Ali vs Inoki: The Fight That Inspired Modern MMA
In this week’s edition of the MMA Origins, High on Sports author Aakash Chhabra takes you back to the “day zero” of Modern day MMA. It was in Tokyo, Japan, when two legends of their respective sports met. And changed, everything.
Of all the classics that the ‘Greatest One’ Muhammad Ali and Japanese ‘Burning Fight Spirit’ Antonio Inoki gave to this world in their respective sports, the most intriguing and curious one, of them all is their encounter from June 26, 1976 in Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan Hall. A bizarre fight—the first of its kind to be contested under Mixed Martial Arts rules—billed as “The Fight of the Century”. A record 32,997 people—for any fight in Japan—assembled live to watch the collision of Goliaths and the television viewership rocketed to 1.4 billion globally.
Rip-off of the century
What happened in the 15-round spectacle saw this ‘Fight of Century’ turn into ‘Rip-off of the Century’. Which often turns out to be the outcome for ‘Fight of Centuries’ keeping in regards the latest Mayweather-Paquiao boxing match from last year. The crowd heavily booed their heroes after the contest and demanded their money back. It was pretty much of snore fest from the beginning to the end.
And this match ended in a draw, even put this fight into obvious oblivion. As The Japan Times infamously put in their report “When apple fights an orange, the result is not be anything but fruit salad.”
World Heavyweight Champion Ali arrived after his “Thrilla in Manila” fight against Joe Frazier expecting an exhibition match in professional wrestling bouts where the entire fights and their outcome are scripted and pre-determined. Enticed by a pay-day of $6 million, however, Ali agreed to it. The concept for the match envisaged in July of 1975 when Ali had boastfully proclaimed to offer $ 1 million to any Asian fighter who could beat him. The President of Japanese Amateur Wrestling Association took the proposition too seriously and put the fight on paper.
Rehearsals, what rehearsals?
Ken Urushibara, Inoki’s interpreter remembers vividly Ali asking him, “So, when is the rehearsal?” And he said, “What rehearsals?” “Well, there have to be rehearsals”, Ali pointed out again. To which he put out, “There will be no Pearl Harbour. It is not an exhibition match, it is a serious bout.” Both sides then assembled at the Keio Plaza to discuss the rules for the bout, a very first Boxer vs Wrestler fight of the world. The rules, a list full of don’t’s mostly to prohibit the wrestling rules and only the ones the favourable to former Cassius Clay predicted a ‘Failure of the Century’.
Eventually the fight was in fact scripted for the outcome in a draw. In the course of the fight Ali punched the referee in a round to give win to Inoki to hand out the round victory and thus allowing the boxer to save his face in public.
Enthralling Press Conference, boring fight
Many reports and books described the press conference for the fight much more promising and wholesomely entertaining than the actual fight. Inoki presented Ali with a crutch and Ali declared to name Inoki as ‘The Pelican’ after the fight. The atmosphere not close to surreal was anything but heavy. Media reports described Ali as ‘Clowning’. There was a huge anticipation, the public was predicting what the fight would be like more than who would win.
When the bell rung Ali laid Inoki on his back and jabbed, danced around him for all 15-rounds while Inoki saved himself repeatedly kicking Ali’s thighs. Ali threw six punches in the entire fight and while Inoki stresslessly held his back on the mat round after round. The kicks were stiff and hard as Ali’s punches and American had to be admitted into a hospital for blood clots later. A theory claimed that the infection which rested Ali throughout his life on wheel chair stemmed from the boots of Inoki. There was even a speculation to amputate his leg for how severe the infection was.
And now returning back to Budokan Hall, the crowd as less amazed than impressed. A farce, low point for two legendary sportsmen it was an embarrassment which took decades for both to erase and evade the impending shame. Ali and Inoki became real-life good friends and were always seen embracing and hugging each other in their public appearances.
Ali vs Inoki, ends in a win-win
Even though for the crowd who bought expensive tickets to watch the fight, it was let-down, the fight had its pros too. It put Inoki on a world stage and he came to be known throughout the United States, while Ali gained a huge amount of respect to actually take such a radical step to try out something completely unique at the zenith of his stardom and boxing career. It was an epoch for both to step in ring with each other in career full of defining moments. The fight paved way for a new sport and serves as the penultimate precursor to Mixed Martial Arts. The fact that two hugely successful sportsmen attempted it, put the sport on a radar long before its modern avatar. It was an inception to Mixed Martial Arts played today.
Image Courtesy: Japan Times