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GV EXTERIOR Tokyo international airport at night
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SV TOP VIEW PAN Ali surrounded by mass of newsmen shouting and threatening "he's in trouble"
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TOP VIEW Ali poises with face pulling and fists for cameras
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SV Ali supporters shouting "there shall not be no pearl harbour, Mohammed Ali has returned just like Macarthur"
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Ali waves as he goes down escalator
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Mohammed Ali beat an American wrestler, Kenny Jay in Chicago earlier this month. But Inoki feels professional wrestling, as he practices it, is far the superior all-encompassing form of combat and includes may other forms of martial art such as karate or judo. He admits if the fight was limited to boxing rules and techniques then he would probably lose. But using his martial art skills, Inoki feels he is merely taking Ali up on comments that he can beat a???one, any way. Inoki weighs in at 108 killogrammes (238 pounds), six killogrammes (13.2 pound) more than Ali. The fight will be held on 26 June.




Initials RH/RP/MR/1707



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: World heavy-weight boxing champion, Mohammed Ali, arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday (16 June) to take part in a contest hailed by the promoters as "the blood fight of the century". Ali will take on Antonio Inoki, a Japanese bare fisted wrester, who is depending on over-arm toe holds rather than straight left hooks to defeat the champion.

SYNOPSIS: Despite the late hour of Ali's arrival, hundreds of newsmen and supporters turned up to see him enter the airport building. The fight has captured the imagination of Japan, with promoters promising a struggle that will be "a once in a lifetime spectacle".

Ali is taking the fight very seriously. Only recently news leaked out that he had been in training secretly with American champion wrestler, Abdullah the Shiek. But he's still as confident ass ever, and showed Japanese photographers what their 6 foot 2 inch black belt judo champion could expect.

Ali's supporters are confident that their man would remain the champ. They compare Ali to General Macarthur--returning victoriously to Japan.

But Inoki is just ass confident. Ali, he says, has offended Japan and has promised to break the champion's arm or leg.