Rare Photo Shows Asian Supremacy as Bruce Lee Meets Up With Wrestling Legend Antonio Inoki

Antonio Inoki was a powerful figure in the history of professional wrestling. While pro wrestling was popular in the west, Inoki made the sport popular in the east. Therefore, the WWE Hall of Famer holds massive respect in the world of wrestling.

Inoki was popular beyond wrestling across the world. Similarly, the former three- IWGP heavyweight champion once met a legendary martial artist and famous Hollywood Actor known for his unique stunts.

A few years ago, a wrestling fan shared a picture of Antonio Inoki meeting with Bruce Lee on Twitter. The picture looks to be taken around the 1970s in the USA, while Inoki was on a wrestling tour and Lee was filming in Hollywood.

In this powerful picture, we can see despite being the same height, the WWE Hall of Famer is looking more massive than Lee. Inoki was a buffed-up wrestler, while Lee was lean because of his martial arts background.

This is one of the extremely rare pictures, as it has two people who revolutionized their particular industry. Bruce Lee brought a new era to action films, while Antonio Inoki popularized professional wrestling in Japan and the entire eastern part of the world.

Moreover, another reason why this picture holds significance in history is that these were some of the final years of Bruce Lee. He passed away on July 20, 1973. Meanwhile, by the end of ’70s Inoki won the WWE, then WWF Championship; a reign not recognized by WWE.

Antonio Inoki had a match with Muhammad Ali in 1976

It seems Antonio Inoki was born to make legendary moments in his lifetime. Similarly, once he had a match with boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a bout which was under special rules. 

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The match holds a major significance in history, as this bout can be called the start of modern Mixed Martial Arts. In the match, Inoki gave a tough time to Ali in all the 15 rounds they fought.

The match ended in a draw. However, The Greatest almost had to amputate his leg because of the kicks Inoki used during the match. The former IWGP Champion knew Ali’s one major strength was his quickness and hence, he attacked his legs.

It is said that Inoki used over 100 kicks in the match on Ali’s legs. Thankfully, after being in the hospital for weeks, Ali recovered. However, the match, which was called a forgetful match in either man’s career, later became the most legendary one.

Moreover, after the match, both Ali and Inoki became good friends, leaving their rivalry in the ring. Inoki even used some of ‘The Louiseville Lip’s’ mannerisms for his wrestling gimmick.

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