Not sure with this one to be honest. The 1976 Promotion of Muhammad Ali/Antonio Inoki and Andre the Giant/Chuck Wepner may have been a WWWF Promotion but not sure. Anybody know for definite? Have seen a few in the UK and were always by Wrestling Promoters.
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I agree with Hack.
Boxing was much more formally governed and would not sanction a boxer v wrestler on one of their bills.
always on a wrestling bill when I saw them.
So in most cases it was usually promoted by Wrestling Promoters.Many thanks for your replies.
In most cases it was presented by wrestling promoters, who were bringing in the boxer to draw a good figure at the box office.
I believe the only two that might have been promoted by boxing promoters were Jack Dempsey vs Cowboy Luttrall (Atlanta, 1940) and Archie Moore vs Mike Dibiase (Phoenix, 1963). In both cases they were presented as legitimate contests. But boxing was crooked too.
I think Vince McMahon Senior had pay-per-view rights in the USA, Inoki himself would have been the promoter in Japan.
I've no idea about the Ali/Inoki match (others must know) but my assumption is that boxer v wrestler matches were always wrestling promotions. Boxing had an established governing body (notwithstanding unlicensed shows) that I assume would never sanction boxer v wrestling matches. Boxing was widely recognised as a legitimate, competitive sport and would have more to lose. The established route (I know of only one exception) was for a boxer to turn to wrestling, so boxer v wrestler matches provided a ready made spectacle for wrestling promoters.