Inoki the Fighter - the 1st Martial Arts Boom
Today, we're having a martial arts boom with the popularity of K-1 and NHB matches. We can find several martial arts magazines as well as pro-wrestling magazines in the bookstores.
However, pro-wrestling seems to have a distance from the popularity of the martial arts and go on a separate way. Only the former U.W.F. groups such as UWF International, RINGS, and Pancrase have some connections with martial arts, but Youji Anjoh, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, and even Nobuhiko Takada lost to Rickson Gracie. Nobody has proven to the society that pro-wrestling is strong.
The martial arts boom in 1970s was so big and imcomparable to today's popularity. Puroresu was in its center, and without a doubt, Antonio Inoki was the core of the popularity.
Inoki constantly put himself in the matches where the loss would be unforgiven, defeated the top stars of martial arts from all over the world, and proved the strength of puroresu to the society.
By following this page to learn the history of the 1st Martial Arts Boom in the 70s, you can probably tell that today's popularity of the martial arts have its origin in Antonio Inoki.
- The Chronogical Table of the 1st Martial Arts Boom
- The Truth of Inoki vs. Ali match

Antonio Inoki Mixed Martial Arts Match Record : 20matches - 16wins - 1loss - 3draws

For the detail of each match, please refer to the Great Matches: Mixed Martial Art Matches (complete record).

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