I AM BOXER delivered a thrilling rush and deep emotion with its fresh fight format and boxers who gave everything.
In the second episode of tvN I AM BOXER (directed by Lee Won-woong, writer Kang Sook-kyung), which aired on the 28th (Fri), the second fight, the 6 vs. 6 punch race, opened, and a fierce battle for survival unfolded among boxers who had united as teams.
That episode recorded an average nationwide household rating of 2.1% and a peak of 2.9%. In the Seoul metropolitan area it recorded an average of 2.5% and a peak of 3.4%, ranking first in its time slot among cable and general programming channels for two consecutive weeks. The target 2049 ratings for tvN were first in their time slot among cable and general programming channels in both nationwide and metropolitan areas. (Based on paid platforms combining cable, IPTV, and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
In the first fight, the 1 vs. 1 decider, actor Jang Hyuk faced Lee Do-woon, who said he dreamed of becoming an action actor after seeing him, drawing attention. Despite being born in 1976, Jang Hyuk displayed an indomitable fighting spirit, practicing his own boxing against Lee Do-woon, who is twenty-three years younger, and continued even when the corner of his eye split and bled. MC Kim Jong-kook said, "He was so great and I'm very proud of him as a friend." Unfortunately Jang Hyuk was eliminated, but the challenge beyond age left a deep impression on viewers.
Meanwhile, the big match between Asia's top kickboxer Myung Hyun-man and UFC's powerhouse Jung Da-woon drew gasps as a battle of strength. Myung Hyun-man, who knocked Jung Da-woon down with a cannonball punch, continued to throw heavy punches after the fight resumed, and Jung Da-woon also threw everything into reversing the tide, making it impossible to look away. Master Ma Dong-seok said, "It can be seen as the highlight of I AM BOXER," and declared Myung Hyun-man safe for showing more damage to his opponent in a modern boxing context.
Including additional survivors, a total of 48 people advanced to the second fight, which was held as a team competition; eight captains directly picked team members to form eight teams of six. Distinct teams emerged: veteran Kim Min-wook's team, all-heavyweight Kim Dong-hoe's team, balanced celebrity corps Myung Hyun-man's team, amateur elite boxers Cho Hyun-jae's team, MMA and pro boxer alliance Shin Jae-hyuk's team, global boxing alliance Hong Sung-min's team, a team of diverse professions led by Shin Dong-hyun, and the weakest team led by Lee Dae-young.
Above all, the team-based 6 vs. 6 punch race attracted interest: each team hits 100 sandbags with punches, and the team that drops them all faster wins. The first half, which lasts six minutes, divides the team into three fighters who switch after three minutes; the second half has no time limit, with one fighter competing at a time and free substitutions allowed. Because the losing team is eliminated entirely, it promised uncompromising competition.
The match between Hong Sung-min's team and Shin Jae-hyuk's team, which started the event, ended in contrasting fortunes due to differences in second-half strategy. Unlike Shin Jae-hyuk's team, which relied on individual skill, Hong Sung-min's team substituted team members immediately when strength waned, and implemented an efficient strategy where lightweights pushed sandbags toward the ring's edge and heavyweights finished them, quickly dropping the remaining sandbags to secure a come-from-behind victory.
Next, the match between Kim Dong-hoe's team and Myung Hyun-man's team was decided in the first half. The boxers from both teams who entered in the second round of the first half dropped sandbags at unprecedented speed and fought a close battle, and Kim Dong-hoe's team seized victory by a margin of three. As a result, Myung Hyun-man, Julien Kang, Yook Joon-seo, Ozone, B.M., and Kim Dong-hee of Myung Hyun-man's team were eliminated.
The 6 vs. 6 punch races between Cho Hyun-jae's team and Shin Dong-hyun's team, and between Kim Min-wook's team and Lee Dae-young's team, and the unprecedented deathmatch scene will be revealed on I AM BOXER, which will air on Dec. 5 (Fri) at 11 p.m.
[photo] I AM BOXER video capture
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