinals, bout number two.
[sighs]
I'm nervous.
[Lee] In the blue corner…
Pretty Boy, Cho Hyunjae.
PRETTY BOY
CHO HYUNJAE, 177 CM/65 KG
[Hyunjae] Hearing it was six rounds
was a bit daunting,
but I just wanted to do it already.
I couldn't wait for them
to announce my opponent.
[Lee] In the red corner…
Blaze, Yuk Junseo.
…Yuk Junseo.
BLAZE
YUK JUNSEO, 176 CM/67 KG
[Jongkook] These two have fought before,
though it was three-way.
Yes, that went in clean.
[contestant] He's doubling over.
[Lee] The survivor of this match is
Cho Hyunjae from the white corner.
I'll make it undeniable
that I'm better this time.
He's a really tough opponent,
but losing's not an option for me.
I'll bring the heat.
Whoa.
CHO HYUNJAE, PRETTY BOY
YUK JUNSEO, BLAZE
The quarterfinals, third bout.
Striker, Lee Gijun.
STRIKER
LEE GIJUN, 174 CM/70 KG
In the red corner…
Prince, Lee Chaehyun.
PRINCE
LEE CHAEHYUN, 179 CM/71 KG
LEE GIJUN VS LEE CHAEHYUN
[Chaehyun] He's not too bad
as an opponent.
I can take him.
[Gijun] Strength-wise,
I'm definitely not behind.
But I've got the better gas tank.
All right.
LEE GIJUN, STRIKER
LEE CHAEHYUN, PRINCE
[Lee] The quarterfinals, fourth bout!
Tyson, Hong Sungmin.
Thunder, Kwon Ohgon.
HONG SUNGMIN VS KWON OHGON
Now that I'm fighting Hong Sungmin,
the strongest of the remaining fighters,
I'll finish this with a bang
and move up.
Ohgon's got a family to go home to,
so I'll at least spare his life.
[chuckles]
HONG SUNGMIN, TYSON
KWON OHGON, THUNDER
[Lee] At last, it's the quarterfinals.
Prepare yourselves
to leave everything out there
with no regrets.
[Jongkook] I'll be looking forward
to a legendary set of matches!
-Box!
-[bell dings]
[Seungheon] Nice shot!
Right hook!
Huge left hand!
He's not stopping just yet!
Oh, wow! That was close!
-Here he comes!
-[spectators cheering]
-[Gyuwon] He's looking to finish this!
-[spectator 1] He's throwing full swings!
[spectator 2] You got this!
-[crowd clamors]
-[applause]
EPISODE 7
Hard Eight
I AM BOXER
[applause]
[announcer] The blockbuster
boxing survival show.
I Am Boxer.
Introducing our hosts!
DON LEE, KBF CERTIFIED COACH,
KBA CERTIFIED RINGSIDE JUDGE
[Lee] Hello, everyone.
Your local boxing gym owner,
and the Master of I Am Boxer.
I Am Boxer started with 90 fighters.
And tonight,
only eight will step into the ring.
You're in for an incredible night.
Tonight, we kick things off
with the quarterfinals.
Each bout consists
of six three-minute rounds.
Six three-minute rounds?
Among the eight fighters
competing tonight,
one will become
the ultimate I Am Boxer champion.
The winner will receive a champion belt…
Yes, there it is.
And a top-of-the-line flagship SUV.
[spectators gasp]
I hear the fighters' parents
were thrilled.
[Lee] Yes, of course.
[Jongkook] And finally,
a grand prize.
A grand prize of…
three hundred million won!
…three hundred million won!
[Jongkook] As expected,
the crowd is really reacting to that.
Hearing that makes even me think
if there's a next season,
maybe I should apply.
[Jongkook] Yes, sure.
All right then, welcome to I Am Boxer.
Let's get this show on the road.
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
Hello, viewers.
Welcome to the I Am Boxer Quarterfinals.
I'm sportscaster Seong Seungheon,
joined by commentator Lee Gyuwon.
