How Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki Started a Crossover Fighting Trend

Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou v Tyson Fury and Nate Diaz v Jake Paul. Crossover boxing is commonplace in the modern era, but it all started in 1976 – with one of the most famous fighters of all time.

On June 26 of that year, Muhammad Ali, then a two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, took on Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki in front of 14,500 fans at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo.

It was a match that ended in Ali being hospitalized and the disappointed crowd throwing trash into the ring.

But before it all started, expectations were high.

Ali was introduced to the president of the Japanese Amateur Wrestling Association, Ichiro Hatha, in 1975 and the boxer asked if anyone would be willing to challenge him for $1 million.

It was front-page news in Japan and Inoki, one of the country’s most recognizable names, and his supporters offered Ali $6 million to fight.

Sean Allsop, of the Sporting Witness podcast, spoke to photographer Claude Charlier to look back on the fight that became known as the ‘War of the Worlds’. Charlier, then 23, was living in Tokyo at the time of the fight.

“There were a lot of people outside Budokan hoping to see Muhammad Ali or Antonio Inoki,” he said.

Charlier remembers the build-up in the arena: “Inoki always wore his purple robe. Ali came in waving and shouting, and it was quite exciting at first.”

For Ali, who had defeated Joe Frazier eight months earlier in the third fight of their three-fight series, the match was a chance to confirm his status as not only the world’s best boxer, but also its best athlete.

Originally planned as a rehearsal, the exhibition match became a real fight. However, Ali had watched Inoki’s training in Tokyo and, seeing the threat he posed, new rules were introduced.

“Inoki told me something interesting,” Charlier said.

“He said, ‘I don’t think Ali is taking the fight very seriously. He thinks this is just a show. But it’s not a show, we’re going to fight for real, and I can break his arm or his leg.’ Inoki was a powerful fighter.”