Giant Baba
(1938 - 1999)

		Real Name:	Shohei Baba
		Nickname:	Touyou no Kyojin (Giant of the Orient)
		Birth:	1938/01/23 Sanjo, Niigata, Japan
		Death:	1999/01/31 Tokyo, Japan
		Debut:	defeats Yonetaro Tanaka on September 30th, 1960 in Tokyo
		Organizations:	JWA(60-72) All Japan(72 - 99)
		Titles:	All Asia Tag Team [3] NWA International Heavyweight [3] NWA International Tag Team [12] PWF Heavyweight [4] NWA World Heavyweight [3] All Asia Heavyweight NWA World Tag Team (Detroit)
		Tournaments:	The 8th Annual World League (1966 JWA) The 9th Annual World League (1967 JWA) The 10th Annual World League (1968 JWA) The 12th Annual World League (1970 JWA) The 13th Annual World League (1971 JWA) The 14th Annual World League (1972 JWA) The 1st Champion Carnival (1973 All Japan) The 2nd Champion Carnival (1974 All Japan) The 3rd Champion Carnival (1975 All Japan) Open Championship (1975 All Japan) The 5th Champion Carnival (1977 All Japan) The 6th Champion Carnival (1978 All Japan) '78 Real World Tag Team League (All Japan) '80 Real World Tag Team League (All Japan) The 9th Champion Carnival (1981 All Japan) The 10th Champion Carnival (1982 All Japan)
		Founder of All Japan Pro-Wrestling. Inducted to Puroresu Hall of Fame in May, 1996

Many people thought pro-wrestling would die when Rikidozan was killed in December, 1963. It was Giant Baba with whom J.W.A. survived throughout the '60s. After the confilict with the J.W.A. executives, Baba started his own All Japan Pro-Wrestling in '72 with a big support from his friends, such as The Destroyer, Bruno Sammartino, and the Funk Brothers. Baba defeated Jack Brisco on December 2nd, 1974 in Kagoshima, Japan to become the first non-white wrestler to win the N.W.A. World Heavyweight title. Being a strong member of N.W.A., All Japan was one of the hottest promotions in the world throughout '70s and '80s.

He was not only a wrestling star but also a mainstream figure in Japan. Besides the weekly wrestling program on Nippon Television Network, he was also on many quiz shows, variety programs, and commercials.

In later years, Baba was not someone who would be rated by American "smart" fans as one of the best wrestlers, but people who appreciate his achievement as both promoter and wrestler just enjoyed to see this legend stepping on the ring against his students. Only by standing on the ring, he could make the fans happy.

Pictures

• Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki - True Legends of Puroresu (24KB)
• Young Baba (25KB) (Courtesy of the Canvas Cavity with Dr. Mike Lano)
• Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba (13KB)
• Fritz Von Erich vs. Giant Baba (8KB)

Articles

• "Giant Baba dies of liver failure" Kyodo News Service, Feburary 1, 1999
• Baba Baba Baba (View from the Rinsing Sun by Masanori Horie )

Links

• Shohei Baba was a Giant in and out of the ring (courtesy of Wrestling Classics)
• All Japan Retro - Episode #1: Shohei 'Giant' Baba (VHS)
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