Antonio Inoki, the man who brought pro wrestling to North Korea, dies at 79



News Antonio Inoki, the man who brought pro wrestling to North Korea, dies at 79 Japanese parliamentarian and renowned martial artist visited Pyongyang over 30 times in efforts to push sports diplomacy Kosuke Takahashi October 3, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Antonio Inoki, Dec. 24, 2012 \| Image: Ogiyoshisan, edited by NK News (CC BY-SA 3.0) Antonio Inoki, the Japanese professional wrestler-turned-politician who built close ties to North Korea, died of heart disease over the weekend, according to the company he founded. Inoki helped organize the first pay-per-view wrestling event in Pyongyang, Collision in Korea, which he headlined along with Ric Flair. The two-day event reportedly attracted 340,000 spectators to May Day Stadium — a record that still stands to this day. Antonio Inoki, the Japanese professional wrestler-turned-politician who built close ties to North Korea, died of heart disease over the weekend, according to the company he founded. Inoki helped organize the first pay-per-view wrestling event in Pyongyang, Collision in Korea, which he headlined along with Ric Flair. The two-day event reportedly attracted 340,000 spectators to May Day Stadium — a record that still stands to this day. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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Antonio Inoki, the man who brought pro wrestling to North Korea, dies at 79

Japanese parliamentarian and renowned martial artist visited Pyongyang over 30 times in efforts to push sports diplomacy

Kosuke Takahashi October 3, 2022

Antonio Inoki, the man who brought pro wrestling to North Korea, dies at 79

Antonio Inoki, Dec. 24, 2012 | Image: Ogiyoshisan, edited by NK News (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Antonio Inoki, the Japanese professional wrestler-turned-politician who built close ties to North Korea, died of heart disease over the weekend, according to the company he founded.

Inoki helped organize the first pay-per-view wrestling event in Pyongyang, Collision in Korea, which he headlined along with Ric Flair. The two-day event reportedly attracted 340,000 spectators to May Day Stadium — a record that still stands to this day.

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