Manabu Itagaki

Manabu Itagaki joins the boxing world as the newest member of Kamogawa Gym's lineup of young fighters, arriving with real natural talent already behind him: he once captained his high school's boxing team before turning professional. Cheerful and quick with a bad pun, Manabu brings a relaxed, easygoing energy to a gym otherwise full of intense, driven rivals.

That easy charm hides a genuinely dangerous boxer underneath. Manabu fights as an outboxer, someone who relies on footwork and distance rather than standing and trading blows, and he has remarkably fast hands and reflexes to match. His fighting style closely mirrors that of Ichiro Miyata, one of the gym's established stars, which makes him an interesting point of comparison for fans watching both boxers develop. His signature move, a rapid flurry of mid-power punches nicknamed the Hedgehog, lets him overwhelm opponents with volume and speed rather than relying on a single knockout blow.

Manabu's biggest rival so far is Kyosuke Imai, another talented young boxer he faces in a high-profile Rookie King tournament, a competition to crown the best new professional boxer in his weight class and region. Outside the ring, Manabu works a simple day job helping out at a family-run fishing business, a grounded detail that keeps him relatable despite his growing reputation as one of the most promising new fighters to watch.