Japan Wrestling Legend Antonio Inoki Dies at 79

Japanese politician and former wrestling star Antonio Inoki attends a news conference after his visit to Pyongyang, as he arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai
Japanese politician and former wrestling star Antonio Inoki attends a news conference after his visit to Pyongyang, as he arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai
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Japan Wrestling Legend Antonio Inoki Dies at 79

Japanese politician and former wrestling star Antonio Inoki attends a news conference after his visit to Pyongyang, as he arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai
Japanese politician and former wrestling star Antonio Inoki attends a news conference after his visit to Pyongyang, as he arrives at Haneda international airport in Tokyo, Japan, September 11, 2017. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Flamboyant Japanese professional wrestler turned politician Antonio Inoki died Saturday aged 79, according to a company he founded.

His death, which public broadcaster NHK said was from heart failure, brought to an end a varied life in the public eye, during which Inoki fought Muhammad Ali, fostered close personal ties with North Korea, and helped free hostages in Iraq.

The Yokohama native -- born Kanji Inoki -- also starred in American wrestling promotions, as well as serving two separate terms in Japan's legislature, AFP said.

US wrestling legend Triple H tweeted that Inoki was "one of the most important figures in the history of our business, and a man who embodied the term 'fighting spirit'".

"The legacy of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki will live on forever," added the chief operating officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

"Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling and former professional wrestler, died in Tokyo," the group said in a statement.

Standing 1.9 meters (six feet three inches) tall, Inoki was a pioneer of mixed martial arts in Japan, and shot to fame in 1976 for taking on world heavyweight champion Ali in a zany wrestler-versus-boxer bout in Tokyo.

There followed appearances in the WWF, as WWE was then known. The company said Saturday: "One of the key figures in the history of Japanese wrestling, Antonio Inoki was among the most respected men in sports-entertainment and a bona fide legend in his homeland."

In 1989 Inoki was elected as an upper-house lawmaker for the now-defunct Sports and Peace Party.

Prior to the 1990 Gulf War, he travelled to Iraq to secure the release of Japanese hostages.

Having built a strong personal connection with North Korea over the years, Inoki travelled there dozens of times to help resolve the issue of Pyongyang's abductions of Japanese citizens during the Cold War.

The wrestler said he wanted to "contribute to world peace through sports" and had arranged martial arts and wrestling festivals in North Korea, often meeting high-ranking officials during his visits.

Japanese officials dismissed the trips as a sideshow.

Asked about them at the time, the then chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga pointedly reminded journalists that Tokyo had a travel ban in place for North Korea, urging the politician to "act appropriately".

However, Japanese television news provided blanket coverage of Inoki's trip and the visits continued to prompt interest, given the lack of details leaking out about life in North Korea.

Inoki, unmistakable from his outsized chin and trademark tie and red scarf, also forced the government to take an official position about aliens when he tabled a question in a budgetary committee in 2017, saying he had seen a mysterious flying object disappearing over the horizon.

Inoki lost his seat in 1995 and retired as a wrestler in 1998, but was re-elected to the upper house in 2013 as a member of a different opposition party.

He retired from politics in 2019, and a year later said he had been diagnosed with heart disease.



Riyadh Season Sponsors Partnership Between La Liga and Thmanyah

The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
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Riyadh Season Sponsors Partnership Between La Liga and Thmanyah

The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA
The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League. SPA

Riyadh Season has sponsored the signing of a partnership agreement in London between the Spanish football league -- La Liga -- and Thmanyah, the exclusive broadcaster of Saudi competitions and a subsidiary of the Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG). The partnership aims to improve the broadcast quality of the Saudi Pro League.

The agreement was signed on Thursday on behalf of Riyadh Season by CEO of the General Entertainment Authority, Eng. Faisal bin Saeed Bafarat, on behalf of La Liga by President Javier Tebas, and on behalf of Thmanyah by its founder and CEO Abdulrahman Abumalih.

Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and President of the Saudi Boxing Federation Turki Alalshikh stated that Riyadh Season's sponsorship of the partnership reflects its ongoing efforts to establish a strong global presence.

He noted that Riyadh Season’s sponsorship of La Liga last year was a major milestone and that the new step continues the strategy of positioning Riyadh Season as a global brand across various sectors.

For his part, Javier Tebas expressed his enthusiasm about collaborating with Riyadh Season and Thmanyah to elevate the audiovisual production standards of the Saudi Pro League.

“We already enjoy a fruitful partnership and are building on a strong foundation, as the league’s audiovisual production is managed by highly qualified professionals. We will work alongside them to deliver even more exceptional broadcast experiences,” he said.

Tebas stressed that the partnership marks an important step in enhancing the international profile of Saudi football.

The partnership includes training programs aimed at developing the capabilities of local audiovisual production teams, ensuring gradual and sustainable knowledge transfer. It also involves cooperation in formulating a comprehensive strategy to combat digital piracy in the Kingdom, helping to protect entertainment and sports content.

The agreement reflects a strategic direction toward delivering a complete viewing experience that meets audience expectations both locally and internationally, while also boosting content quality and expanding the global reach of the Saudi Pro League.