5 famous boxers who have fought inside a pro wrestling ring

#1 Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was another huge mainstream star from the boxing world and another that transcended boundaries. He talked straight out of the Pro Wrestling playbook, and that endeared him to as many as it alienated him.

Love him or hate him, he was a superstar and still is to this day even after his death. Though Ali had been around wrestling many times, including refereeing at WrestleMania 1 in 1985, and even attending an event in North Korea, it was his fight with Antonio Inoki that gets talked about the most.

Wrestler Inoki was legitimately trained in submissions, and Ali was the WBA and WBC world champion. With six million dollars put up for the fight from backers in Japan, it was made into a huge event but was ultimately lackluster. It is estimated that it was broadcast to 1.4 billion people around the world, but the rigid ruleset made any entertainment value hard to come by.

There was confusion on whether it was a work or a real fight, confusion on what was allowed, and ultimately confusion on a bizarre fifteen round tussle. Inoki mostly butt scooted around the ring whilst trying to kick Ali’s legs, whilst Ali could do nothing much other than move around the ring. He threw six punches in the whole fight, and a usually obedient Japanese crowd were furious.

Ali suffered some health complications due to blood clots on his leg and felt the effects for many years. Despite the payday, it was a huge letdown to most involved, showing that some crossovers can be a success and some much more hassle than they’re worth.