Question: why did ippo get weaker?
Answer: Ippo is completely devoid of the killer instinct present in Takamura, Sendo and Volg. Ippo is weak because everyone around him has galvanized their view point to what is required of them, only Ippo has shied away. ... As we saw at his fight against Gonzales, Ippo did not have the intention to win, and become the champion.