Real name: Antonio Inoki
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 224 lbs.
Date of birth: February 20, 1943
Date of death: October 1, 2022
From: Tokyo, Japan
Pro debut: September 30, 1960
Trained by: Rikidozan & Karl Gotch
Finishing move: Bridging fallaway slam
Biography
– Inoki began his career as ‘Kanji Inoki’ in the early 1960s, working for the JWA
– In 1964, Inoki travelled to the US for his now-traditional learning excursion
– On January 27, 1966, Inoki & Hiro Matsuda defeated Sam Steamboat & Eddie Graham to win the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles
– On February 3, Inoki & Matsuda defeated Mario Milano & Len Rossi to retain the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles
– On February 12, Inoki & Matsuda defeated Sam Steamboat & Eddie Graham to retain the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles
– On January 6, 1967, Inoki & Matsuda defeated The Kentuckians (Jake Smith & Luke Brown) to retain the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles
– On January 18, Inoki & Matsuda defeated Johnny Valentine & Eddie Graham to retain the NWA Mid-America Tag Team Titles
– Inoki returned to Japan with the JWA in May 1967 and soon won the All-Asia Tag Team Titles alongside Michiaki Yoshimura
– On September 29, Inoki & Yoshimura defeated Tarzan Tyler & Ricky Romero to retain the All-Asia Tag Team Titles
– On October 31, Inoki & Giant Baba defeated Bill Watts & Tarzan Tyler to win the NWA International Tag Team Titles, and would go on to hold the titles three more times before the decade was out
– In late 1971, Inoki was fired from the JWA for allegedly plotting a takeover of the promotion. He would form his own promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling, early the following year
– On the debut NJPW show, Inoki was defeated by Karl Gotch
– On October 4, Inoki defeated Gotch to win the ‘Real World Heavyweight Title’, but would lose it back a week later
– On December 10, 1973, Inoki defeated Johnny Powers to win the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 19, 1974, Inoki defeated Strong Kobayashi to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– Inoki won the 1974 World League Tournament, defeating Killer Karl Krupp in the final
– On June 20, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On July 30, Inoki defeated Johnny Powers to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On October 10, Inoki defeated Kintaro Oki to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On November 1, Inoki defeated Ernie Ladd to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 12, Inoki defeated Strong Kobayashi to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– A few days later, Inoki fought Andre The Giant to a double countout to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– Inoki won the 1975 World League Tournament, again defeating Killer Karl Krupp in the final
– On June 26, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to regain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On October 9, Inoki defeated Lou Thesz to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 18, 1976, Inoki defeated Johnny Powers to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– In June 1976, Inoki famously battled Muhammad Ali in a pseudo-MMA fight. The match ended in a draw
– On October 10, Inoki defeated Pak Song by countout to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 2, Inoki defeated Ivan Koloff to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 10, 1977, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh in a Fence Death Match to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 31, Inoki defeated Johnny Powers to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 2, Inoki defeated Stan Hansen to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 1, Inoki defeated Pat Patterson to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On March 3, 1978, Inoki defeated The Masked Superstar to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On July 24, Inoki defeated Pedro Morales to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 21, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On November 1, Inoki defeated Chris Markoff to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 18, Inoki was awarded the WWWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title and immediately defended it against Texas Red
– On January 12, 1979, Inoki defeated Bob Roop by DQ to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 6, Inoki defeated Mr X to retain the WWWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title
– On April 3, Inoki defeated Lefthook Dayton to retain the WWWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title
– On April 5, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 17, Inoki defeated Nikolai Volkoff to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 22, Inoki defeated El Canek to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On May 10, Inoki defeated Jack Brisco to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– Inoki won the 1979 MSG Series Tournament, defeating Stan Hansen in the final
– On August 17, Inoki defeated Hansen to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On October 5, Inoki defeated Willem Ruska to retain the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title
