Thursday, November 7, 2024
spot_imgspot_img

Top 5 This Week

spot_img

Related Posts

Muhammad Ali and Inoki’s ‘Battle of the Two Worlds’ which laid the foundation for modern mixed martial arts competitions

Muhammad Ali and Anouki

image sourceReuters

image captionMuhammad Ali fought Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki in front of 14,500 fans at the Budokan Arena in Tokyo.

  • author, Jack Jones
  • position, BBC Sports

Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor, Francis Ngannou vs. Tyson Fury or Nate Diaz vs. Jack Paul. Crossover boxing or modern mixed martial arts contests are commonplace in modern times, but did you know that it all started in 1976 with a contest billed as the ‘Battle of the Two Worlds?

It was June 26, 1976, when then two-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali took on Japanese wrestler Antonio Inoki in front of 14,500 fans at Tokyo’s Budokan Arena.

It was a match that ended with Muhammad Ali being hospitalized and the arena being trashed by a frustrated crowd.

But before it all started, expectations were high for this contest.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Popular Articles