Wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, who was also a member of the House of Councilors and was later inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, has passed away at the age of 79. The report comes from Yahoo! Japan, though there are no details on what led to his passing. Inoki was a huge influence in the world of wrestling, as he would help create New Japan Pro Wrestling and help build it to immense success, and would then battle Muhammad Ali in an unforgettable wrestler vs boxer match. Later he would face Ric Flair in North Korea in front of an immense crowd, and later he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Our thoughts are with Inoki’s family and friends.
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Inoki would team with Giant Baba during the early days of New Japan Pro Wrestling and was one of the company’s biggest stars in the ring while he also managed things outside of the ring. During his time there he would face stars like Stan Hansen and Hulk Hogan before eventually taking on Ali.
He was later elected to the House of Councillors in 1989 but would remain an ambassador for wrestling, and in 1995 he would bring a massive crowd together for an event in North Korea that would have him facing Flair.
Inoki’s retirement match in 1998 would draw more than 70,000 fans, and in 2010 he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
