Antonio Inoki Announces Retirement From Politics

– Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki is hanging up his political career. The WON reports that Inoki announced last week that he is retiring from politics due to health reasons. The specific health concern is not known, though the NJPW founder has been wheelchair-bound for the last several months and has been careful to keep out of the public eye to hide the fact.

Antonio Inoki has served in Japanese politics since 1989, when he was elected into the House of Councillors as a representative. He served in the House of Councillors until 1995, and again from 2013 to now. Inoki has been controversial for his relationship with North Korea, which he most recently visited earlier this month.