MSM: The Great Antonio vs Antonio Inoki

Have you ever seen a real shoot? Now that the business is completely layed open we all know that a shoot, in wrestling at least, is when something that is supposed to be scripted turns real. Many of us have seen shoot promos - even if most of them are worked shoots, but how many have seen wrestling matches turn into a shoot?

These days main stream companies are scripted to within an inch of their life. The have been for years. So unless you're somebody that studies wrestling from decades past the chances are you've never seen what is supposed to be scripted entertainment turn into something far more real.

So allow us to present to you this - from December 1977, Japanese wrestling golden boy Antonio Inoki takes on The Great Antonio.





Inoki is one of THE legends of Japanese wrestling whereas The Great Antonio, a French Canadian strong man, is not.

In all honesty The Great Antonio wasn't even a competent wrestler, let alone somebody that should be in the ring with Inoki. But, at 6'4" and 450lbs he was an imposing figure and some of his feats of incredible strength like lifting a tree trunk with 10 (plus) grown men hanging from it or his being crazy enough to pull a bus full of people without asking permission made him an ideal gaijin villain.

The Great Antonio had enjoyed some success as a wrestler in his native Canada but certainly wasn't on a level to put on a match at the highest level. His only offence in this match is a sloppy looking headlock and some very dangerous looking elbows to Inokis back - when his elbows starting hitting Inoki in the neck instead... well, watch the match and see what happens.