Inoki vs. Machida: Inoki Profile 1

In the history of professional wrestling, or perhaps even the history of all combat sports, you may never find someone who has had more influence on the way we view fighting than Antonio Inoki. for over 30 years, he dominated professional wrestling in the Japan, and founded Japan's biggest wrestling company: New Japan Pro Wrestling.

"But wait, pro wrestling's fake, isn't it?" Yes, folks. We all know about how fights are organized and blah blah blah. But, in addition to professional wrestling, Inoki was a pioneer of MMA. He is one of the founders of Kansuiryu Karate, which is one of the few karate techniques to actually utilize full contact training. And at 6'2", 220 pounds in his prime, he was a powerhouse of grappling. He was also one of the earliest wrestlers to actively practice both shoot and catch wrestling. That is, he would often break away from the scripted fights and would frequently utilize an array of submission holds. His fight with Lyoto Machida, who he would later manage as a young MMA fighter, should prove to be exciting.

Antonio Inoki was born Kanji Inoki on February 20th, 1943. He was born into a well-off family and had a pretty typical youth. He began training in Karate during the 6th grade, as well as winning awards for track and field competition. When he was 14, his family moved to Brazil to get away from the harsh post-war times. There, he met Mitsuhiro Momota, also known as the wrestler Rikidōzan. It was this meeting that led to Inoki's beginning in the evolving t of professional wrestling.

Questions or concerns? Email us at AthletesandEras@gmail.com!
Like us on Facebook.