Artist: Mandrill and Michael Masser
Title: Ali Bombaya 1 b/w Ali Bombaya II
Language: Japanese
I know what you are saying- “Hey man- what is this song about Muhammad Ali doing all up in here with all of this wrestling music?”
Well, I guess I must note that Muhammad Ali was a genuine worldwide superstar boxer and in 1974 George Foreman and Muhammad Ali had a boxing match in Zaire dubbed The Rumble In The Jungle. The Zaire people were famously chanting Ali boma ye (translating to “Ali, kill him”). Take my word for it that the fight was a HUGE deal. Anyhow, the song was written and included the chant from the people of Zaire on it.
With Ali being so huge and the song being released in 1977 someone, probably Antonio Inoki himself, decided to release a version with Japanese pro wrestling superstar Antonio Inoki on the picture sleeve for the record. And here we are!
There is also a version of the record I am looking for with both Ali and Inoki on the cover. And going further down the rabbit hole of facts you likely don’t care about in 1976 there was a sort of precursor to MMA exhibition fight dubbed War Of The Worlds in Tokyo between none other than the undisputed heavyweight boxing champ Muhammed Ali and Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki.
