Antonio Inoki

Kanji "Antonio" Inoki
Antonio Inoki, December 2012
Data
Ring name	Antonio Inoki The Kamikaze Tokyo Tom Moeru Tōkon ( 燃 え る 闘 魂 , "burning fighting spirit")
height	188 cm
Fighting weight	102 kg
birth	February 20, 1943 Yokohama , Japan
Trained by	Rikidozan
debut	September 30, 1960
retirement	April 4, 1998 as an active wrestler

Antonio Inoki ( Japanese ア ン ト ニ オ 猪 木 , actually Kanji Inoki ( 猪 木 寛 至 , Inoki Kanji ), Muslim: Muhammad Hussain Inoki ; born February 20, 1943 in Yokohama ) is a Japanese politician, former wrestler , promoter and author of advice.

Life

Kanji Inoki was born in 1943 in Tsurumi-ku, a district of Yokohama, as the sixth child of a relatively wealthy family with 11 children for the war time. His father Sajiro Inoki, a businessman and politician, died when Kanji was 5 years old. At school, he started playing basketball from the seventh grade, as he was already six feet tall at that time. He was also successful as a shot putter in athletics . He was also suggested to pursue a career as a sumo wrestler .

In 1957 Inoki emigrated to Brazil with part of his family . There Inoki won several championships in shot put, discus throwing and javelin throwing .

In July 2012, Inoki announced that he had converted to Islam in 1990 and has since given his Muslim name as Muhammad Hussain.

Wrestling career

Beginnings

1960, back in Japan, Inoki was discovered by Rikidōzan for wrestling and brought into the Japanese Wrestling Association (JWA). In addition to Inoki, Shōhei Baba was one of Rikidozan's disciples, and both made their debut in the ring on September 30th of that year. After Rikidozan's death in 1963, the 1.88 m tall Inoki stood for some time in the shadow of the 2.00 m taller Baba before he switched to Tokyo Pro Wrestling in 1966 . In 1967 he returned to JWA and formed a tag team with Baba , which was allowed to hold the NWA International Tag Team Title four times.

Further career and foundation of New Japan Pro Wrestling

In 1971 the JWA and Inoki finally parted ways due to a dispute. Inoki wanted to compete in a title fight against Baba, but the JWA refused. Inoki married actress Mitsuko Baisho that same year. Inoki was later accused of planning to take over the organization and fired.

On January 26, 1972 Inoki announced the establishment of his own wrestling organization New Japan Pro Wrestling . At the first event on March 6, 1972, he himself played the main fight against wrestling legend Karl Gotch . On October 4th of that year, New Japan Pro Wrestling was broadcast for the first time on Japanese television.

Inoki became what Hulk Hogan was in the United States in the following years : the invincible superstar of wrestling in Japan. He also cooperated as a promoter with American organizations and was thus able to bring their stars, such as André the Giant , Stan Hansen , Vader or Hulk Hogan, to Japan. 1979 marks a special year. Because after eight years Inoki was back in the ring with Baba as a team. Baba had meanwhile founded his own organization, and for the first time they worked together on short notice. Also in 1979 he defeated the WWF champion Bob Backlund. However, the title change was not recognized by the WWF.

Mixed martial arts fights

Inoki was instructed in the fighting style of hooking by Karl Gotch . In contrast to show wrestling, this is a type of fight that actually aims to force the opponent to give up with wrestling grips. Inoki had some fights from 1976 against opponents from various martial arts.

Inoki educated and still trains some wrestlers in the art of hooking and shoot-fighting , and the so-called "Strong Style" was created. This is a very tough style of wrestling that aims for the highest possible realism.

Muhammad Ali

An exhibition match in Japan on June 26, 1976 against the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali turned out to be an embarrassing and dangerous farce for Ali, as Antonio Inoki, whom the German press referred to as “The Pelican”, lay on his back for the entire fight offered no target and could attack its legs at the same time. The fight was considered a draw after 15 rounds, but Ali sustained a severe injury to his shin and subsequent inflammation.

