Antonio Inoki Biography
Muhammad Hussain Inoki was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and mixed martial arts promoter. His ring name was Antonio Inoki, a tribute to fellow professional wrestler Antonino Rocca.
Inoki was born in 1943 to a wealthy family in Yokohama. He was the sixth son and the second-youngest of seven sons and four daughters. Kanji’s father, businessman and politician Sajiro Inoki, died when he was five years old. While in sixth grade, Inoki was taught karate by an older brother. He was 180 centimeters tall by 7th grade at Terao Junior High School and joined the basketball team. He later quit and became a shot putter for a track and field club. He eventually won the Yokohama Junior High School track and field championship.
Antonio Inoki Career
At the age of 17, Inoki met Rikidzan in Brazil and returned to Japan as his disciple for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA). He trained at the JWA dojo under the renowned Karl Gotch, as well as with amateur wrestler Isao Yoshiwara and kosen judoka Kiyotaka Otsubo. Giant Baba was one of his dojo classmates. Inoki worked in Baba’s shadow after Rikidozan’s murder until he left for a trip to the United States in 1964.
Inoki found a new home in Tokyo Pro Wrestling in 1966 after a long stint wrestling in the United States. Inoki rose to prominence during her time there. Unfortunately, the company folded in 1967 due to internal strife. When Inoki returned to JWA in late 1967, he was assigned as Baba’s partner, and the two dominated the tag team ranks as the “B-I Cannon,” winning four NWA International Tag Team Championship belts.
Inoki entered politics in 1989, following in his father’s footsteps, when he was elected to the House of Councillors as a representative of his own Sports and Peace Party in the 1989 Japanese House of Councillors election.
Inoki, imitating Muhammad Ali in 1990, traveled to Iraq in “an unofficial one-man diplomatic mission” and successfully negotiated the release of Japanese hostages with Saddam Hussein prior to the outbreak of the Gulf War.
He then personally organized a wrestling event in Iraq to free the 41 captive Japanese nationals, which was a partial success, with 36 Japanese nationals eventually freed. He was subsequently re-elected to the Japanese House of Councillors in 1992. Following a number of scandals reported in 1994, he failed to win re-election to the Japanese House of Councillors in 1995, and he left politics for the next eighteen years.
Antonio Inoki age
Antonio Inoki died at the age of 79.
Antonio Inoki cause of death
Antonio Inoki, has passed away at the age of 79 due to heart failure caused by amyloidosis, a disease he suffered from.
Antonio Inoki Net worth
His net worth is about $2 million as of 2022.
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