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Larger-than-life figures are part of what makes professional wrestling such a fascinating medium, performers who feel like the product of myth and legend rather than flesh and bone. Standing at six feet ten inches, Giant Baba was just that for the burgeoning Japanese professional wrestling industry, debuting during its infancy and climbing all the way to its peak with it.

But, Shohei Baba was so much more than just a spectacle of a physical specimen. Baba was a vital part of the development of Japanese professional wrestling, both in the ring and behind the scenes. A wrestler, an entrepreneur, and a visionary, Baba played a huge role in leading the Japanese scene to new heights. As such, today, he is almost deified, remembered fondly by those who knew him and looked up to by those who never got to.

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Giant Baba's Rise to Fame

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Born in 1938, Baba was diagnosed with gigantism in his early years. Despite his condition, Baba excelled as a pitcher, such that he caught the attention of scouts from the Nippon Professional Baseball league, and was convinced to drop out of high school to follow a career as an athlete. Baba, rather appropriately, spent five seasons with the Yomiuri Giants and a very brief spell with the Taiyo Whales before retiring from the sport in 1960.

Whilst he was still pitching, Baba met Rikidozan, the godfather of Japanese professional wrestling, a superstar in every sense of the word. Transitioning into the world of wrestling, Baba became Rikidozan's star pupil, overshadowing fellow prospect Antonio Inoki. Baba was a near-instant success in the ring, such that when Rikidozan sent him to the United States in 1961, Baba was main eventing in world championship matches against the likes of Freddie Blassie and Buddy Rogers within months. By 1964, he was headlining Madison Square Garden with Bruno Sammartino.

Where he worked as both a terrifying monster and a fan favorite in the States, Baba was always beloved during his time in Japan. Although Baba towered over practically every opponent he ever stepped into the ring with, he could draw just as much sympathy from the crowd as any other top babyface of his time. Baba was Rikidozan's heir apparent, and following his mentor's death in 1963, Baba seemed primed to take over the reins as Japan's top star.

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Giant Baba's Legacy In Japanese Wrestling

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Just a few months after Inoki founded New Japan Pro Wrestling, Baba began his own promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling. Crucial in its success, AJPW gained membership to the NWA in 1973, with the allure of American talent being a strong draw in Japan for many years. With this membership, Baba also struck a deal that saw him become the first-ever Japanese NWA World Heavyweight Champion, defeating Jack Brisco in Kagoshima, before dropping the title back to him days later in time for Brisco to return Stateside.

As well as an in-ring performer, Baba was a savvy booker, taking inspiration from the American territories. Baba was able to navigate the business into having both an array of foreign talent, and a wealth of young, Japanese stars. Foreign talent that worked for AJPW was always treated well by Baba, in return, earning their undying loyalty. Baba spared no expense in making sure they were taken care of, from cold beer in the locker rooms to the best hotels and travel, covering the costs from his own pocket. Even when the WWF struck up a working relationship with NJPW, Bruno Sammartino refused to wrestle for anyone but Baba in Japan.

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Under Baba, AJPW produced stars like Jumbo Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu, cultivating the style known as "The King's Road". Baba's guidance also saw the rise of what is considered by some to be the best era in wrestling history. With talent like Tsuruta and Stan Hansen as the company's elder statesmen, the 1990s saw the ascension of "The Four Pillars of Heaven", Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue, and Kenta Kobashi.

Reportedly, the last match Baba ever watched was a Triple Crown Championship match been Misawa and Kawada, viewed from his hospital bed in Tokyo Medical University Hospital on January 22nd, 1999. Only those closest to him knew of the severity of his condition; colon cancer. On January 31, 1999, Shohei Baba passed away. A public memorial service was held in the Nippon Budokan in April, with a crowd of 28,000 coming to pay their respects.

Since his death, the Japanese wrestling industry has come together for various tribute shows and memorials, a testament to how beloved he was. There is no denying that Baba was one of the biggest stars in wrestling history, and a fundamental figure when it came to the business side of pro wrestling. Without Baba, the Japanese wrestling industry would look very different, a fact that his fans are well aware of.