On January 4th, 1996 at the Tokyo Egg Dome, Antonio Inoki had a bloody fight with Big Van Vader.
"Inoki is great!" The younger fans who didn't know Inoki's prime were screaming.
What's hard for me to believe is that on today's New Japan cards, a bigger part of the audience is filled
with the new generation of the fans who don't know much about Inoki. It was certainly a great match, but the fans
from Inoki's era, only few of whom are remaining, must have been yelling in their mind, "the real Inoki ain't like this!"
Of course, I'm one of them.
It was April 18th, 1985 when I went to watch a live wrestling card for the first time.
Inoki wrestled Bruiser Brody for the first time at the Ryougoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall in Tokyo).
It was after Inoki was knocked-out by Hulk Hogan's "axe bomber" and people claimed the collapse
of "the fighting spirit myth." To be more specific, it was after Inoki's prime. That's why
he let me down many times. Yet, he gave me the big dream and courage which would overcome that.
In anybody's eyes, today's Inoki is going downhill.
There are the fans who say "we don't want Inoki like this anymore."
I went through various kinds of feelings that would make me sad, but now I am really
glad that I have followed Inoki as a fan. In my mind, I am ready to see the last of Inoki, so
I have been able to watch him with a warm heart. I would like to continue watching
his remaining fights as a dream of a moment. Wanting to do something in my way as
a compilation of having Antonio Inoki in my life, I decided to create this home page.
Although it includes a lot of my personal opinions, I would be happy if you enjoy this site.
I would like to dedicate this home page to Antonio Inoki, his followers with whom
I shared the era, and the new generation of wrestling fans that doesn't know Inoki.
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