Enjoy these faces of the good old days of professional wrestling in the 1970's. I'll keep introducing more Japanese magazine covers from the 1950's, 1960's, and 1980's from my collection in the near future.
Terry Funk had his first Japan tour from July 27 to August 5, 1970.
July 30, 1970---Osaka Gym
International Heavyweight title match
Giant Baba drew Dory Funk Jr. (1-1)
(1) Dory beat Baba (17:20)
(2) Baba beat Dory (28:20)
(3) 6:55 double countout
---Baba kept the title
August 2, 1970---Fukuoka Sports Center
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Dory Funk Jr. drew Antonio Inoki (1-1)
(1) Dory beat Inoki (30:38)
(2) Inoki beat Dory (7:04)
(3) 60 minutes time up
---Dory kept the title
August 4, 1970---Tokyo Gym
International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki beat Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk (2-0)
(1) Baba & Inoki beat Funks (26:17 disqualification)
(2) Baba beat Terry (5:45)
---Baba & Inoki kept the title<
Abdullah the Butcher had his first Japan tour from August 21 to September 17, 1970.
In May 1971, Antonio Inoki requested Etsusaburo Shiina (fourth Japan Pro Wrestling Commissioner) for a shot at Giant Baba's International Heavyweight Title. The Commission refused, saying "it is something to be taken care of inside Nippon Pro Wrestling (JWA [Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance]), not the Commission." Then JWA refused Inoki's title shot at Baba, saying "too early."
Don Greene and Jerry Jarrett had pro wrestling's first scaffold match in Louisville, Kentucky on August 15, 1971. The "Mean Greenes," Don and his brother Al, were the first team to be known as the "Heavenly Bodies" in Tennessee in the 1960's.
Dory Funk Sr. continued to wrestle until his death on June 3, 1973, even in Texas chain death matches. His Amarillo booking office promoted in several cities in the Southwest, including Amarillo, Lubbock, El Paso, Abilene, and Odessa in Texas, as well as in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and spot shows promoted in smaller towns in Texas and New Mexico. Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki lost the International tag title to Dory & Terry Funk at Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido on December 7, 1971. This ended up being Inoki's last match in the JWA, and he was expelled from the JWA on December 13.
Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling had its first show at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo on March 6, 1972. Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling had its first show at the Machida City Gym in Tokyo on October 21. Mil Mascaras won huge popularity in those days. Categories of "good guy / bad guy" and "Japanese / gaijin" lost their meanings.
Giant Baba's All Japan Pro Wrestling was accepted as a member at the NWA Board meeting in St. Louis, Missouri on February 3, 1973. JWA folded after its history of 20 years on April 20.
Harley Race won the NWA World Heavyweight title from Dory Funk Jr. in Kansas City, Missouri on May 27, 1973.
Giant Baba completed a series of 10 matches with a record of eight wins, no losses, and two draws. He wrestled against Bruno Sammartino (October 22, 1972 & February 15, 1973), Terry Funk (October 30, 1972), Abdullah the Butcher (June 14, 1973), The Destroyer (December 19, 1972), Wilber Snyder (January 6, 1973 & January 11, 1973), Don Leo Jonathan (January 24, 1973), Pat O'Connor (February 20, 1973), and Bobo Brazil (February 27, 1973). He became the first PWF Heavyweight champion.
Antonio Inoki won the NWF World Heavyweight Title from Johnny Powers at Tokyo Gym on December 10, 1973. The title became New Japan Pro Wrestling's top title prior to the creation of the IWGP title.
March 9, 1975---Hakodate Civic Gym, Hokkaido
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Jack Brisco drew Giant Baba (1-1)
(1) Baba beat Brisco (10:50)
(2) Brisco beat Baba (4:20)
(3) 4:07 double countout
March 11, 1975---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Jack Brisco beat Jumbo Tsuruta (2-1)
(1) Tsuruta beat Brisco (11:36)
(2) Brisco beat Tsuruta (4:25)
(3) Brisco beat Tsuruta (7:19)
---Brisco kept the title
March 12, 1975---Fuji-no-miya City Gym, Shizuoka
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Jack Brisco beat The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) (2-1)
(1) Brisco beat Destroyer (10:08)
(2) Destroyer beat Brisco (3:40)
(3) Brisco beat Destroyer (7:53)---Brisco kept the title
March 13, 1975---Nichidai Kodo (Nippon University Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Jack Brisco beat Bobo Brazil (2-1)
(1) Brazil beat Brisco (0:39)
(2) Brisco beat Brazil (6:36)
(3) Brisco beat Brazil (6:49 DQ---Rufus R. Jones interfered)---Brisco kept the title
New Japan Pro Wrestling joined the NWA on September 20, 1975.
January 26, 1976---Aichi Prefectural Gym
International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski (2-1)
(1) Lisowski beat Tsuruta (7:52)
(2) Tsuruta beat Lisowski (5:20)
(3) Baba & Tsuruta beat Bruiser & Crusher---Baba & Tsuruta kept the title
January 29, 1976---Tokyo Gym
International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat Dick the Bruiser & Crusher Lisowski (2-1)
(1) Baba & Tsuruta beat Bruiser & Crusher (3:57 disqualification)
(2) Bruiser beat Tsuruta (2:32)
(3) Tsuruta beat Bruiser (2:09)---Baba & Tsuruta kept the title
The Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali match took place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 26, 1976 for Closed Circuit TV in the United States. Inoki wasn't allowed to use any suplexes or submission holds, and they drew after 15 rounds time up. The match was criticized as the most boring match of the century.
June 11, 1976---Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Terry Funk beat Jumbo Tsuruta (2-1)
(1) Tsuruta beat Terry (15:50)
(2) Terry beat Tsuruta (6:05)
(3) Terry beat Tsuruta (5:12)
---Terry kept the title
New Japan's Tatsumi Fujinami won the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Title from Carlos Jose Estrada at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on January 23, 1978. Bob Backlund won the WWWF Heavyweight Title from Superstar Billy Graham at Madison Square Garden on February 20. Ric Flair won the United States Heavyweight title from Tim Woods (Mr. Wrestling) at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina and he came to All Japan Pro Wrestling from April 21 to May 4.
"Pro Wrestling Dream All-Star Match," which was organized by the Tokyo Sports newspaper, took place with New Japan Pro Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and IWE (International Wrestling Enterprise) at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on August 26, 1979. Giant Baba & Antonio Inoki beat Abdullah the Butcher & Tiger Jeet Singh in the main event (13:03 Inoki beat Singh).
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