[Gyuwon] Tonight's stage is
more than just a fight.
It's about showing the world
how far Korean boxing has come.
This is a match that demands more focus
and stronger conviction than any before.
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the first bout begin.
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
Entering from the blue corner,
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun!
KUK SEUNJUN'S PARENTS
I AM BOXER
[spectator 1] Looking sharp!
[spectator 2] Man, he could
easily pass for a celebrity.
[spectator 3] What a stud!
[spectator 4] He's a total prince.
[Jongkook] And the fighter facing
Kuk Seungjun…
Please welcome Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun!
-[applause]
-[spectators cheering]
[Dex] Well, he's definitely got some fire.
[Jongkook] Nice, he's got good energy.
You got this!
KIM HYUNJUN'S MOTHER
[spectator 1 exclaims]
This one's gonna be good.
-I really don't know how this one will go.
-[Jongkook] Really, no idea.
[announcer] From the blue corner,
wearing the silver trunks.
Standing 180 cm tall,
weighing in at 70 kg.
The 2024 National Sports Festival
welterweight boxing gold medalist.
With body shots so deadly,
please give it up for Body Killer,
Kuk Seungjun!
KUK SEUNGJUN'S SISTER
From the red corner,
wearing the yellow trunks.
Standing 180 cm tall,
weighing in at 80 kg.
The current champion
across three Muay Thai organizations,
the last man standing for Muay Thai.
Give it up for Shotgun,
Kim Hyunjun!
SHOTGUN KIM HYUNJUN
TAEHAN MUAY THAI
[Hyunjun] I'm Kim Hyunjun,
current national Muay Thai team member.
EA,
KK,
and K Hs.
I hold titles in three organizations.
Jab, jab, jab!
I hit with instant explosive force,
hence the ring name "Shotgun."
Think of me as Seungjun
and go for the body.
KIM TAEHAN
KIM HYUNJUN'S MUAY THAI MASTER
[Hyunjun] Since Kuk Seungjun is tall,
I mostly practiced punching
upward. [grunting]
Given his ring name, "Body Killer,"
I figure if I take the fight inside,
I've got a real shot at winning.
I want him to get a taste of my power.
[Seungjun] I'm Kuk Seungjun
of the Hwasun County Boxing Team.
I won gold medals in both high school
and university divisions at the KNSF.
My main weapon is the body shot.
That's why I went with "Body Killer."
Since it's a six three-minute bout,
you can't waste your stamina.
Keep moving as you throw.
[Seungjun] Kim Hyunjun is
in a higher weight class than me,
so I prepared by doing longer rounds
with a heavier sparring partner.
That's the only way to get him!
When it comes to boxing,
I think I've got a definite advantage.
[Jongkook] Before we start,
let's hear what the fighters have to say.
[Hyunjun] I climbed past
a lot of heavy hitters to get here.
No knees, no kicks.
I'll put him down using only my fists.
[audience cheering]
To a Muay Thai fighter
who trains with both hands and feet,
I'll demonstrate the beauty of boxing,
where we train only with these fists.
[audience] Ooh!
[cheering]
Their lines are getting good.
[Seungheon]
The first match prepared for today
is between Kuk Seungjun and Kim Hyunjun.
One of the biggest factors this time is
that it's a six three-minute round bout.
[Gyuwon] Exactly. The sixth round
will be the biggest factor.
-Kuk Seungjun is used to three-rounders.
-[Seungheon] Right.
[Gyuwon] This is his first six-rounder.
I'm curious if he will be able
to withstand the pressure.
[Seungheon]
Meanwhile, Kim Hyunjun's strengths
are his endurance and relentlessness.
I'm really looking forward to seeing
how he's adapted to the boxing rules.
Seungjun is tall and has long reach,
but he's no out-boxer.
-He just crashes in and brawls.
-That's right.
-So this fight should be super fiery.
-[Jongkook] It'll be fun.
Yeah, real fiery.
You can turn into it and swing.
Don't just stay square.
