Japanese Professional Wrestling Icon Antonio Inoki Who Fought Ali Useless At 79

Trailblazing skilled wrestler Antonio Inoki, who famously fought Muhammad Ali in a mixed-rules match, reportedly died Saturday at his house in his native Japan.

Inoki died of obvious coronary heart failure after battling diseases for years and being confined to a wheelchair. No official explanation for loss of life has been launched.

Inoki — a legend in Japan — shot to fame in 1976 when he received into the ring with Ali on the Nippon Budokan enviornment in Tokyo. The sold-out battle was proven on a Jumbotron to 32,897 spectators at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York. Inoki badly injured Ali in the course of the 15-round bout, getting in additional than 100 kicks to the fabled boxer’s legs. Their battle resulted in a draw.

Capitalizing on his newfound recognition, Inoki would change into essentially the most influential professional wrestler in Japan’s historical past. In 1972, he launched the New Japan Professional-Wrestling Firm, selling among the largest matches involving Hulk Hogan, Dory Funk Jr., Large Van Vader and Bruiser Brody. Inoki additionally pinned Ric Aptitude in a 1995 match and was inducted into the WWE Corridor of Fame in 2010.

What’s extra … Inoki was a storied politician who efficiently negotiated with Saddam Hussein for the discharge of Japanese hostages earlier than the 1990 Gulf Warfare in Iraq. And, he labored with North Korea to cease the kidnappings of Japanese residents in Pyongyang in the course of the Chilly Warfare.

Inoki was 79.