In recent years, with the gradual popularity of MMA events, more and more people have begun to accept this new fighting sport. In order to promote and promote, many events will also put a lot of effort into hype, whether it is spraying before the game or weighing, in short, you can do whatever you want. Of course, the organizer knows that as long as you attract enough traffic and attention, economic benefits will naturally increase accordingly. However, these hype methods have not only gradually emerged in recent years. As early as more than 40 years ago, a world-class cross-border event had attracted the attention of the whole world. This is the famous "boxing vs. wrestling", with boxing champion Ali against Japanese wrestling champion Anthony Zhumu. In fact, I believe all martial arts fans are already familiar with the final result, but what martial arts fans may not know is that this game will have a very far-reaching impact on future MMA and even the entire fighting history. Today we will talk about this cross-border war 40 years ago!
1. Time-travel hype
As we all know, Japanese boxing fans are very happy with the "extraordinary fighting skills " between various genres, so whenever there is such a competition, it will bring huge box office benefits. In 1975, the world boxing champion of , Ali visited Japan. At the press conference, Ali, who has always been big-mouthed, joked to reporters: "In the East, if a warrior can appear to defeat me, I will give him 1 million US dollars!" Once this sentence was released by the media, it immediately caused an uproar across Japan! Subsequently, the famous wrestling star Anthony Zhumu, who is known for his actual wrestling, announced his challenge! Subsequently, a Japanese company announced that it would invest 6 million to promote this cross-border battle, and the two sides will decide the outcome at the Japanese Wudou Hall!
Since then, the two sides have held many press conferences in Japan, and the two of them are also quarrels at the press conference, going back and forth! Ali first mocked Pigwood for its protruding chin that looked like a pelican, while Pigwood presented Ali with a crutch at the press conference, claiming that Alibaba would definitely be able to use it after the game. Then, when facing the Japanese media, Ali said something amazing again: "Mumhamed is here, there will be no Pearl Harbor again!" Zhumu fought back and said: "I don't know what Ali thinks, but he is not serious. I will break his arm in the ring!" Such back and forth can be said to have aroused the appetite of the media and martial arts fans, and the tickets for the competition also rose, with the highest ticket price even exceeding 300,000 yen. Even so, 14,500 tickets were sold out early before the competition began. The competition will also be broadcast live to 34 countries, with ratings reaching 1.4 billion.
In fact, looking back at history, we will find that even 40 years later, the hype before the Mayweather VS mouth cannon is completely the same as in this game!
2. Unprecedented technology
zhumu (left) Ali (right)
Since it is a different fighting skill, there are indeed great differences between the two sides in formulating rules. According to Pigmu, the competition was originally designed as a wrestling show, which was eventually won by Pigmu. However, Alibaba cannot accept its failure, so the game has become a real battle with real swords and guns. However, six days before the game, Ali saw many throwing and kicking while visiting Pigwood training, so he discussed rehearsals with Pigwood team, but Pigwood team decisively rejected this proposal and the game will be presented in a real way. However, Alibaba's team has imposed very strict restrictions on the rules of the game: Alibaba can use all the skills in boxing and allow kicking, while Zhumu is only allowed to use throwing and kicking while kneeling on one knee. Strictly speaking, such rule restrictions are extremely unfair. On the day of the
competition, tens of thousands of spectators flocked to the Tokyo Wudiao Hall, and the "war of the century" officially kicked off. Since various wrestling skills are not allowed, Zhumu kicked Ali's legs with a flying kick after the opening, and then he then put his back on the ground, with his hands and feet facing the sky, constantly kicking Ali's legs in this way. As for Ali, he could not attack Zhu Mu, who was lying on the ground, so he could only wander around the ring.Although Ali protested to the referee, Zhumu still used this knock-down kick to attack Ali's legs again and again, causing bruises and bleeding on Ali's knees. As long as Alibaba attacks slightly, Zhumu will immediately face up with four legs. This defense method is obviously beyond Alibaba's expectations. Alibaba, who has lost its fist strike, has no choice but to do anything. In the end, both sides played fifteen rounds in this state. The two scoring referees voted for both sides, and the third scoring referee gave a draw. In the end, the world-sensational "battle of the century" ended with a draw between the two. The audience's deepest impression of the game is the defensive method of Pig Wood facing the sky, and this defensive method has been used by MMA players to this day and is named "Pig Wood State"!
3. Later influence
Ali (left)Zhumu (middle)
After the competition, the audience at the scene seemed very angry and shouted: "Refund the money!" and threw garbage at the venue. It is said that it took nearly a day for the cleaners of the stadium to clean up the garbage thrown by the audience. Ali's legs were severely bruised, red and swollen, and eventually even infected, and was greatly affected in his subsequent boxing career. Zhumu explained in response to criticism after the game: "I did not violate the rules of the game. In order to avoid Ali's fists, I must do this!" Although this game was eventually called "the ordinary battle of the century" by the Japanese media, the Japanese fighting world got a lot of inspiration after the game, opening a new era of alien fighting skills. Zhumu's students Masaka Funchi, Sayama Satoshi, Takada Nagahiko and others later founded Pankrasin and Xiudo, laying a solid foundation for the future development of Japanese MMA! After this competition, Japan has also gained a lot of experience in hosting large-scale events, and PRIDE FC will become the world's number one MMA league in the future.
It is worth mentioning that Ali and Zhumu became good friends after the game. In 1998, when Zhumu retired, Alibaba made a special trip to Japan and entered the ring to hug Zhumu after the game. After Alibaba suffered from Parkinson's, Zhumu, who had already been in politics as a member of parliament, often went to the United States to visit his old friend Alibaba.
Now, boxing champion Ali has passed away, and Zhu Mu is already 76 years old. Although this war has been more than 40 years ago, looking back on history, it still sets a precedent in many fighting worlds, so it will become an indelible page in fighting history and will always be worth remembering!
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