10 Parallels Between Vince McMahon And Antonio Inoki

Vince McMahon likes to think that he doesn€™t have any equals on earth. He likes to think that he€™s the best in the world at what he does, that he€™s a god among insects, and that no one on earth can match him in terms of creativity or impact on the pro wrestling industry. Except there is one person who can: Antonio Inoki. As the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling, Inoki is a legendary figure in Japan. He was trained as a wrestler by the immortal Rikidozan, and became a tremendous booker in his own right over the decades. He has served his country in many ways, and has become synonymous with professional wrestling in the orient. So beloved is Antonio (Kanji) Inoki in Japan that many people overlook his mistakes far more often than they would for other promoters. Inoki spent decades building NJPW into a top promotion in his home country (like Vince), and has also experienced major pitfalls as a booker (like Vince). In fact, thinking about it, these two actually have a lot in common with one another, from their career paths and on-screen presentation, to their mind-sets and business models, to the charitable and philanthropic missions they champion. It turns out that both Vince McMahon and Antonio Inoki have a lot in common as bookers, athletes, and victims of their own successes and mistakes.