Antonio Inoki

Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born Kanji Inoki (猪木寛至); February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.

He was best known by the ring name Antonio Inoki (アントニオ猪木), a homage to fellow professional wrestler Antonino Rocca.

Inoki was a twelve-time professional wrestling world champion, notably being the first IWGP Heavyweight Champion and the first Asian WWF Heavyweight Champion – a reign not officially recognized by WWE.

Inoki was born in an affluent family in Yokohama in 1943.

He was the sixth son and the second-youngest of the seven boys and four girls.

His father, Sajiro Inoki, a businessman and politician, died when Kanji was five years old.

Inoki was taught karate by an older brother while in 6th grade.

The family fell on hard times in the post-war years, and in 1957, the 14-year-old Inoki emigrated to Brazil with his grandfather, mother, and brothers.

His grandfather died during the journey to Brazil.

Inoki won regional championships in Brazil in shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw, and finally the All Brazilian championships in the shot put and discus.

Inoki met Rikidōzan at the age of 17 in Brazil and went back to Japan for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA) as his disciple.

He trained in the JWA dojo under the renowned Karl Gotch, complementing further his training under amateur wrestler Isao Yoshiwara and kosen judoka Kiyotaka Otsubo.

One of his dojo classmates was Giant Baba.

After spending his adolescence in Brazil, Inoki began his professional wrestling career in the 1960s for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA) under the tutelage of Rikidōzan.

Inoki quickly became one of the most popular stars in the history of Japanese professional wrestling.

After Rikidozan's murder, Inoki worked in Baba's shadow until he left for an excursion to the United States in 1964.

After a long excursion of wrestling in the United States, Inoki found a new home in Tokyo Pro Wrestling in 1966.

While there, Inoki became their biggest star.

The company folded in 1967, due to turmoil behind the scenes.

Returning to JWA in late 1967, Inoki was made Baba's partner and the two dominated the tag team ranks as the "B-I Cannon", winning the NWA International Tag Team Championship belts four times.

On May 16, 1969, in the 11th World League match, he stopped Giant Baba's fourth consecutive victory and won his first victory.

In July 1969, when NET (currently TV Asahi) started broadcasting Japanese professional wrestling, Inoki was the ace of NET's Japanese professional wrestling broadcasting because Baba's match was monopolized by Nippon TV under the agreement between Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance and Nippon TV.

On December 2, 1969, he challenged Dory Funk Jr.. for NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, and on March 26, 1971, won NWA United National Championship.

Fired from JWA in late 1971 for planning a takeover of the promotion, Inoki founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 1972.

His first match as a New Japan wrestler was against Karl Gotch.

Inoki began his promoting career in 1972, when he founded New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).

He parlayed his wrestling career into becoming one of Japan's most recognizable athletes, a reputation bolstered by his 1976 fight against world champion boxer Muhammad Ali – a fight that served as a predecessor to modern day mixed martial arts.

In 1989, while still an active wrestler, Inoki entered politics as he was elected to the Japanese House of Councillors.

During his first term with the House of Councillors, Inoki successfully negotiated with Saddam Hussein for the release of Japanese hostages before the outbreak of the Gulf War.

In 1995, with Ric Flair, Inoki headlined two shows in North Korea that drew 165,000 and 190,000 spectators, the highest attendances in professional wrestling history.

His first tenure in the House of Councillors ended in 1995, but he was reelected in 2013.

Inoki wrestled his retirement match on April 4, 1998, against Don Frye and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010.

He remained the owner of NJPW until 2005 when he sold his controlling share in the promotion to the Yuke's video game company.

In 2007, he founded the Inoki Genome Federation (IGF).

By the time he was in 7th grade at Terao Junior High School, he was 5 feet 11 inches tall and joined the basketball team.

He later quit and joined a track and field club as a shot putter.

He eventually won the championship at the Yokohama Junior High School track and field competition.

In 2017, Inoki founded ISM and the following year left IGF.

He was also a co-creator of the karate style Kansui-ryū (寛水流) along with Matsubayashi-ryū master Yukio Mizutani.

In 2019, Inoki retired from politics.