Antonio Inoki, a combat sports legend, influential politician, and philanthropist in Japan died at the age of 79 in his home in Japan.
The wrestling promotion foundation, New Japan Pro-Wrestling made this announcement. Inoki retired from politics in 2019, and he had fallen ill and was retired to a wheelchair to help his movement.
He was most known for his work in combat sports as a pro wrestler, promoter, and fighter — most notably, his bout with Muhammad Ali.
He was the most important professional wrestler in the history of Japan, selling out countless arenas and stadiums from the 1970s forward. He was also the first Japanese to win the WWF title before it was changed and rebranded to WWE.
He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Ali vs. Inoki bout was a direct ancestor to what we know now as mixed martial arts, which has become a global sport led by the UFC, founded in 1993.
The contest was one of the most watched fights of its generation. In addition to the sold-out populace of more than 14,000 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, it aired on closed-circuit across the world.
Ali vs. Inoki ended in a draw, but Inoki spent most of the 15-round contest on his back, kicking at Ali’s legs and landing those kicks more than 100 times. Ali took far more damage in the bout than Inoki did and sustained injuries to his legs.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu pioneer Carlson Gracie once said that the Japanese legend was “one of the best fighters” he had seen.
UFC superstar Conor McGregor said at a media scrum before his match with Mayweather:
“Ali tried to reach down and punch and he ended up getting swept. Inoki ended up on top and the referee separated it straight away. If that moment in time was to let go for five more seconds, 10 more seconds, Inoki would have wrapped around his neck or his arm or a limb and the whole face of the combat world would have changed right there and then.”
The legend used his popularity gained from fighting Ali to become the most popular pro wrestler in the history of Japan.