And don't play in the center.
Push him to the corner.
You have plenty of time
to show your skill, okay?
Lure him in, tag with your lead hand.
Rotate, then rip the body.
Who's your bet? My vote's on Shotgun.
You too?
[Jongkook]
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the fight begin!
[audience cheering, applauding]
[in English] Box!
[bell dings]
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon, in Korean] Here come
both fighters for the first round.
Kuk Seungjun starts off with a jab
to the body using his long reach.
Sticking light jabs.
Curious to see how his opponent
plans to get past that reach.
-He's using his footwork today.
-Mmm.
[Lee] With the larger ring,
he's really making use of his footwork.
[Jongkook] He's going a bit out-boxer.
[Seungjun]
When it comes to boxing distance,
that's where I've got the edge.
My plan was to establish my range
and run the fight from there.
[Gyuwon] Nice body shot!
-That was perfect timing.
-[Seungheon] Indeed.
[Lee] That's it.
Strike and keep pivoting.
[tense music playing]
Kuk Seungjun's jabbing
to bait him in a little.
And Kim Hyunjun looks like
he's loading up for a big shot.
-[audience gasps]
-Just like that.
Oh.
[Jonghoon] Relax, he missed! Take it easy.
[audience member] He's coming!
[audience gasps]
[audience gasps]
[Hyunjun]
I thought Seungjun was an infighter,
but when I saw him
trying to fight from a distance,
I knew I had to close the distance.
[trainer] That's it!
Get in there! Don't let him off the hook!
Keep it long!
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's showing zero fear
of Kuk Seungjun's punches.
[Seungheon] Looks like he's thinking
he can handle the shots.
And he closes in!
[audience member] Nice!
[Seungheon]
Sharp left hand on Kuk Seungjun!
Whoa, big left landing there.
[audience member] Slip that!
Kim Hyunjun's punches aren't connecting
as much as expected.
He's moving his feet a lot.
-You mean Kuk Seungjun? I see.
-Yeah.
[Dex] He's constantly going
for that hit-and-move.
[Lee]
He's constantly circling left and right.
-The hit-and-move.
-[Dex exclaims]
Hyunjun can't get the distance.
He hasn't found his range at all.
[Dex] He's gotta be thrown off.
[Lee] Look, those kinds of body shots.
He's hunting for those.
-[bell dings]
-[referee, in English] Okay, stop!
[Seungheon, in Korean]
And that's the end of the first round!
[audience cheers]
[Gyuwon] That was a first round
fought like a final round.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun pushed forward
and tried to take control,
but Kuk Seungjun's pinpoint shots
were incredibly impressive.
What's smart about Kuk Seungjun's play is,
when we gave him a small ring,
-he fought inside.
-Yeah.
Now that the ring is big,
-he's showing much more movement.
-Mmm.
You're fighting great right now,
but you get clipped when you get out.
-Watch out for that, okay?
-[Seungjun] Okay.
I'm thinking if I keep this up,
I should have the edge in this fight.
[trainer] He keeps throwing jabs.
That's when you should stick it.
Don't try to end it with one shot.
Make your moment, got it?
[Hyunjun] Right now,
I'm losing on distance and footwork,
so I have to dig further in.
[whistle blows]
All right, let's start the second round!
[audience cheering, applauding]
-[bell dings]
-[Seungheon] The second round begins.
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 9, KUK: 10
[Jongkook] That's it.
You have to just go for it.
-[audience member] Go in further!
-Right.
[Lee] He's pivoting.
[Jonghoon] Okay, nice body shot!
[Dex] Yes, there it is.
[Seungheon] He's now using
his footwork more. Falling back.
And another body shot!
[audience member] All right!
He's starting to work the body.
[Seungjun]
With Hyunjun coming forward aggressively,
I took a step back
and worked my specialty, the body shots.
[audience member] That's it!
-[audience member 2] There you go!
-Ooh.
[Gyuwon] That body shot landed
right in the gut!
[audience member] Move away!
