Muhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki
| Date | June 26, 1976 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 round Draw | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxer |
 Muhammad Ali |
 Antonio Inoki |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Greatest | Moeru Toukon (Burning Fighting Spirit) | |
| Hometown | Louisville, KY, USA | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Pre-fight record | 53–2 | 1–0 | |
| Style | Western boxing | Catch wrestling, karate | |
| Recognition | WBC/WBA Heavyweight Champion Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion |
NWF Heavyweight Champion |
The fight between American boxer Muhammad Ali and Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki was held at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo on June 26, 1976. At the time, Ali had come off a knockout victory over Richard Dunn in May and was the reigning WBC/WBA Heavyweight Champion. Inoki, who had been taught the art of catch wrestling by legendary wrestler Karl Gotch, was staging exhibition fights against champions of various martial arts, in an attempt to show that pro wrestling was the dominant fighting discipline.
The fight itself, which was fought under special rules, is seen as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts. The majority of the fight saw Inoki on his back kicking Ali's legs. The result of the fight, a draw, has long been debated by the press and fans. The fight was refereed by Gene LeBell.
In April 1975, at a reception held in the United States, Muhammad Ali was introduced to Ichiro Hatta, president of the Japanese Amateur Wrestling Association. Ali characteristically bragged to Hatta: "Isn't there any Oriental fighter who will challenge me? I'll give him one million dollars if he wins". This flippant remark made headlines in Japan, and Ali's challenge was accepted by Inoki, whose financial backers offered the boxer $6 million for the fight. The deal was struck in March 1976, and the fight was scheduled for June 26 at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan.
Several press conferences were held to promote the fight. When the two men first met, Ali announced he would nickname Inoki "The Pelican", because of his prominent chin. Inoki replied, via an interpreter: "When your fist connects with my chin, take care that your fist is not damaged". He then presented Ali with a crutch, to use after he had been thrown from the ring. Inoki said afterwards: "I don't know how seriously Muhammad Ali is taking the fight, but if he doesn't take it seriously, he could suffer damage. I'm going in there fighting. I may even break his arm".
...
Wikipedia