Resignation and loss of influence

In 1998 Inoki finally resigned from active events. In 2005, YUKE's acquired 51.5% of the shares in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Inoki's influence waned. In 2007, Inoki opened a new organization, the Inoki Genome Federation , which competes with NJPW.

Success in wrestling

• Various regional titles from the National Wrestling Alliance
• WCW Hall of Fame member since 1995
• WWE Hall of Fame member since 2010

politics

In 1989 Inoki founded the "Sports and Peace Party" ( Sports-Heiwa-tō , ス ポ ー ツ 平和 党 , Supōtsu-Heiwa-tō ). He was elected as a member of the House of Lords of Japan . During his tenure, he visited the then Iraqi head of state, Saddam Hussein . As a traditional gift he received two golden swords from him . In 1995 Inoki was associated with the yakuza and was not re-elected. With that he resigned from his political office.

In the upper house election 2013 Inoki stood for the Nippon Ishin no Kai in the proportional representation segment; with 356,605 preferential votes, he reached first place on the Ishin list and moved back into the House of Lords. When the Ishin no Kai split in the summer of 2014, he followed Shintarō Ishihara and Takeo Hiranuma into the Jisedai no Tō . He left this in December 2014 and then joined the Nippon o genki ni suru kai (about "Assembly that gets Japan going"; English "Assembly to Energize Japan"), newly founded by former members of Minna no Tō . From 2016 to 2019 he belonged to the upper house faction Mushozoku Club ("Independent Club") and moved in February 2019 to the joint faction of the Democratic People's Party and the Liberal Party ( Kokumin Minshutō / Shinryokufūkai ). For election in 2019 Inoki did not occur more for re-election.

