10 Worst Times Celebrities Got Physical In Wrestling
6. Antonio Inoki Fails To Lay A Hand On Muhammad Ali
When a match featuring two of the most charismatic showmen on the planet has the audience showering the ring with garbage while chanting "Money back! Money back!", something has gone badly wrong.
Muhammad Ali's fight with legendary wrestler and New Japan founder Antonio Inoki has gone down in wrestling folklore for all the wrong reasons. What should have been a showpiece bout for two of the biggest icons in combat sports history descended into a farce when Inoki spent almost the entire match on his back, pelting the original People's Champion with kicks.
It may have been effective (Ali left the fight with two blood clots and a serious infection that kept him bed-ridden for weeks), but it sure wasn't exciting to watch.
Inoki's behaviour was understandable when you realise the ridiculous constraints placed on him. The Japanese superstar wasn't allowed to grapple or tackle Ali, and according to Bret Hart members of Ali's entourage threatened to kill Antonio if he so much as laid hands on their man - a directive the wrestler took to its logical extreme.
Ali may have floated like a butterfly, but it was the man who rolled around like a pig in s**t that won the fight, even if he did lose the crowd on the way.