Antonio Inoki

Japanese professional wrestler-turned lawmaker Antonio Inoki has died aged 79, according to a tweet posted on Saturday by his organization.

He organized a wrestling match in Pyongyang in 2014, involving American professional wrestling stars. In Brazil, he met his mentor and pro-wrestling star Rikidozan, who scouted him. The trip came at a time of thawing relations between Japan and North Korea over the issue of abductions of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and ’80s. [said in a statement, ](https://www.wwe.com/article/wwe-hall-of-famer-antonio-inoki-passes-away)“paved the way for the advent of Mixed Martial Arts, which would explode in popularity decades later.” [wrestlers](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/28/sport/navid-afkari-cmd-spt-intl/index.html) - famously faced boxing great [Muhammad Ali](https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/25/sport/muhammad-ali-wbc-belt-auction-spt-intl/index.html) in a mixed martial arts match in 1976. Born Kanji Inoki in February 20, 1943, in Yokohama, a city south of Tokyo, he moved to Brazil with his family when he was 13 years old, according to a NJPW statement.

Popular Japanese professional wrestler and lawmaker Antonio Inoki, who faced a world boxing champion Muhammad Ali in a mixed martial arts match in 1976, ...

Born as Kanji Inoki in 1943 in Yokohama, just outside Tokyo, he moved to Brazil with his family when he was 13 and worked at a coffee plantation. Inoki was upbeat and in good spirits, even as he was fighting the disease. He also staged a pro-wrestling match in North Korea. Onita called Inoki “the great father of pro-wrestling” and added, “Thank you Inoki-san. He was the first in his sport to enter politics. To many of those outside Japan, however, the match was seen as unprofessional and not taken seriously.

Inoki brought Japanese pro-wrestling to fame and pioneered mixed martial arts matches between top wrestlers and champions from other combat sports like judo ...

He also staged a pro-wrestling match in North Korea. Inoki was upbeat and in good spirits, even as he was fighting the disease. He also was the first in his sport to enter politics.

Antonio Inoki, a distinguished professional wrestler who took on world boxing champion Muhammad Ali in 1976 and made numerous trips to North Korea as a ...

In 1989, Inoki was elected to Japan's House of Councillors as a member of the now-defunct Sports and Peace Party. Over the years, his domestic popularity grew while a number of his catchy inane sayings became popular across the country. The Yokohama native moved to Brazil when he was in junior high school.

Japanese wrestler faced everyone from Muhammad Ali to Ric Flair during his storied career in the ring.

He’s a six-time Hall of Famer, yes one hand plus a finger, including the WWE Hall of Fame and the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. While still wrestling, he was elected to the Japanese House of Councilors, the equivalent to the U.S. Inoki is one degree of separation from Clark Kent because of his 1976 fight against Muhammad Ali, then the WBC and WBA heavyweight champion with a 53-2 record.

The Japanese wrestling star faced one of boxing's biggest names in front of a sold-out crowd.

It was decided that Inoki would not be allowed to throw, grapple or tackle Ali, and no kicks could be landed unless one knee was on the canvas. This was allowed under the special rules created for the contest. It's a real fight!" "No, no. Where was the Inoki vs. When was the Inoki vs.

Japanese wrestling legend and founder of the successful New Japan Pro-Wrestling company, Antonio Inoki, has passed away at the age of 79 due to heart ...

Furious at the lack of spectacle, the fans ended up throwing things into the ring. From the first moment Inoki crouched down and seconds later he was already on the floor trying to kick Ali in his legs in a comical way. Inoki starred in the one of the most peculiar sports bouts of the last century against

Antonio Inoki once fought boxing great Muhammad Ali to a draw in an exhibition that's considered a precursor to today's mixed martial arts bouts.

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.” Inoki flew to Iraq in 1996 on a one-man diplomatic mission and negotiated with Saddam Hussein the release of 36 Japanese hostages. Ali took far more damage in the bout than Inoki did, and sustained serious injuries. Inoki spent most of the 15-round contest on his back, kicking at Ali’s legs and landing those kicks more than 100 times. In wrestling-mad Japan, Inoki was considered its most important star, selling out countless arenas and stadiums from the 1970s and on. He was 79 and no cause of death was released.

The late wrestler was known for pioneering mixed martial arts, freeing hostages in Iraq and organizing a wrestling match in North Korea that became the ...

boxer match in Tokyo](https://www.wwe.com/superstars/antonioinoki). In 1998, Inoki retired as a wrestler and in 2010, he was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame. [statement](https://www.wwe.com/article/wwe-hall-of-famer-antonio-inoki-passes-away). Years later, he went on to start his own wrestling company in 1972 called New Japan Pro-Wrestling. There, Inoki found a passion for professional wrestling and took on the name "Antonio." That's why he was often called "the fighting spirit that burns."