Takos Hachiro

Xavier Fernandez may have only been in the ring once, but his speed has earned him the moniker Tako, or Octopus. He comes to to Japan under the tutelage of his coach, Tsuboi, and is set up in an eight round match against Kosaku Hatanaka.

He and Kosaku meet and hit it off, they soon become fast friends as Takos is encouraged at meeting a fellow Christian. They even attend Sunday services together, where Takos meets Mother Abbess and shows her his in ring protection...a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on his chest! The Mother Abbess forbids Kosaku from punching the tatoo, leaving Kosaku with a more limited style in the ring.

Takos dreams of staying in Japan and earning enough money to buy his mother a house. But, his fight with Kosaku is his only chance at staying in the country, if he loses, he'll be on the first plane back to Mexico. Sadly the fight doesn't go in Takos' favor and he returns to Mexico, but he makes a lifelong friend in Kosaku.

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The Meaning Behind the Name - タコス八郎 / Xavier Fernandez

A complex cultural pun. Tako (タコ) is an octopus, while Taco is a Mexican food. The "ha" (八) in Hachiro (八郎) means "eight", as in the eight arms of an octopus. Fascinatingly, the name also comes from "Tako Hachiro" the stage name of boxer-turned-comedian Seisaku Saito. Saito fought from 1960-1964 before being forced to retire due to "dementia puglistica" (being punch drunk).