Inoki Was Never “All In”
By Scott Keith on September 10, 2018
How pissed do you think Inoki is that NJPW is headlining MSG, considering he spent his whole career trying to elevate himself to international superstar status and always failing?
We're talking about a guy who bought a promotion in Buffalo (friggan BUFFALO) so he could control the NWF title.
He's always struck me as a hybrid of the worst qualities of Hogan and Vince McMahon, and forever bitter that no matter how high his stock rose, he couldn't escape the shadow of Giant Baba, who was a legit cultural icon (as opposed to Inoki's self made mythology) and somewhat of a star/draw here in the States.
I find it ironically fitting that the company he screwed several times, beginning in the 80s, is finally attaining his dream, more than a decade after his last involvement.
I honestly don't know how involved or cognizant of the current scene Inoki is. I will say, he managed to single-handedly bring New Japan to the brink of death with his ridiculous faux-MMA stuff in the 2000s and it's pretty much a miracle that the new ownership and Gedo were able to resurrect it. He wanted to be Vince McMahon but ended up Verne Gagne.
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