Triple H Pens Down Heartfelt Note as WWE Legend Antonio Inoki Dies at 79

If there is one name that arguably doesn’t get much appreciation for his work from western fans, it is probably Antonio Inoki. The man who brought NJPW to life was as expert in the sport as his western counterpart, Vince McMahon. They were great friends in the past. However, unlike Vince McMahon, Inoki was more than just a promoter. WWE even inducted Antonio Inoki into the Hall of Fame class of 2010.

In his prime, there was perhaps no one who could take on Inoki. His stature, wrestling ability, and everything surrounding his aura was breathtaking. He was at such a level that he wanted pro wrestling to be considered a real sport in leagues with boxing and MMA. While we all know that pro wrestling is scripted, Inoki gave the audience a feeling of reality to wrestling.

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This became a benchmark for NJPW’s wrestling in the years that he was in control of the company. But the peak of his realist wrestling came when he fought Muhammed Ali, the greatest boxer to have lived. The feeling was likely equivalent to watching Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, perhaps even greater.

Triple H tweets heartfelt message WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki dies at 79

But sadly, earlier today, Antonio Inoki passed away. The wrestling industry would always remember his legacy with the highest of regard. Just like the tweet that Triple H posted soon after the news broke. Dubbing Inoki as the embodiment of the term ‘fighting spirit’, the current WWE Head of Creative also called Inoki one of the most important figures in wrestling history.

In his prime, the man wrestled some of the greatest wrestlers in history, including Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. With Hogan, the man also had a run as a tag team in NJPW. At one point he even defeated Bob Backlund for the WWE Championship, but WWE didn’t recognize that title change in their history books.

But his biggest contribution to the wrestling industry would be the founding of the NJPW. A company that only created legends and masters of pro wrestling. Some names include Hiroshi Tanahashi, The Great Muta, and Kazuchika Okada, among many others.

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Tell us your favorite moment of Inoki’s career in the comments below.