The Iron Girl Squad made a splash just three months after starting boxing.
In the 10th episode of tvN's 'Iron Girl Squad 2' (Directed by Bang Geul-i), which aired on the 12th (Friday), Yui, Geum Sae-rok, Park Joo-hyun, and Seol In-a all achieved the remarkable feat of advancing to the finals in their first boxing tournament, delighting viewers.
The broadcast recorded an average nationwide rating of 2.6%, a peak of 4.0%, an average rating of 2.6% in the metropolitan area, and a peak of 4.3%, ranking first in the same time slot among cable and general programming channels. The target audience rating for tvN, men and women aged 20-49, also ranked first across all channels in the same time slot, based on paid platforms including cable, IPTV, and satellite (provided by Nielsen Korea).
Previously, the Iron Girl Squad began special training with Shannon Courtney, a former WBA bantamweight champion, at a boot camp in Phuket, Thailand. They improved their boxing skills through jump rope, ladder drills, mitt work, and technical sparring with Shannon Courtney, and Seol In-a was awarded the training MVP, receiving signed gloves from Shannon Courtney.
As the first tournament approached, the Iron Girl Squad continued to undergo intense training and worked hard to manage their weight to pass the weigh-in. Park Joo-hyun, who needed to lose weight to fit into her category, did not apply any moisturizer or body lotion on the day of the preliminaries, and all four successfully passed the weigh-in and registered as competitors.
Meanwhile, an unexpected event occurred before Yui even stepped into the ring, as she advanced to the finals without competing in the preliminaries due to her opponent's disqualification at the weigh-in, securing at least a silver medal.
The first boxing matches for Seol In-a, Park Joo-hyun, and Geum Sae-rok, held without Yui, were nail-biting. Seol In-a, who was the first to compete for the Iron Girl Squad, delivered crisp punches against an opponent with six years of special martial arts experience, landing a powerful punch that resulted in a standing down decision, showcasing her lion-like presence in the ring and securing victory.
Next, 'Mad Boxer' Park Joo-hyun faced an opponent with 1 year and 6 months of boxing experience, calmly finishing the first round with her specialty of hit-and-run tactics. In the second round, her attacking instincts surged, and she dashed across the ring, landing an impressive five effective hits, stimulating the dopamine of the viewers and bringing home the joy of victory. Kim Dong-hyun expressed his surprise, saying, "Did people who used to turn their faces when hit change this much in just three months?"
With Geum Sae-rok also winning, the Iron Girl Squad achieved the remarkable situation of all members advancing to the finals. Geum Sae-rok responded to an opponent targeting her body with a one-two combination, fighting back even when cornered. After fierce exchanges and grappling, Geum Sae-rok ended the match with the final effective hit, also winning, and everyone proved their growth as boxers with the valuable result of all advancing to the finals.
Yui, Geum Sae-rok, Park Joo-hyun, and Seol In-a, who have come one step closer to the seemingly impossible boxing championship, will have their finals broadcast on tvN's 'Iron Girl Squad 2' on the night of the 19th.
