10 Best Wrestler Vs. Celebrity Feuds Of All-Time
3. Antonio Inoki Vs. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali isn’t just one of (if not the) greatest sportsmen of all-time, but one of the most charismatic human beings to ever walk the Earth. His supremely confident persona and promo style have been aped by countless pro wrestlers and fighters over the years, and in June 1976, he faced-off against Japanese wrestling innovator Antonio Inoki.
Ali was the reigning WBC/WBA Heavyweight Champion at the time, and was fresh-off a knockout victory over Richard Dunn one month prior. Inoki, meanwhile, was well-versed in the art of catch wrestling after training with Karl Gotch, and had been staging a series of exhibition fights against different martial artists. He was out to show that pro-wrestling was the dominant fighting style, and the fight was contested under a hackneyed series of rules that prevented Inoki from grappling, throwing, and tackling the boxer.
Ali was in typically good form in the build-up, and labelled Inoki “The Pelican” due to his prominently protruding chin. Inoki replied “when your fist connects with my chin, take care that your fist is not damaged.” The wrestler went-on to present Ali with a crutch to use after the fight, and the bad blood was well and truly established.
The fight itself was a disaster. Inoki spent most of his time on the ground kicking at Ali’s standing leg, and Ali only threw a handful of punches throughout the whole affair. The 30,000 crowd chanted “money back” and tossed garbage into the ring throughout, and after 15 uneventful rounds, the fight was declared a draw.
Widely regarded as the most embarrassing moment of Ali’s career, the Inoki match remains one of the most notable wrestling/boxing crossovers of all-time, and an important precursor to mixed martial arts.