[Lee, Dex gasping]
[Dex] He's definitely feeling it now.
[Seungheon]
Kuk Seungjun drifts to the back.
[Hyunjun] I pushed in harder
than in the first round,
but Seungjun's footwork was too good,
I couldn't catch him.
I knew I had to stop him somehow.
So I decided to corner him.
[audience member] All right!
[Seungheon]
Kim Hyunjun fires back! Left and right!
He's got to really pressure him
to drain his gas tank.
Kim Hyunjun's not going to
run out of steam easily.
[Dex] He's got solid durability too.
[Seungheon exclaims]
[Seungheon exclaims]
[audience gasps]
Go for it! Yes, go for it!
-There you go.
-That's it.
Can't just sit and wait, you know.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun
threads that left in beautifully!
Nice body shot!
[Gyuwon exclaims]
[Seungheon] Neither fighter is
fighting for points.
They want real damage
that could lead to a knockdown.
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's adding pressure,
and it's genuinely terrifying.
That's probably making it tough
for Kuk Seungjun to find clean openings.
-[bell dings]
-Stop!
[Seungheon] And just like that,
the round ends!
[audience cheering, applauding]
Keep it rough like that.
And you have to fire back
when he comes in.
Hard to tell
where Hyunjun's stamina is right now.
He might look fine,
but he has still taken a few to the body.
-Little by little, that adds up.
-Right.
Those body shots are starting
to take their toll, I believe.
Even for someone like him.
[Hyunjun] Seungjun's punches
weren't painful per se.
But when you keep eating them,
it gets annoying.
Since he knows
I'm hunting for that big shot,
I figured I'd have to sneak it in
in the third round.
You're doing well.
Keep the footwork under control.
He's easy to read.
-Am I right?
-Right.
[Seungjun] The plan was to conserve energy
and keep movement to a minimum.
Fight with confidence, kid.
[Seungheon] Let's see how Round 3 unfolds.
Round 3 coming up next.
Let's go, Seungjun!
I'm curious to see
how Kuk Seungjun handles this round.
[bell dings]
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon] Round 3 has begun.
Kim guards up and goes back in.
[Gyuwon] Round 3 is going to be
crucial for both fighters.
[audience member] All right! Nice shot!
-[audience member 2] That's it!
-[audience member 3] You're good!
Don't trade with him!
[Seungheon]
He digs inside, aiming upstairs.
Kuk Seungjun backs out.
[dramatic music playing]
-[Dex exclaims]
-[exclaims] Nice.
[Lee] Kim tried to corner him,
but Kuk got out.
[Jongkook exclaims]
Look at Hyunjun,
countering right back to the body.
[audience member] Nice, there you go!
-[Seungheon] Excellent uppercut!
-[exclaims]
[audience gasping]
[Lee exclaims]
[Gyuwon] That was an excellent uppercut!
[audience exclaiming]
[Lee] Well, that was neat!
That one-two was sharp.
[Gyuwon] Kim Hyunjun's still taunting,
but he can't afford to eat shots here!
That connected!
[exclaiming]
[Gyuwon] But it seems
Kim Hyunjun is tracking every punch.
The shots you see won't drop you.
[Seungheon] That's right.
Let's go, Hyunjun!
You got this, Seungjun!
[intense music playing]
[audience member] All right!
Use the rear hand!
[Dex] Seungjun's running out of steam now.
[Lee] He's slowing down a bit.
-[audience member] Use your rear hand!
-All right!
-[Lee exclaims]
-[Seungheon] Nice sway.
-[audience gasping]
-[exclaims, chuckles]
[Gyuwon] That sway is an indicator
that he's figured out
Kuk Seungjun's rhythm.
[Seungheon] That's right.
And Kuk Seungjun is looking visibly tired.
[Lee] Seungjun needs to tighten his guard
and start engaging.
[Seungheon] Guard up, back in he goes.
He keeps going to the left.
He's pushing hard. Going back in.