bibliography

• Kakutōki Sekaiichi ( 格 闘 技 世界 一 ). Bestsellers, Tokyo 1978
• Yūki. Honō no message! ( 勇 気 炎 の メ ッ セ ー ジ! ). Sports-Life-sha, Tokyo 1981
• Kurushimi no Naka kara Tachiagare ( 苦 し み の 中 か ら 立 ち あ が れ ). Shapio, Tokyo 1983
• Tōkonki ( 闘 魂 記 ). Shūeisha, Tokyo 1990, ISBN 4-08-780130-6
• Otoko no Teiogaku. Tōkon Kakumei ( 男 の 帝王 学 闘 魂 革命 ). Wani Books, Tokyo 1990, ISBN 4-8470-1111-2
• Saigo ni Katsumakegata o Shitteoke. Omotta koto o Omoshiroku Jitsugen Shiteshimau ( 最後 に 勝 つ 負 け 方 を 知 っ て お け 思 っ た こ と と を 面 白 く 実 現 し て し ま う ). Seishun Shuppansha, Tokyo 1990, ISBN 4-413-01531-2
• Tatta Hitori no Tōsō ( た っ た ひ と り の 闘 争 ). Shūeisha, Tokyo 1990, ISBN 4-08-780138-1
• Kokoro no Sakebi ( 心 の 叫 び ). Sekai-bunka-sha, Tokyo 1991, ISBN 4-418-91513-3
• Antonio Inoki Giin no Tōkon High School ( ア ン ト ニ オ 猪 木 議員 の 闘 魂 魂 ハ イ ス ク ー ル ). Mirai Shuppan, Tokyo 1992, ISBN 4-943901-71-9
• Inoki-ism ( 猪 木 イ ズ ム ). Sanctuary Shuppan, Tokyo 1998, ISBN 4-7952-4129-5 , ISBN 4-921132-40-2
• Fumetsu no Tōkon ( 不滅 の 闘 魂 ). Kaichōsha, Fukuoka 1998, ISBN 4-87415-257-0
• Inoki Shishū "Baka ni nare" ( 猪 木 詩集 「馬鹿 に な れ」 ). Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo 2000, ISBN 4-04-871893-2
• Kakutōki ( 格 闘 魂 ). Kadokawa Shoten, Tokyo 2000, ISBN 4-04-721339-X
• Ore no Tama ( 俺 の 魂 ). A-Un, Tokyo 2001, ISBN 4-901318-06-3
• Mō Hitotsu Tatakai. Kettōchi 596 kara no Tōnyōbyō Kokufuku Ki ( も う 一 つ の 闘 い 血糖 値 596 か ら の 糖尿病 克服 記 ). Mikasa Shobō, Tokyo 2002, ISBN 4-8379-1939-1
• Hijōshiki ( 非 常識 ). Kawade Shobō Shinsha, Tokyo 2002, ISBN 4-309-26564-2
• Tōkon Recipe ( 闘 魂 レ シ ピ ). Asuka Shinsha, Tokyo 2002, ISBN 4-87031-533-5
• Fusha no Gotoku. Antonio Inoki no Jinmei Sōdan ( 風車 の 如 く ア ン ト ニ オ 猪 木 の 人生 相 談 ). Shūeisha, Tokyo 2003, ISBN 4-08-780372-4
• Anata no Karada mo Abunai! Tōnyōbyō 1600 Mannin o Sukuu Mahō no Tsue ( あ な た の 体 も 危 な い! 糖尿病 1600 万人 を 救 う 魔法 の 杖 ). PHP Kenkyūjo, Tokyo 2005, ISBN 4-569-64476-7
• Genki ga areba Nani demo Dekiru! ( 元 気 が あ れ ば 何 で も で き る! ). Longsellers, Tokyo 2007, ISBN 978-4-8454-2107-7
• "Chichioya no Senaka" no Misegata. Inoki-shiki Kyōikuron ( 「父親 の 背 中」 の 見 せ 方 猪 木 式 教育 論 ). Kōdansha, Tokyo 2008, ISBN 978-4-06-214684-5
• Hana ga Sakō to Sakumai to Ikiteiru koto ga Hana nanda ( 花 が 咲 こ う と 咲 く ま い と 生 き て て い る こ と が 花 な ん だ ). Keizaikai, Tokyo 2008, ISBN 978-4-7667-8436-7
• Shinjitsu. Densetsu no Tatakai o Jiku ni Tsuzuru Tama no Message ( 真 実 伝 説 の 戦 い を 軸 に 綴 る 魂 の メ ッ セ ー ジ ). Goma Books, Tokyo 2009, ISBN 978-4-7771-1314-9
• Tōshutsuryoku [reading unclear] . Ningen "Antonio Inoki" kara Nani o Manabu no ka ( 踏出 力。 人間 「ア ン ト ニ オ 猪 木」 か ら 何 何 を 学 ぶ の か ). Sōeisha, Tokyo 2010, ISBN 978-4-88142-190-1
• Genki desu ka !? Nippon !! Nippon o Genki ni suru Inoki no Kotoba ( 元 気 で す か!? ニ ッ ポ ン !! 日本 を 元 気 に す る 猪 木 の 言葉 ). Poplar-sha, Tokyo 2010, ISBN 978-4-591-11541-1

Web links

Commons : Antonio Inoki  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Portal: Wrestling  - Overview of Wikipedia content on wrestling

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Match statistics on cagematch.de
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Antonio Inoki's homepage
3. ↑ Report about Inoki in the Pakistan Explorer ( memento of the original from September 20, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ 参 院 選 2013 / 選 挙 結果 / 比例 代表 / 日本 維新 の 会 . (No longer available online.) In: Yomiuri Shimbun . July 22, 2013, archived from the original on September 22, 2013 ; Retrieved August 24, 2013 (Japanese). 
5. ↑ ア ン ト ニ オ 猪 木 氏 が 国民 民主 の 会 派 に 無 所属 ク ラ ブ か ら . In: Asahi Shimbun . February 25, 2019, Retrieved March 6, 2019 (Japanese).