Antonio Inoki, international pro wrestling icon, useless at 79

Antonio Inoki, a pro wrestling icon who was also a Japanese politician, has died, WWE and New Japan Pro-Wrestling stated Friday. He was 79.

Inoki, born Kanji Inoki in Yokohama, Japan, in 1943, rose to fame as a competitor for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance in the 1960s and at the top of his fame battled Muhammad Ali in 1976 in what was billed as "The War of the Worlds." It was also observed as the first modern example of a combined martial arts bout.

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Wrestler Antonio Inoki, still left, and world heavyweight boxing winner Muhammad Ali shake palms after a 15-spherical boxing-wrestling combat on June 26, 1976, at Tokyo's Budokan. (G3 Box News Picture, File)

Inoki founded New Japan-Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in 1972 and was the proprietor of the enterprise right until 2005, when he bought his controlling shares to Yuke’s. NJPW is one particular of the most effective wrestling promotions in the world exterior WWE.

He would be the very first IWGP Heavyweight Winner in 1987 soon after beating Masa Saito in a event remaining.

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Inoki gained the WWF Championship more than Bob Backlund in 1979, but it was due to outside the house interference. He would pin Backlund again in their rematch with the support of interference, but the next bout was dominated a no-contest. Inoki vacated the title, and

Japanese professional-wrestler-turned-politician Kanji "Antonio" Inoki bows at the finish of a news convention at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Aug. 21, 2014. (G3 Box News Image/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

Backlund would win it once again towards Bobby Duncum. The WWF under no circumstances identified the title reign.

He would faceoff from Ric Flair in Pyongyang in 1995, when the Japanese and North Korean governments arrived together to market peace. Inoki arrived out on leading in the match.

The pro wrestling sector paid out tribute to Inoki more than the weekend.

Inoki entered the political waters in 1989 just after profitable a seat in the upper property of Japan’s two-house parliament. He headed the Sporting activities and Peace Bash and traveled to Iraq in 1990 to gain the launch of Japanese citizens who ended up being held hostage there.

Skilled wrestler Antonio Inoki speaks at an celebration on Oct 31, 2020, in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Illustrations or photos)

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He remained active in politics right until 2019.

The G3 Box News contributed to this report.