| Giant Baba |
| Real Name: Shohei Baba Stage Names: Touyou no Kyojin (Gaint of the Orient) Date of Birth: 23rd January 1938 Home Town: Niigata, Japan Height: Weight: Death : January 31st, 1999 in Tokyo, Japan Brief Bio: Baba, who towered over the average Japanese with a 209-centimeter frame, became a professional wrestler in 1960 after a stint as a pitcher with popular Japanese pro baseball club, the Yomiuri Giants. Known to his fans for his trademark ''16-mon'' kick technique, Baba -- whose real name is Shohei Baba -- had been a pillar in Japanese professional wrestling, competing well past his 60th birthday. A native of Niigata Prefecture, Baba joined Yomiuri in 1955 after dropping out of high school when he was in his junior year and was released from the Tokyo- based club following the 1959 season due to injury and lackluster performances. After Rikidozan, 39 years old, died on 12/15/63 from stab wounds suffered at a night club on 12/8/63 in Tokyo, Baba became a top drawing card on Nippon Pro-Wrestling (JWA) from the '60s to the '70s. He started his own All Japan Pro-Wrestling at Machida Gym in Tokyo on 10/21/72 with big support from Dory Funk Sr., Bruno Sammartino, and NTV (Channel 4). He had a very strong relationship with the NWA's main territory--promoters in Texas (Dory Funk Sr. & Jack "Fritz Von Erich" Adkisson), Florida (Eddie Graham), Georgia (Jim Barnett), and Mid Atlantic (Jim Crockett Jr.)--in the '70s, and prevented rival Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro-Wrestling from bringing big name "gaijin" (foreigners). He defeated Jack Brisco as the first Japanese wrestler to win the NWA World Heavyweight title, at Kagoshima Prefectural Gym on 12/2/74. He won the title a total of three times. Links: http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/baba/ |
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