Shōhei Baba
Shōhei Baba 
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Data | |
| Ring name |
Giant Baba Great Baba Shōhei Baba Ishope Baba |
| height | 203 cm |
| Fighting weight | 128 kg |
| birth |
January 23, 1938 Sanjō ; Niigata , Japan |
| death |
January 31, 1999 Tokyo , Japan |
| Trained by | Rikidozan |
| debut | September 30, 1960 |
Shōhei Baba ( Japanese 馬 場 正 平 , Baba Shōhei ; born January 23, 1938 in Sanjō , Japan ; † January 31, 1999 in Tokyo ) was a Japanese wrestler and wrestling promoter. Baba was also a co-founder of the Japanese wrestling organization All Japan Pro Wrestling , which he directed until his death. In addition to his old training companion Antonio Inoki , he was the most famous wrestler in Japan and was able to position his league as the market leader.
Life
Baba's original goal was a career as a baseball player , but he only played three games as a pitcher for the Japanese team Yomiuri Giants , all three without a win. He then hit the road to wrestling and was trained together with Antonio Inoki by the influential and legendary Rikidozan (1924-1963), a former sumo wrestler. In the Japanese Wrestling Association (JWA), the dominant league in Japan at the time, Baba gained his first experience from his debut on September 30, 1960. After Rikidozan's death in 1963, it was Inoki and Baba in particular who helped the league to continue its success.
In 1971 there was a dispute between the JWA, Inoki and Baba: Inoki called for a fight for a title held by Baba, but the JWA leadership did not yet consider Inoki a worthy challenger. The internal problems came to a head and with some distance Inoki and Baba separated from the JWA. While Inoki was establishing his New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) promotion , Baba launched All Japan Pro Wrestling with the debut show on October 21, 1972 .
The league grew and became increasingly popular alongside Inoki's NJPW. In the early years Baba was able to rely on friends from the USA like Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, Bruno Sammartino and the Funk brothers. Together with the experience of these wrestlers, his connections to the NWA and commercial skills, All Japan was able to rise to the most successful promotion in Japan.
Shohai Baba's media presence in one of Japan's premier sports brought him to the attention of the mainstream press. Baba was a frequent guest in various quiz and entertainment programs and was a popular advertising medium. His social influence was considerable: Paul McCartney was banned from entering the country for 10 years because drugs were found on him at a Japanese airport. When wrestler Steve Williams threatened the same, Baba stepped in and was able to avert a penalty.
A few days after his 61st birthday, Baba suddenly died of liver failure . Until the time of his death, Baba was President of All Japan Pro Wrestling . In the following months, problems arose between Mitsuharu Misawa and Baba's widow Motoko. After Baba's death, Mitsuharu Misawa became president of AJPW, and Motoko Baba was the owner of AJPW after her husband's death. Along with most of the league's top stars, Misawa left AJPW and founded Pro Wrestling NOAH .
Wrestling
successes
- 3 × NWA World Heavyweight Champion
- 3 × NWA International Heavyweight Champion
- 1 × NWA World Tag Team Champion (Detroit Version) (with Jumbo Tsuruta )
- 12 × NWA International Tag Team Champion (1 × with Michiaki Yoshimura, 4 × with Antonio Inoki , 1 × with Seiji Sakaguchi and 6 × with Jumbo Tsuruta)
- 4 × PWF Heavyweight Champion
- 1 × All Asian Heavyweight Champion
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Baba, Shōhei |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Giant Baba (stage name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese wrestler and wrestling promoter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 23, 1938 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Sanjō , Japan |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 31, 1999 |
| Place of death | Tokyo |