The Life and Times of Antonio Inoki, Japanese Wrestler & Lawmaker
A story about a Japanese wrestler who fought Muhammad Ali.
Antonio Inoki is a name that may not be known by the masses but nevertheless, he made history during his fight with Muhammad Ali, the world boxing champion, in 1976 via mixed martial arts match at Tokyo’s Budokan hall, aka the fight of the century by many Japanese fans. As a result, this match sent Inoki to fame. Cultures outside of the Japanese culture did not take the match that seriously. It was broadcasted to 34 countries around the world to an estimated audience of 1.4 billion.
Not only was Inoki a popular Japanese professional wrestler but was a lawmaker also. His boxing match helped pioneer mixed martial arts as a spectator sport. He was instrumental in bringing Japanese pro wrestling to fame and pioneered mixed martial arts matches between top wrestlers and champions for other sports such as judo, karate, and boxing.
As can be seen in the above photo, Inoki bout with Ali comprised of him mostly on the mat kicking at Ali’s legs as Ali premiered as the great boxer and showman that he had been and was. Nevertheless, what an opportunity to spar against Ali, a moment of a lifetime for Inoki even though he was counted for kicking Ali’s legs 107 times uninhibited by the referee. The result of the fight was a draw which was…
