The well-known Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki, one of the pioneers of Mixed Martial Art, and later a politician engaged in the social field, died at the age of 79.
This was announced by the Japanese media citing sources close to the sample.
Born in Yokohama, Inoki moved as a student to Brazil, where he met a well-known Japanese entrepreneur who convinced the young boy to become a professional wrestler at the age of 17.
Inoki, famous for his statuesque physique and remarkably extended chin, along with other Japanese wrestler, Shohei 'Giant' Baba, is considered the architect of modern wrestling success, with the founding of the professional league starting in 1972 and the advent of ringside television.
A popularity cemented by the meeting with boxing champion Muhammad Ali, in 1976 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, capable of attracting a global audience.
He officially retired from the ring in 1988, the following year he was elected to Parliament from the ranks of the 'Sport and Peace' party.
Inoki distinguished himself for his intense diplomatic activity, first in Iraq in 1990 for the release of Japanese hostages at the beginning of the Gulf War, and then over the years in North Korea, for dealing with the Pyongyang regime, through unofficial channels, the issue of Japanese hostages.
In July 2020, the first signs of no more iron health forced him to admit heart problems.