[Dex, spectators exclaim]
-[bell dings]
-[Seungheon] And that wraps up this round.
[applause]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 27, GUK: 30
[spectator 1] Hey, he's good.
He's really good.
-This is fun.
-It really is.
Totally.
It's just getting started.
It's hard to tell
how Rounds 4 and 5 will go.
-Right, yeah.
-It'd be easier if there was a clear edge.
You don't have to chase him.
He'll come to you anyway. Why rush in?
Just throw one or two more than him.
-Got it?
-Yes.
Don't fight at range.
You can't throw at range.
[Hyunjun] The feeling-out rounds are over.
Now the real fight begins.
From here on out, this is my stage.
I'm going to light it up.
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
ROUND 4 OF 6
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Gyuwon] This is the round
Kim Hyunjun has been waiting for.
[spectator] All right!
Rough and aggressive!
Perfect! Keep that up!
Man, look at him go right from the start.
-He's going in! Body shot!
-[spectators exclaim]
[spectators exclaiming]
[spectator 1] That landed!
[spectator 2] Hyunjun,
stay rough! Throw them in pairs!
Looks like he's been saving energy.
[Seungheon] Here he comes!
[spectators exclaim]
Whoa, that landed.
[Seungjun] I felt
like I was finding my groove…
[exclaiming continues]
[Seungjun] …but then I ended
up eating a big one.
I'm like, "He's got insane power."
"If that lands clean, I'm in trouble."
He's falling for the same shot.
He could use more head movement.
[spectator 1] All right!
[Hyunjun] Kuk Seungjun kept running
around during the first three rounds,
so once we hit Round 4,
he was clearly gassed.
I hadn't even used half my tank,
so I had the edge in stamina.
[Seungheon] Now he presses forward.
Kuk Seungjun goes in
and lands a great body shot!
Circle out of there!
Kim Hyunjun fires back with an uppercut!
Kim Hyunjun fires back with an uppercut!
He's got to watch that hand.
Eyes on his chest! Push in!
[spectator 2] Nice shot!
[spectator 3] Keep going!
His shots aren't landing though.
There's no weight behind them.
[Lee] He's burned a lot of energy.
He keeps leaning forward like that.
That's how you get tagged big.
[spectator 1] Backhand, counter!
[spectator 2] Nice! That's it!
Doing good, Seungjun!
Ten seconds!
[Jongkook] He's swinging big.
[bell dings]
-Stop!
-[Seungheon] And that concludes the round!
[applause]
This is gonna be tough to call.
We're already in the fifth. What now?
-[Jongkook chuckles]
-[sighs]
[Seungjun] Honestly,
I was starting to gas out.
So I told myself to lock in.
[Hyunjun] I managed to land a big shot,
so I just needed to keep it up.
[bell dings]
Now, the fifth round.
[spectators exclaiming]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 37, KUK: 39
[spectator 3] Man, that was close!
[Jongkook] He slipped well this time.
You've gotta go. Yes, go now.
[Seungheon] Kim Hyunjun charges
forward relentlessly.
[Lee] Hey, careful, careful.
Stop!
[Dex] They both seem a bit tired.
All right, box!
[referee] Go in now!
[spectator 1] That's it!
[Dex] Oh, boy.
Is he bleeding?
[gasps] His fighting spirit is insane.
[Dex exclaiming]
[spectator 1] That was…
That same shot keeps landing.
[Seungjun] He was throwing
at strange beats, and it threw me off.
I couldn't afford to lose focus.
[spectator 1] Great!
[spectator 2] All right!
[Seungheon] Once he got
that distance down,
he's landing with more effect now.
He just keeps coming.
[referee] Careful, the head!
-[exclaims]
-Man, they've headbutted.
There must've been a headbutt.
[Gyuwon] That was a heavy collision.
When you charge in like that…
This happens all the time in pro boxing.
[Seungheon] That's right.
[referee] Hold on.
Let's wipe the blood off.
Well, that wasn't intentional.
[bell dings]
[Lee] All right.