– On November 1, Inoki defeated Dusty Rhodes by DQ to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On November 30, Inoki defeated Bob Backlund to win the WWF Heavyweight Title, though modern day WWE records do not recognise this reign. In any case, Inoki would vacate the title after a controversial finish in the rematch, and Backlund would later regain the vacant title
– On December 4, Inoki defeated Pedro Morales to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On December 13, Inoki defeated Kim Klokeid to retain the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title
– On December 17, Inoki defeated Hussein Arab to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On April 3, 1980, Inoki defeated Stan Hansen to regain the NWF Heavyweight Title, having lost it to Hansen in February
– On April 13, Inoki defeated Tigre Jeet Singh to win the UWA World Title
– Inoki won the 1980 MSG Series Tournament, defeating Stan Hansen by DQ in the final
– On July 17, Inoki defeated Tiger Jeet Singh to retain the UWA World Title
– On August 9, Inoki defeated Larry Sharpe to retain the WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Title
– On September 25, Inoki defeated Stan Hansen to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On September 30, Inoki defeated Ken Patera to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On November 3, Inoki defeated Hulk Hogan to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– Inoki teamed with Bob Backlund to win the 1980 MSG Tag League, defeating Hulk Hogan & Stan Hansen in the final
– On December 29, Inoki defeated Bobby Duncum to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– On February 4, 1981, Inoki defeated Ken Patera to retain the NWF Heavyweight Title
– Inoki won the 1981 MSG Series Tournament, defeating Stan Hansen by countout in the final
– Inoki teamed with Hulk Hogan to win the 1982 MSG Tag Team League, defeating Tiger Toguchi & Killer Khan in the final
– Inoki & Hogan retained their crown in the 1983 tournament, defeating Dick Murdoch & Adrian Adonis in that year’s final
– On June 14, 1984, Inoki defeated Hulk Hogan in the final of that year’s IWGP League to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On July 23, Inoki defeated Charlie Fulton to retain the WWF World Martial Arts Title
– Inoki teamed with Tatsumi Fujinami to win the 1984 MSG Tag League, defeating Dick Murdoch & Adrian Adonis in the final
– On December 28, Inoki defeated David Schultz to retain the WWF World Martial Arts Title
– In June 1985, Inoki scored countout victories over Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On June 19, 1986, Inoki defeated Dick Murdoch to win the IWGP League vacant IWGP Heavyweight Title
– Inoki teamed with Yoshiaki Fujiwara to win the Japan Cup Tag League, defeating Osamu Kido & Akira Maeda in the final
– Inoki won the 1987 IWGP League, defeating Masa Saito in the final, to win the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On August 2, Inoki defeated Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On September 1, Inoki defeated Dick Murdoch to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On October 25, Inoki defeated Steve Williams to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– On February 4, 1988, Inoki defeated Riki Choshu to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Title
– In mid-1989, Inoki traded the WWF World Martial Arts Title back-and-forth with Shota Chochishvili
– Later that year, Inoki was elected to the Japanese House Of Councillors, and so took a step back from his wrestling activities
– Inoki was personally involved in the freeing of several hostages from Iraq in 1990
– Inoki was re-elected to the house in the 1992 elections
– At Wrestling Dontaku 1994, Inoki defeated The Great Muta
– At WCW Clash Of Champions 28, Inoki defeated Steven Regal
– Inoki famously promoted the ‘Collision in Korea’ event in April 1995, defeating Ric Flair in Pyongyang, North Korea
– Later that year, Inoki was inducted into the WCW Hall Of Fame
– At Wrestling World 1996, Inoki defeated Big Van Vader
– At Wrestling World 1997, Inoki defeated Willie Williams
– Inoki retired from wrestling following a match against Don Frye in April 1998, but would remain involved with the management of NJPW
– Inoki wrestled two exhibition matches in 2000, and a further one in 2001
– Inoki wrestled the actual final match of his career in 2003, contesting a short match against Tatsumi Fujinami at the latter’s retirement show
– In 2004, the Cauliflower Alley Club awarded Inoki the Lou Thesz Award
– In 2005, following accusations of mismanagement, Inoki’s controlling stake of NJPW was bought by the Yuke’s Corporation, and he effectively left the promotion
– In 2007, Inoki started a new company, the Inoki Genome Federation
– Inoki was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.
– In 2010, Inoki was inducted into the WWE hall of fame.
– Inoki returned to politics in 2013, being elected to the National Diet. He would eventually retire from politics in 2019
– Inoki was voted into the GERWECK.NET Hall of Fame on March 13, 2022.
– Inoki passed away on October 1, 2022 at the age of 79