The fight between Kuwabara and Risho begins, but Kuwabara is powerless against his opponent -he can't even create his spirit sword. Outside the stadium, Botan's group find out they aren't allowed back into the stadium thanks to an unhelpful guard, who they beat up. Back in the stadium, Hiei is ready to break out of Ruka's periphery realm, and intends to break loose the moment Kuwabara is beaten.

Risho reveals the reason Kuwabara can't summon his spirit sword is because his body is now doing everything it can just to recover. As he continues his attack, Sakyo and Toguro corner Butajiri. Finding his cheating methods unacceptable, Sakyo has Toguro kill him. He allows the match to continue, with Toguro saying the Urameshi team wouldn't be worth fighting if they couldn't win this.

Back at the fight, Risho uses his ultimate technique -shura nen do toi (asura conjured earth armor) -which he then follows up with another move called the bomber tackle. Kuwabara is sent flying, but still manages to get up. Inside the stadium, Botan, Keiko and Yukina escape from some guards, but come across Toguro. He lets them go on without any issues.

Shizuru is caught by some guards, but Sakyo appears and tells them she is an acquaintance of his. They leave, and he lights Shizuru's cigarette. Back at the fight, Kuwabara manages to get up yet again, and Risho wonders why he keeps getting back up. Kuwabara says he doesn't want to lose, and decides to try and take out Risho at the cost of his own life. He charges forward, but Risho hits him with another bomber tackle. As he's getting pushed back, Kuwabara wishes he could have seen Yukina one last time.

However he then hears Yukina call out his name, and sees that she's in the crowd. Suddenly finding new strength, he swats Risho out of the ring. Risho tries to attack again, only for Kuwabara to hit him with such force that it shatters his armor. A further strike sends him flying into some spectators, and he gets counted out by Koto.

Koto declares the Urameshi team as the winners, and they will move on to the semifinals. Later on, Yukina heals Kuwabara's injuries, and he tells her it's all about talent, as he is the Urameshi team's key man, after all. She can't believe how quickly his wounds are closing up, and his temperature seems to be rising steadily. Kuwabara tells her that's the power of love! Yukina says she understands. Kuwabara is really happy to hear that, and thinks that with Yukina here, he's invulnerable. As he laughs, he doesn't know that Yukina is thinking she isn't sure what he means. Elsewhere, Yusuke talks to Keiko, and the two briefly get into an argument. After somewhat making up, Keiko tells Yusuke she won't accept him losing.

Manga differences

-In the manga, Toguro kills Butajiri before the fight starts. In the anime, it happens after Risho has landed several hits on Kuwabara.

-During the scene with the uncooperative security guard, Shizuru is seen with a bottle of booze in the manga. She doesn't have this in the anime.

-What happens to the guard is a bit different in the manga. In the manga, he has similar dialogue to what he has in the anime, but he doesn't touch Keiko. Keiko punches him rather than slaps him, Shizuru shatters a bottle over his head, and Atsuko kicks him. In the anime, Keiko slaps him first, then Shizuru stomps on him and kicks him.

-The scene where some guards chase Botan and the others was not in the manga. In the manga, the group walk into the stadium without issue, and Yukina tells them about how she's looking for her brother. In the anime, Yukina had already mentioned this, in the previous episode.

-This also means the part where Sakyo saves Shizuru was something that was only in the anime. In the manga, they never meet each other.

-Any scenes with Koenma and Jorge in this episode weren't in the manga.

-The end of the fight is different in the manga. In the manga, Yukina arrives and Kuwabara sees her just as Risho is going to attack (Risho is about to throw a regular punch, rather than using the bomber tackle like the does in the anime). Kuwabara then swats Risho away with one strike, defeating him and sending him crashing into some spectators. In the anime, this was changed so Risho hits Kuwabara with his bomber tackle, and Kuwabara then notices Yukina. He hits Risho back, but Risho gets back up, charges and strengthens his armor. Kuwabara then hits him with his spirit sword with enough force to make his armor shatter (in the manga, his armor doesn't break), then finally hits him again so he gets sent crashing into some spectators.