[applause]
BOXING SCORE CARD
KIM: 47, KUK: 48
This is tricky.
Do we judge on impact
-or ring control?
-Right.
[coach] This is the final round, okay?
Just score points.
Go in confident.
-Like you're going for the KO.
-Got it.
Deep breaths now.
Pour it all out in the last round.
Dive headfirst, but don't lift.
Just dive in and pour it all out.
-It's over anyway, okay?
-Got it.
This is the final round.
Let's hear it, everyone!
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Seungheon] Only the sixth
and final round remains.
Shotgun, Kim Hyunjun versus
Body Killer, Kuk Seungjun!
Let's go, Hyunjun!
[spectator] You got this, Seungjun!
[Hyunjun] If I don't show it now,
I never will.
So I'm gonna squeeze out every last drop
in this final round.
[Seungjun] I've got to dig deep now.
I'll pour everything into this last round.
ROUND 6 OF 6
KIM HYUNJUN X KUK SEUNGJUN
[Seungheon] It's the final round.
Here we go.
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] A gesture
of respect from both fighters.
[spectators exclaiming]
Okay, let's go!
Here we go.
Stepping forward,
Kim Hyunjun moves in tight.
[Dex] They're lighting it up.
[Jongkook] Yes, that's how you do it.
[Lee exclaims]
[Seungheon] He swings big with the left,
then pulls back!
Kuk Seungjun presses forward again,
using big upper-body movement!
While in close,
Kim Hyunjun fires short punches!
-Doing pretty well.
-I'm proud of him.
He's good.
[spectator 1] Very.
[spectator 2] All right!
[spectator 3] Yes, that's it! Nice shot!
[Lee gasps]
Kuk Seungjun's using
a ton of head movement.
[Gyuwon] He's waiting for
the right timing, looking to put him down.
It's the last one,
so they're just going all out.
No need to think about what comes next.
[Seungheon] The volume definitely matters,
but landing clean shots is crucial here!
[Lee] There you go!
There you go!
Work it up and down.
[Gyuwon] Kuk Seungjun is showing
amazing speed.
[Seungheon] Kuk Seungjun's finding
a second wind this round.
[Gyuwon] Real grit he's got there.
[spectator 1] Nice rhythm!
-Kuk's more durable than you'd think.
-You're right.
He just keeps going like that.
[spectator 1] All right! That's it!
[Seungheon] Kuk Seungjun is focusing
on volume now.
[Jongkook exclaiming]
[Gyuwon] Since Kuk Seungjun is
always the one to land first,
it's definitely starting
to take a toll on Kim Hyunjun.
[spectators exclaim]
-[Dex] It's a slip!
-[spectator 1] Slip!
-[referee] Get up.
-[spectator 2] Last round, focus!
[spectators exclaiming continues]
You got this!
[spectator] Let's go, Kim Hyunjun!
[Hyunjun] Don't give up.
Finish it with no regrets.
[Seungjun] Show
that fighting spirit to the very end.
[referee] Box!
[Seungheon] Here comes
the final push from Kim Hyunjun!
He's targeting the inside. Body again!
Kuk Seungjun's actually pushing him back.
Exactly.
[spectator 1] All right, nice!
[spectator 2] Keep it up!
[referee] Break it up!
[Lee] Look, he's backing up now.
[Dex] Hyunjun's the one retreating now.
[referee] Ten seconds!
[spectator 1] Ten seconds!
[bell dings]
-Stop!
-[Seungheon] That's it for this fight!
-The bout has officially ended!
-[spectators cheering]
-Kuk Seungjun versus Kim Hyunjun!
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] Wow,
what an incredible back-and-forth!
[spectator 1] You did awesome!
[Dex] Fighters,
step to the center, please.
Let's give them a big hand!
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Gyuwon] This bout goes
beyond wins and losses.
Both fighters proved themselves.
Once again,
this was a tough fight to judge.
Thank you both
for giving your absolute best.
-We will now announce the result.
