Muhammad Ali has earned legendary status in the world of boxing through his storied career of inspiring performances. However, Ali has faced off inside the squared circle under other rules than boxing.
Eight Months after winning the hellacious “Thrilla in Manila” against Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali visited Tokyo during the bicentennial summer of 1976 to challenge famed pro wrestler Antonio Inoki in a mixed rules fight for a record $6.1 million. Well, that’s what he was promised. Largely forgotten by the public, the match was perceived to be an epic failure by fans and the press. A farce! Nearly 40 years later, however, its legacy lives on in several important ways. And with the public’s new appreciation for mixed rules fighting, an under exposed match would be respected in ways it could not have been in ’76.
Check it out in the video above.
