Antonio Inoki VS Bruiser Brody, Clash Of Pride and Ego

There are many dream matches in pro wrestling history. It all starts with 'What if.....'

Bruiser Brody is one of the wrestler that has most of 'What if' scenario, because he didn't join big 2 promotions of USA at the time, WWF and JCP.

'What if' Brody joined WWF and wrestled Hulk Hogan for WWF title, what if he wrestled with Ric Flair for NWA title, all remained as one of the dream matches for old pro wrestling fans.

Brody was an amazing wrestler. he had fierce look that everybody fears, also had enormous charismat and tremendous intensity. Most importantly, he was great in ring too.

He was the perfect monster heel that people are afraid of, but also a great babyface that people wanted to cheer too.

That's why people were sad and disappointed when Brody was murdered in Puerto Rico and these dream matches were never fulfilled.

But there were one dream match that actually happened in Japan. It was none other than 'The icon of Fighting Spirit' Antonio Inoki VS Bruiser Brody.



Brody mainly competed in Japan, but he never wrestled for New Japan. His main battleground was All Japan, the rival promotion of NJPW.

Brody joined AJPW firstly in 1979. Because All Japan's top leading foreigner Abdullah The Butcher moved to New Japan in 1981, Brody was promoted to the new top leading foreign star in All Japan. 

He wrestled as a tag team with his junior and friend, Stan Hansen, forming the legendary 'The Miracle Power Combination', dominated the tag league.

He's tenure as a single wrestler was also great, he became an owner of the most prestige title of AJPW, International championship.

Brody defended the title for over 1 year until he lose the title to Jumbo Tsruta.

When Jumbo managed to defeat Brody, Baba called Jumbo and said "Now, you are the new top leading star of the promotion." Defeating Brody was the the moment when Baba passed the torch to Jumbo, that's how important Brody was in Japan.



In USA, Brody wrestled primarily as a freelancer, never be settled in one place but traveled all over the world.

He also caused a lot of troubles with promoters, because he never trusted promoters of USA and even left a famous comment about promoters, "My enemy is not my opponent, but promoters." So basically Brody was a troublemaker for promoters.

But after WWF's invasion to territories started, Brody ended up losing his battlegrounds. So he had to focus on wrestle in Dallas' WCCW, which was in his hometown, and AWA, which was owned by Verne Gagne, who was one of the few promoters that Brody trusted.

This was 1985. 1985, the year that New Japan lost most of the best talents. New Japan not only lost a candidate for the next top leading star, Akira Maeda to UWF, but also one of the best superstar that NJPW had at the time, Riki Choshu to Japan Pro Wrestling. Many midcarders and stars moved along with them too. NJPW's roster became very shallow.

Even though New Japan still affiliated with WWF for bringing foreign wrestlers, WWF demanded too much money from NJPW, and famous wrestlers like Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan could not wrestle in New Japan much due to regular schedule of WWF.



Seiji Sakaguchi, the vice president of New Japan decided to find another route to bringing foreign wrestlers rather than leaning on WWF soley.

Finally, Seiji Sakaguchi managed to sign the deal of affiliation with WCCW.

Although WCCW was a member of NWA at the time, NWA president Jim Crockett Jr. tried to expand his influence and go national against WWF by himself, so WCCW's owner Fritz Von Erich was thinking about becoming independent from NWA. New Japan and WCCW's interest were matched, that leaded to the affiliation.

Seiji wanted a huge name for a candidate of new top leading foreign wrestler. The best drawing name that WCCW had for Japan, was none other than Bruiser Brody.

Brody always had grudges with promoters, but Fritz and Baba were the exceptions. Fritz, because he was the one who scouted Brody to the pro wrestling world, Baba, because he was extremely charismatic and very trustable.



Fritz ordered Brody to wrestle in New Japan, but Brody started to agonize, because Brody had an affection on All Japan and respect for Baba.

Brody told Baba about Fritz's order and asked him for stopping Fritz's command, and asked pay raise to stay in All Japan.

But Baba, for some reason, he already knew that Fritz were asking Brody to move to New Japan, but never tried to stop Brody from trasferring.

Because of Baba didn't try to stop him, Brody started to show his rage and present his intention strongly.



Brody had a tag match against Riki Choshu, who just moved to All Japan and became the hottest thing in AJPW at the time, but Brody dominated Choshu in the ring with no selling to Choshu's attacks.

When Brody had another multi man tag match against Baba, Jumbo and Tenryu, Brody went back to the backstage during the match.

Brody went back to USA, and everyone thought Brody just quitted wrestling in Japan and will not going to come back to the land of rising sun.



Surprisingly, Brody appeared in Korakuen hall in March 21, 1985. But not All Japan ring, it was in New Japan's ring.

Beethoven's 5th symphony 'Destiny' is played, Brody came to confront Antonio Inoki.

Brody announced his participation in New Japan in press conference, and left comments.

"Whenever I came to Japan, I watched Inoki's matches. I started to have interest in Inoki's existence. The most important trait of pro wrestler is flaming fighting spirit. When I watch Inoki's eyes, I manage to see his fighting spirit that also exists inside me. My fight against him will be collision of beliefs."

"I finished my tenure in All Japan. I will never compete in All Japan. From now on, I will wrestle in New Japan and WWF."

Brody showed his intention to enter the WWF world as well, but Vince Mcmahon, who wanted full control of roster, never showed interest in Bruiser Brody,

To Be Continued.....