It just pains me that you somehow manage to make what I find to be a very interesting and compelling show sound like torture.
The only anime I finished that was torture was Peach Girl.
No, I like Hajime No Ippo. It doesn't have such glorious highs that I feel worth noting, so the only thing I state is whenever something catches my attention. As well a LOT of my genuine complaints are rectified later, Ippo being a boxing prodigy but not recognized was mentioned way later twice by his opponents (and they weren't underdog villains either), most of his credible opponents do recognize that Ippo is actually still a frightening boxer. Making his earlier opponents feel more inexperienced.
Other stuff are just triggers because I am watching the series with Prince of Tennis still fresh in my mind... and Prince of Tennis of course burned me because its important lesson that "The joy of playing Tennis is more important then winning, so don't injure yourself" was later reversed... in fact many of its lessons were... culminating with a ultimate lesson which is basically a slap in the face. Which is especially painful because I liked the early sections of Prince of Tennis.
So when a fight in the show has a character basically about to freeken die because they don't want to lose, and even their second is like "No!" I get frustrated (though I'd probably be frustrated anyway). Especially since characters rarely pay for their decisions MOSTLY because if a character had to "pay" for it, the show would be too dark (it alludes HEAVILY to consequences existing though).
As well other stuff is just analysis and me looking at things that are interesting. The fact that injuries barely seem to impact characters and that they rarely treat injuries properly isn't something I will honestly complain about. The fact that credible boxers disappear off the face of the planet after defeated (seriously what happened to Rich guy?) just bugs me but isn't serious.
The show is good, it manages to highlight both boxers. Each fight is tense and a HUGE ONE!!! Punches don't exist in another dimension (which is a huge one!). While characters do will themselves to keep going, none of them get last spurt power. As well Ippo is a nice and kind person which is always a plus for me.
-Oddly enough the show with the most "Blows don't exist unless we suddenly have them exist" is not even an anime... it is "Beware the Batman". Bleach is technically a show LIKE that, but they are spirits they don't exactly take "damage" so to speak.
The only new observation about the show I have is... IPPO IS SO DANG LUCKY he has managed to avoid weight management. To admit though his coach can be seen actively trying to avoid making Ippo go above the weight limit. Hence why he checked his legs a while back (at least that is what my viewpoint of it was. That he was seeing if his legs would have got extra muscle or would have been toned). As well his diet is almost exclusively the food his mother feeds him, which manages to put a bit of pudge on her.