Antonio Inoki, the famous Japanese wrestler who was among the pioneers of Mixed Martial Art, died at 79.
His career began when, while still a student, he moved from Yokohama to Brazil: there he met an entrepreneur who convinced him to become a professional wrestler. The champion, known for his statuesque physique and extraordinarily long chin, is considered - with the other Japanese wrestler Shohei "Giant" Baba - the architect of the success of modern wrestling, with the founding of the professional league starting in 1972 and the advent of ringside TV cameras.
His popularity had grown enormously in 1976 when he met Muhammad Ali at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. Inoki also devoted himself to politics when, having retired from the ring, he was elected to Parliament with the “Sport and Peace” party . His diplomatic activity is also intense: first in Iraq in 1990 for the release of Japanese hostages at the beginning of the Gulf War, then over the years in North Korea, to deal with the Pyongyang regime, through unofficial channels. , the issue of Japanese hostages.
In July 2020 he revealed he had heart problems.
(Unioneonline / ss)
