Shohei Baba

Sh?hei Baba (1938–1999) was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was also known as Giant Baba.

Related Topics:
1938 - 1999 - Professional wrestler - All Japan Pro Wrestling

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Before entering professional wrestling he had been a baseball pitcher. This, combined with his large size (above average for a Japanese), made him an instant star in his teacher Rikidozan's promotion, the Japanese Wrestling Association. With his dojo classmate and later promotional rival, Antonio Inoki, they formed a tag team that won the NWA International Tag Team Title a record four times, a record that Baba would break later with another partner, Jumbo Tsuruta.

Related Topics:
Baseball - Pitcher - Rikidozan - Japanese Wrestling Association - Antonio Inoki - Jumbo Tsuruta

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In 1972, with JWA on the decline, Baba formed his own promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling, with the backing of Nippon TV. All Japan eventually took over the JWA's spot in the National Wrestling Alliance after its collapse, and under Baba's strong business acumen, the rest of the NWA's talent, from the World champion on down, enjoyed an amazing run in Japan. Baba himself was able to win the belt three times, although his reigns were short and limited to Japanese territory.

Related Topics:
All Japan Pro Wrestling - Nippon TV - National Wrestling Alliance - World champion

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By 1984 Baba was a shell of his former self and began phasing himself out to give rise to the next generation of wrestlers, led by Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu. He became, by his own choice, a curtain-jerker - slow-moving, and only winning against mid-card talent.

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He had his last match in 1998, prior to being confined to a hospital bed, in which he eventually died of cancer.

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