{"id":21709,"date":"2016-06-04T11:10:03","date_gmt":"2016-06-04T16:10:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=21709"},"modified":"2016-06-25T13:12:43","modified_gmt":"2016-06-25T18:12:43","slug":"muahmmad-ali-dies-74-time-great-boxer-deep-connection-pro-wrestling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/06\/04\/muahmmad-ali-dies-74-time-great-boxer-deep-connection-pro-wrestling\/","title":{"rendered":"Muhammad Ali dies at 74 &#8211; all-time great boxer with deep connection to pro wrestling; WWE issues statement (UPDATED)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-4265094657\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>Muhammad Ali, the all-time great boxer with a deep connection to pro wrestling, has died at the age of 74.<\/p>\n<p>Ali&#8217;s family released a statement Friday night (June 3) announcing his death after Ali was\u00a0deemed terminally ill earlier on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>WWE followed with a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wwe.com\/article\/muhammad-ali-passes-away?sf27934621=1\" target=\"_blank\">statement on their website<\/a> acknowledging Ali&#8217;s death and historically-significant involvement in pro wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>Ali&#8217;s trademark style of boxing, winning, and trash-talk was heavily influenced by the early days of TV wrestling, especially &#8220;Gorgeous&#8221; George.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of Ali&#8217;s death coincides with a major anniversary of his involvement in pro wrestling. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/06\/06\/sports\/who-lost-when-muhammad-ali-fought-a-pro-wrestler-the-fans.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">The New York Times published an article on Sunday reviewing the event<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>On June 26, 1976, Ali faced Japanese legend Antonio Inoki in their\u00a0infamous boxer vs. wrestler &#8220;match&#8221; in Tokyo, Japan. Back in the U.S., the bout was promoted on closed-circuit TV by Vince McMahon, Sr.&#8217;s WWWF in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier in June 1976, Vince McMahon, Jr.\u00a0was part of the TV broadcast team for a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/06\/04\/videos-wwe-releases-footage-muhammad-alis-top-pro-wrestling-moments\/\">famous angle involving\u00a0Ali and Gorilla Monsoon<\/a>. This was to promote Ali&#8217;s match against Inoki\u00a0a few\u00a0weeks later.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMuhammad Ali was one of the nicest gentleman I ever had the pleasure to meet,&#8221; said Freddie Blassie in May 2003 to interviewer Chris Yandek of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cyinterview.com\/2016\/06\/good-bye-to-the-greatest-from-the-archives-classy-freddie-blassie-george-foreman-and-boxing-historian-bert-sugar-talk-to-cyinterview-about-muhammad-ali-rip-muhammad\/\" target=\"_blank\">CYInterview.com re-released this week<\/a>.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4222558098\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;He never disputed anything I told him. When he went over to wrestle, fight Antonio Inoki, Inoki kept staying on the mat all the time and kept kicking, and they\u2019d come back in after the end of the round, and Muhammad Ali would tell Angelo Dundee, who was his manager that, \u2018I am gonna go out and get on the mat with him.\u2019 And I told him, I said, \u2018Don\u2019t you dare do that. It will be the biggest mistake of your life. What he\u2019ll do is break your leg and he\u2019ll break your arm because a boxer has no chance whatsoever with a wrestler.\u2019 Whenever you have a mixed match with wrestler versus boxer, boxer versus wrestler, you can always bet your bottom dollar that the boxer\u2019s going to lose.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Nine years later, Ali was part of McMahon, Jr.&#8217;s first WrestleMania. Ali was the special referee for Hulk Hogan &amp; Mr. T. vs. Roddy Piper &amp; Paul Orndorff at WrestleMania 1 in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>Flashing forward to 2016,\u00a0Antonio Inoki&#8217;s IGF promotion was <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/05\/17\/japan-news-big-njpw-vs-noah-matches-set-suzukigun-3-great-muta-announces-grand-prix-kobashis-next-big-show-jun-akiyama-everywhere\/\">already planning to host an\u00a0&#8220;anniversary celebration&#8221;<\/a> commemorating the 40-year anniversary of Inoki-Ali on May\u00a029 in Osaka, Japan.<\/p>\n<p>The show, which is headlined by Kota Ibushi, will now take on deeper meaning following Ali&#8217;s death nearing the 40-year anniversary of the fight.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WWE is saddened to learn of the death of former world heavyweight boxing champ Muhammad Ali. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lt34HVZvDU\">https:\/\/t.co\/lt34HVZvDU<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/v9GbPjJCuE\">pic.twitter.com\/v9GbPjJCuE<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/738958224389492736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"et\" dir=\"ltr\">Muhammad Ali &amp; pro wrestling. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JwjYoQsago\">https:\/\/t.co\/JwjYoQsago<\/a> 11:30a E\/8:30a P <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PWTorch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PWTorch<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thewadekeller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@thewadekeller<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MrTVClassics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MrTVClassics<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/72YYSujckP\">pic.twitter.com\/72YYSujckP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jim Valley (@JimValley) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimValley\/status\/738951231192760322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Muhammad Ali vs. Gorilla Monsoon<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GLrQ41RNhj\">https:\/\/t.co\/GLrQ41RNhj<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@wwe<\/a> played this clip countless times on TV in the 70s. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thewadekeller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@thewadekeller<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PWTorch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PWTorch<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jim Valley (@JimValley) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimValley\/status\/738955594342629376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Muhammad Ali vs wrestler Kenny Jay<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jmUJnMAhOI\">https:\/\/t.co\/jmUJnMAhOI<\/a> build up to Ali&#39;s match against Antonio Inoki in Japan. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thewadekeller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@thewadekeller<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PWTorch?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PWTorch<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Jim Valley (@JimValley) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JimValley\/status\/738956161844535296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 4, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-4237946938\"><div id=\"pwtor-2740001956\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Muhammad Ali, the all-time great boxer with a deep connection to pro wrestling, has died at the age of 74. Ali&#8217;s family released a statement Friday night (June 3) announcing his death after Ali was\u00a0deemed <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/06\/04\/muahmmad-ali-dies-74-time-great-boxer-deep-connection-pro-wrestling\/\" title=\"Muhammad Ali dies at 74 &#8211; all-time great boxer with deep connection to pro wrestling; WWE issues statement (UPDATED)\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[2621,2248,2620,184,2919,71,390,3013],"class_list":["post-21709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news_etc","tag-antonio-inoki","tag-gorilla-monsoon","tag-muhammad-ali","tag-vince-mcmahon","tag-vince-mcmahon-sr","tag-wwe","tag-wwf","tag-wwwf"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/06\/AliHogan_3x2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21709"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23996,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21709\/revisions\/23996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}