He is considered to be one of the most influential professional wrestlers of all time,[7][8][9] and one of the biggest key influences on MMA in Japan and internationally.

In 1995, with Ric Flair, Inoki headlined two shows in North Korea that drew 165,000 and 190,000 spectators, the highest attendances in professional wrestling history.

During his first term with the House of Councillors, Inoki successfully negotiated with Saddam Hussein for the release of Japanese hostages before the outbreak of the Gulf War.

By the time he was in 7th grade at Terao Junior High School, he was 5 feet 11 inches tall and joined the basketball team.

The family fell on hard times in the post-war years, and in 1957, the 14-year-old Inoki emigrated to Brazil with his grandfather, mother, and brothers.

On May 16, 1969, during the 11th World Big League, Inoki stopped Giant Baba's fourth consecutive victory and won his first tournament.

At the end, Inoki won the bout with a double wrist lock, injuring Pahalwan's arm after the latter refused to submit.

[16] In June 1979, Inoki wrestled Akram's countryman Zubair Jhara Pahalwan, this time in a regular match, and lost the fight in the fifth round.

[18] On November 30, 1979, Inoki defeated WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund in Tokushima, Japan, to win the championship.

However, WWF president Hisashi Shinma declared the re-match a no contest due to interference from Tiger Jeet Singh, and Inoki remained champion.

[citation needed] In October 2019, Inoki appeared at a Pro Wrestling Zero1 event at the Yasukuni Shrine, which is controversial for its relation to World War II.

[26] It was later reported that the Inoki Genki Factory was looking into the idea of hosting professional wrestling and mixed martial arts events.

[27] Imitating Muhammad Ali, Inoki traveled to Iraq in 1990 in "an unofficial one-man diplomatic mission" to negotiate with Saddam Hussein for the release of Japanese hostages before the outbreak of the Gulf War.

He failed to win re-election in the 1995 Japanese House of Councillors election following a number of scandals reported in 1994, and left politics for the next eighteen years.

[30] On June 5, 2013, Inoki announced that he would again run for a House of Councillors seat in the National Diet under the Japan Restoration Party ticket.

In January 2015, he helped to establish a new party named the Assembly to Energize Japan, which he left in 2016, to sit in the Independents Club.

[43][44] From August 2014 until December 2014, Inoki served as the director of the National Sports Bureau of the Party for Future Generations and as a chairperson of the Policy Research Committee of the House of Councillors.

[27] From 2015 until 2016, Inoki served as the supreme advisor of the Assembly to Energize Japan, a political party he co-founded with Kota Matsuda.

[45] Eddy had previously competed in a mixed skills bout against boxer Horst Geisler and lost by knockout.

[46] The bout with Eddy ended with the karateka knocked out by a professional wrestling powerbomb followed by a Hulk Hogan-esque leg drop.

Ali left without a press conference and suffered damage to his legs as a result of Inoki's repeated kicks.

[52] Following his retirement from professional wrestling, Inoki promoted a number of MMA events such as UFO Legend, NJPW Ultimate Crush (which showcased pro wrestling matches and MMA matches on the same card), and the annual Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye shows which took place on New Year's Eve in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

[54] Future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida began his career in MMA under the management of Inoki.

[83] On October 1, at Royal Quest II in London, England, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) held a ten-bell salute for Inoki.

[97] On December 14, 2024, the Antonio Inoki Memorial Show was organized in Shanghai, China by NJPW and various Asia-Pacific Federation of Wrestling promotions.

[99] A character based on Inoki called "Kanji Igari" appears in the Japanese manga series Baki the Grappler by Keisuke Itagaki.

Inoki's appearance in the film culminates with a match against the main character, Marvin Lazar (played by Tony Curtis), when Beaudine suddenly becomes unavailable to participate.

Along with Inoki, fellow wrestler Steve Austin of the World Wrestling Federation has been referred to in Air Gear's pages.

Inoki made an appearance as the guest in 2005 Doraemon episode "The Pitch-Black Pop Stars", where he wrestled Gian after he splashed ink on his face.

In May 2021, Inoki appeared on the Vice on TV series Dark Side of the Ring in an episode covering the 1995 Collision in Korea event.