Inoki vs. Machida: Inoki Profile 2

Antonio Inoki was an instant smash sensation from the get-go. He first began working for the Japan Wrestling Association, where he was unfortunately overshadowed by Giant Baba, his fellow wrestling classmate under Rikidozan. From there, he moved on to Tokyo Pro Wrestling in 1966, where he became their biggest star. Unfortunately, Inoki's timing was poor; Tokyo Pro Wrestling folded a year later. Inoki returned to the Japan Wrestling Association, where he became Giant Baba's tag-team partner. They two dominated the tag-team ranks for many years until Inoki was fired from the JWA for trying to plan a takeover.

Following this, Inoki made the best move of his career: he founded New Japan Pro Wrestling, bringing in several thousand fans on a weekly draw. They were only rivaled by America's WWE, and had several cross-promotional matches, resulting in several of Inoki's most historical matches, including this unforgettable image of Inoki fighting the great Hulk Hogan.

But, while Inoki wasn't busy ranking up wins against wrestlers, he was also involved in several historic mixed-skills matches. A mixed-skill match is when a fighter of one discipline fights a fighter of another discipline (i.e. boxer vs. wrestler, karate vs. muay thai, etc.). Inoki fought everyone under the sun: boxers, karate fighters, judo fighters, sumo wrestlers, kung fu fighters, and more. He was very successful in these fights, knocking out the likes of Everett Eddy and severely damaging the legs of Muhammad Ali. This was the very beginning of Mixed Martial Arts, and Inoki is regarded today as a true pioneer of professional fighting. He founded Kansuiryu Karate, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2010,. the first Japanese person to be inducted. 

Antonio Inoki now spends his days on the managing side of fighting, promoting several MMA events and guiding young fighters on their way to the top. Such fighters include his opponent this Sunday, Lyoto Machida. What's going to happen when these two warriors finally meet up in the ring? We here at Athletes and Eras are so excited, we can't think straight! Don't forget to tune in!

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