My honest thoughts why this chapter was one heck of an asspull
Many thought that Mashiba would win and rightfully so, wether with or without consequences, however that didn't happen and there shouldn't be realistically speaking any and seriously any chance that a guy like Rosario would win a fight like that, here's why:
- First reason is only symbolic, but it was the fight between someone who's heavily evil vs a former evildoer that's going through redemption arc. If you show a duel that's going for this long, the hero simply must come on top and there's really no debate over that unless the aim is to piss the viewers off.
- Next, Rosario did just about everything wrong that a boxer can do before a match. Being in prison that takes the time off training, then more importantly royally screwing up its weight management where it was clear that Rosario's stamina was not in top shape to drag out its match on a longer basis. And yet, he somehow got up to freaking round 7 which is longer than most of the matches in general that we've seen in HNI and was on par with Mashiba's. Limited stamina my very tight arse, am I supposed to think that Rosario if fully prepared would be so much stronger that he could nuke someone like Ricardo on first round?
- During the fight, we've seen Rosario swallow water and later on we get to see Mashiba rearraning his guts over and over. Drink water + getting bellyfucked = should have clearly vomited at some point, this is why boxers IRL don't swallow, but here in HNI that didn't happen. Then what was the point of showing Rosario's intestines several times, what was the point?
- Lastly if we compare the overall damage, Mashiba dealt a lot more and that's a no brainer, even if he received few counters, the heaviest blow in all of the match was still the blazing chopper that pretty much grounded that guy. Personally I was completely sure that this was over, the scene reminded me with the end frame of Sendo's uppercut and Gonzales lying down. But nah, got up, kept going even though he said a dozen times himself how he's tapped out, but it seems Morikawa gave him maximum plot armor there, unexpected to a main villain that tops Sawamura at dirty plays.
