kimura tatsuya

Homeland: Tokyo, Japan Weight Class: Junior Lightweight Height: 171 cm (5'7") Reach: 171 cm (67") Style: Out Boxer Stance: Orthodox Stance Current Affiliation: Kamogawa Boxing Gym Trainer: Shinoda Tatsuya Kimura is Ippo's senior and Aoki's best friend. He is calm and collected, with a romantic side, but also trains diligently. His boxing style features a fast left hand and quick footwork. In the past, he and Aoki were notorious high school troublemakers, but now Tatsuya works at his family's flower shop. He competes in the junior lightweight division. Alongside Makunouchi Ippo, Takamura Mamoru, Aoki Masaru, and Itagaki Manabu, he forms part of the core team at Kamogawa Boxing Gym. His notable fights include bouts against Mashiba Ryou and Eleki Battery. Kimura and Aoki have been best friends since kindergarten. In high school, they frequently fought students from rival schools, particularly North High, leading to their expulsion. This affected Kimura deeply as he feared disappointing his mother. One day, they attacked Takamura Mamoru from North High and were soundly defeated. Impressed by Takamura’s boxing prowess, they decided to join the Kamogawa Boxing Gym to become stronger fighters. Kimura became a delinquent after being bullied by an older boy. When his father confronted the bully's father, he was pressured into apologizing, causing Kimura to lose respect for him. This led to increased violence both at home and outside, and he eventually dropped out of high school without his parents knowing. Like Aoki, Kimura’s boxing abilities are often understated throughout the series. However, he has demonstrated solid all-around skills. Miyata noted that Kimura had no weaknesses as a boxer, despite lacking standout strengths. Miyata’s father stated that although ranked third before his fight with Mashiba, Kimura's talent exceeded his ranking. Mashiba himself admitted that Kimura was his toughest opponent. Kimura exhibits strength comparable to a national champion, having drawn twice with Eleki Battery and narrowly losing to Mashiba. As a swift outboxer, Kimura is frequently asked to be a sparring partner for boxers like Makunouchi and once for Miyata, benefiting more from Miyata’s training. After losing to Ryo Mashiba, he announced his retirement from boxing. Unable to stay away, he later returned, opting to spell his name in katakana (タツヤ) instead of kanji (達也). Kimura’s role in the story is primarily as a supporting character. Upon re-entering the Class A Tournament with Aoki, they faced antagonism from Iga Shinobu and his trainer, Baron Kurita. They now aim to settle their grudge with the duo. **Current Record** Total Fights: 24 Wins: 15 Wins by KO: 9 Losses: 6 Draws: 3