-[sighs]
[Jongkook] Judge one scores it for…
Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner.
JUDGE 1
BLUE CORNER KUK SEUNGJUN WINS
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
[Dex] Judge two scores it for…
Kim Hyunjun from the red corner!
JUDGE 2
RED CORNER KIM HYUNJUN WINS
-[spectators cheering]
-[applause]
One-one so far.
God, my head hurts.
[Jongkook] Lastly, please announce
the final decision from the third judge.
[Lee] By judges' decision…
[Seungjun] I landed more than I took,
so I think I did well.
[Hyunjun] I made every shot count,
landing one impactful punch at a time.
I think I won.
The winner is…
-Kuk Seungjun from the blue corner.
-[cheering, applause]
Congratulations.
Well done.
[cheering continues]
Boxing isn't
Kim Hyunjun's main discipline,
so I underestimated him, to be honest.
But I believe he can stand toe-to-toe
with any boxer out there.
[sniffs]
And
I'd like to say something to my father.
[breathing heavily]
Dad, we used to watch
world champions on TV when I was little.
Do I look as strong and cool as they did?
Certainly!
I'll come back even stronger
for the next round.
Thank you.
[cheering, applause]
As a Muay Thai champion,
I thought I'd handle boxing easily.
But as you can see,
I took way too many shots.
[chuckles]
Though my journey ends here,
I'll continue to shine in Muay Thai,
referred to as Thai boxing.
Thank you.
[cheering, applause]
-You did great!
-Hyunjun, darling! Great job!
Great job, you two.
-Aw, look at you. [laughing]
-[laughing]
You did so well.
You did wonderfully.
-Does it hurt?
-I'm fine.
Hello, sir.
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
You did awesome!
-You were awesome, Kim Hyunjun!
-You did so well.
Goodness, that was great.
[Hyunjun]
I Am Boxer was a huge challenge for me.
It let me prove all the work I've put in,
which made it even more fun and rewarding.
[no audible dialogue]
Remember how we used to watch
-the world champions on TV together?
-Yeah.
-I wanted to do just as well as them.
-You did great.
-[man] You did well enough.
-[older sister] You did well, really.
Keep working hard to learn
and show everything you've got.
[Seungjun] Only four fighters
are entering the semifinals.
-One, two, three!
-Let's go!
[Seungjun] Whoever I'm up against,
I'll make it to the finals.
[applause]
We've got some
very interesting fighters coming up.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Dex] You'll be very surprised
by this next fighter.
[Lee] The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the second bout begin!
I AM BOXER
[cheering, applause]
[Dex] Entering from the blue corner,
Pretty Boy, Cho Hyunjae!
[rhythmic music playing]
CHO HYUNJAE'S FAMILY
-Well, he actually is pretty!
-[chuckles]
[shouts]
[cheering]
[Dex] Man, he's oozing confidence.
[Jongkook]
Here's the fighter facing Cho Hyunjae.
[cheering, applause]
[audience gasping]
Is that Yuk Junseo?
[giggling]
[Jongkook] Entering from the red corner,
Blaze, Yuk Junseo!
[ intense music playing]
[cheering, applause]
Let's go, bro!
Whoo!
[cheering, applause continues]
I AM BOXER
YUK JUNSEO X CHO HYUNJAE
AGE: 29, 25
HEIGHT: 176 CM, 177 CM
WEIGHT: 67 KG, 64 KG
REACH: 177 CM, 179 CM
Next up is the second quarterfinal bout.
Yuk Junseo versus Cho Hyunjae.
[ rhythmic music playing]
Considered one of the top elite boxers,
here's Cho Hyunjae getting warmed up!
Facing him is Yuk Junseo,
showing confidence and constant growth!
[spectator 5] Let's go, Yuk Junseo!
-[spectator 6] Let's go!
-[spectator 7] Let's go!
-They're nearly identical physically.
-[spectator 2 mumbles]
[spectator 3] Let's go, Junseo!
This is gonna be wild.
