Andre the Giant and Akira Maeda Fight That Turned REAL in Japan

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Working for a short while in Great Britain under the name Kwik Kik-Lee, it was during his time at the Japanese Universal Wrestling Federation where Akira Maeda began to stand out.

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Around this time, Andre the Giant was in the latter part of his career and in significant pain, so alcohol was his vice.

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‬What started as a disagreement between NJPW owner Antonio Inoki and Maeda a few months prior over an angle that Maeda refused to work led to what occurred in the ring with Andre.

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Maeda looked at himself as a wrestling purist‭ ‬and wanted to keep everything between those ropes as real as possible.

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Andre the Giant showed up to the Japanese venue more drunk than usual in May of '86. He was to face Akira Maeda, a man building a reputation as someone hard to do business with.

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These two together created a possibility for volatility, and much like a forest fire, it only needed a spark!

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Swipe up to read the full story!

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