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Ali vs. Inoki revisited

Decades before mixed martial arts became popular in the United States, events matching fighters of different disciplines were very common in Japan.  They weren't called "mixed martial arts" at the time, but that's essentially what they were.  Like MMA in this country, Japanese MMA has its roots in professional wrestling (called "puroresu" in Japan).  Since the end of WWII, pro wrestling has been very popular in Japan and at the risk of oversimplifying things it is, on balance, treated with more respect there than here in the US.  The Japanese never had a problem with the predetermined outcomes of "puroresu" and viewed it for the entertainment spectacle that it is.  They also didn't have a problem when fighters from more legit sports would enter the pro wrestling world.  There's an entire history of pro wrestlers fighting specialists from other martial arts (particularly judo) that I'm leaving out, but during the 1970's Antonio Inoki began to put the concept of "mixed martial arts" on the map with his matches against fighters from other disciplines.

Before and after his matchup against Ali, Inoki would frequently compete against other martial artists in what are widely accepted to be "worked" (ie: having a predetermined outcome) matches.  Inoki fought boxer Chuck Wepner, judo Gold Medalist Wilhelm Ruska and world karate champion Willie Williams among others.  His most famous match internationally, however, was against Muhammad Ali.  On one level, this match put MMA on the map internationally.  On another level, unfortunately, it was such a fiasco that it probably set MMA back a decade in the United States.

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WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN:

There are differing accounts of how arguably the best heavyweight boxer in the history of the sport found himself in a ring in Tokyo's Budokan Arena against a pro wrestler.  One thing is certain--it was viewed as an easy payday for Ali, who'd lost a good chunk of his prime earning years to his controversial stance over the Vietnam war.  That's what got him there in the first place, and that's what kept him there after the two sides began squabbling over the rules and the outcome of the fight. Some suggest that it was supposed to be a "fair fight" going in and once Ali saw Inoki spar he insisted on rules changes to tilt the fight in his favor.  Given Inoki's background, however, I find this claim to be dubious at best (though the rules were decidedly pro-Ali).  The version of the story that I consider most plausible is that Ali's handlers knew that the fight was supposed to be a "work" all along.  They made the deal with Inoki's people based on this fact, and were all on board as to the outcome of the match and how it would "finish".  The only person who wasn't aware of the game plan, however, was Ali himself.  When informed that he was supposed to "take a dive", even in a convoluted fashion, Ali refused.  No agreement was reached between the two camps and at the last minute a legit fight transpired.  At its worse, the event clearly looks like a match between a couple of guys who don't want to fight each other

The "original" plan was to have Inoki win in a controversial manner that would keep his undefeated streak in "MMA" matches intact while allowing Ali to "save face".  According to some sources, the planned finish would have Ali throw a punch that would "accidentally" hit the ref and knock him to the canvas.  Ali would check on the welfare of the fallen official and while down on one knee would fall victim to Inoki's enzugiri finisher (basically a kick to the back of the head). The ref would "come to" in time to count Ali out and award Inoki the victory.  This finish would have allowed Inoki to claim the win, but would leave Ali smelling like a rose since his concern for the official was his downfall.

So that was the general idea, but after Ali "refused to lose" the promoters were left with a sold out Budokan, a worldwide PPV audience and two fighters who despite every effort to the contrary would actually have to fight each other.

WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING:

As noted above, the rules of the bout were changed a number of times right up to bell time.  Many conspiracy theorists have noted that these rules were never announced to the crowd on fight night, leaving many with the impression that they were being made up as the went along.  Action in the fight would further validate this view, but there actually were rules that both camps agreed to heading into the fight.  Not surprisingly, most of these were designed to protect Ali.  In fact, they were so one-sided that if Inoki hadn't been so concerned about preserving his big payday he would have been justified in not fighting.  Inoki was prohibited from punching with a closed fist or striking Ali in the head (ostensibly since he wasn't wearing gloves).  Inoki was prohibited from using any sort of submission maneuver.  The most absurd limitation was that Inoki was prohibited from "grapping or trying to take Ali to the ground".  A few observers noted that this was like not letting Ali throw a jab. 

The painfully boring event that ensued was, despite many suggestions to the contrary, an actual fight.  Inoki spent most of the match on the ground, unsuccessfully imploring Ali to join him and throwing kicks at his opponent's legs.  Ali did even less throughout the match, throwing a few jabs and trying to protect his knees and legs.  The fight was scored on a 5 point system, and ended up in a 74-74 draw.  It's worth noting that Inoki had three points deducted for very dubious infractions:  the first for throwing (and missing) with a drop kick, the second for throwing an elbow to Ali's head and the third for a swift kick to Ali's ribs.  Had these deductions not occurred, Inoki would have won by decision.  From a strict standpoint of scoring boxing, he probably deserved to win since he at least tried to execute a fight plan despite the restrictions he faced.  For all practical purposes, however, a draw was the proper outcome.  Both guys got paid and no one won, least of all the fans.

An interesting postscript to the fight is that the referee was former pro wrestler "Judo" Gene Lebelle, a legit tough guy whom some have suggested could have beaten up both Ali and Inoki at the same time despite his advanced age.  Had he chosen to do so, it would certainly have been welcomed by those watching the fight live and on closed circuit.

THE AFTERMATH:

In Japan, Inoki's popularity was greater than ever--in a perverse way he was something of a hero due to his trying to fight despite the rules being stacked so soundly against him.  He remained one of the country's most popular professional wrestlers and even enjoyed a career in Japan's parliament.  Without missing a beat, he quickly resumed his series of fights against other martial artists who were apparently all more comfortable with the "worked" environment of pro wrestling.  Among his "victims" was none other than Leon Spinks, presumably serving as some sort of vindication for his draw with Ali. The popularity of these matches led to a number of promotions that were essentially hybrids of martial arts and pro wrestling, and these led to the big Japanese MMA promotions of today--PRIDE and K-1.

Back in the USA, the match didn't really diminish Ali to any significant degree.  It was--and still is--viewed as a curious footnote to the career of arguably the greatest heavyweight boxer in history.  The real loser in America was mixed martial arts.  Full contact karate enjoyed some cult popularity, but the predominate view of MMA was that of laughing stock.  This mindset was evident in the boxer vs. wrestler matchup between Rocky Balboa and Hulk "Thunderlips" Hogan in "Rocky III".  The sport of mixed martial arts would languish for years until the creation of the UFC.  It would then languish for a few more years as the organization struggled to find itself and promote MMA as a legitimate athletic contest.  Things are obviously looking up now for mixed martial arts, but no doubt that the public disdain for the Ali/Inoki matchup made the going all the more difficult.

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