[announcer] From the blue corner,
wearing the white trunks.
Standing 177 cm tall,
weighing in at 64 kg.
From Seoul PE Middle and High School,
former member
of the Yongin University boxing team.
The 2025 Korean Boxing Association
President's Cup
lightweight silver medalist!
A member of the KAFAC,
his overwhelming speed leaves no openings.
And that's why his face stays unmarked!
Please give it up for Pretty Boy!
Cho Hyunjae!
PRETTY BOY CHO HYUNJAE
[cheering]
He looks comfortable up there.
[announcer]
In the red corner, wearing the red trunks.
Standing 176 cm tall,
weighing in at 67 kg.
With just one year into boxing,
he's an artist reborn as a boxer!
He relentlessly moves forward
and fights like a flame!
Please welcome Blaze!
Yuk Junseo!
BLAZE YUK JUNSEO
Let's go! You're the man!
Bell rings, you keep the lead hand active.
Throw some feints
and see how he comes in, okay?
Wait, the fringe is gonna cause friction.
Who knows what'll happen? You never know.
[Jongkook]
The quarterfinals of I Am Boxer.
Let the fight begin!
Let's go, Yuk Junseo!
Box!
[bell dings]
[Seungheon] Round 1 has begun.
ROUND 1 OF 6
YUK JUNSEO X CHO HYUNJAE
Cho Hyunjae starts with light punches.
Nice shot from Yuk Junseo!
-There it is.
-See that?
You can't avoid every punch.
[thrilling music playing]
[Junseo] I threw a jab pretty early on,
and he got hit.
That's when I realized,
it might not be impossible after all.
[Gyuwon] He landed a heavy straight
with that lead hand.
[Dex]
I bet Cho Hyunjae's feeling the weight.
[Jongkook] He's probably never felt
shots like that before.
[Dex] Right, he throws with raw power.
-It's all instinct, you know.
-[ref in English] Stop.
[brother] Hyunjae, use your footwork.
No holding.
[Hyunjae] I was a bit caught off guard.
-[in English] Box!
-[tense music playing]
[Hyunjae] I'd fought him before,
so I thought I had a read on his style,
but he opened
with a completely different approach.
That caught me off guard.
[Junseo] I plan to be really aggressive
in the clinch.
That kind of grabbing
should really rattle him up.
[spectator 5]
Nice, he's pretty tense right now!
[Seungheon] Coming in, Yuk Junseo.
[tense music playing]
[spectator 6] All right! Doing good!
All right! Doing good!
[Lee] Counters like that.
-They're big if you walk into them.
-Exactly.
Nice shot!
[ref] Break it up!
[spectator 5] Guard up, man!
[Gyuwon]
After Yuk Junseo took that one shot,
he's struggling to find his range.
That's right!
And that's when you need composure.
[Gyuwon] Yuk Junseo,
now carefully putting up his guard.
-[Lee] That right hand's all Junseo's got.
-[Jongkook] You're right.
[coach] Guard up!
[Dex]
He just needs to drive it in with power.
It all depends on that one shot.
He's not gonna get caught.
Wait, he got caught? For real?
Ha, ha, ha. See, I told you!
[gasps]
He's totally found his rhythm.
This is bad.
Yes, that's it!
[Gyuwon]
Look at that unpredictable explosiveness!
Cho Hyunjae won't like that at all.
Damn it!
Man, this one's hard to tell.
[Dex] Striker, Lee Gijun!
Prince, Lee Chaehyun!
That's it, one-two! Nice!
[audience exclaiming]
Go for it!
He's fast.
[ref] Down!
-Keep going, keep going!
-Whoa!
[Dex] Thunder, Kwon Ohgon!
Tyson, Hong Sungmin!
[audience shouting]
-Come on!
-Don't let him hit you!
[Lee]
He's fighting on a one-percent chance.
[Hyunjae] I'll fight to the end and win,
no matter what.
[Lee] The winner of this match is…
[rhythmic music playing]
[theme song playing]