Antonio Inoki, 79, a Japanese pro-wrestling legend and an elected member of Japan’s upper house, has died and a Japanese news site says the cause of death was heart failure.
Born Kanji Inoki in Yokohama, Japan, he became a wrestler at the age of 17 after his talent was discovered in Brazil in 1960, where his family had relocated, according to Nikkei.
His flamboyant and bombastic personality was well-known. Fans are lining up to have their hands slapped by him. He fought Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time and then world champion, in a mixed martial arts match in 1976.
