WRESTLER PROFILES

[Giant Baba Gallery] [Japanese Wrestler Gallery]	Wrestler: Touyou no Kyojin (Giant of the Orient) Giant Baba Real Name: Shohei Baba Birthday: January 23, 1938 Date of Death: January 31, 1999 in Tokyo, Japan Hometown: Sanjo, Niigata, Japan Marital Status: Height & Weight: 6'10 - 310lbs Trained by: Rikidozan Debut: 1960 Previous Names: Finishing Move: Boston Crab Running Yakuza Kick Favorite Moves: Running Neckbreaker Swinging Neckbreaker Overhead Chop Headbutt Side Russian Legsweep Notable Feuds: Antonio Inoki Abdullah the Butcher The Sheik Fritz Von Erich Jack Brisco
AJPW All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating Caripus Hurricane & Gene Kiniski (May 29, 1964); AJPW All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating The Destroyer & Billy Red Lyons (July 15, 1965); NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Dick the Bruiser for vacant title (November 24, 1965); AJPW All Asia Tag Team titles w/Michiaki Yoshimura defeating Eddie Graham & Killer Karl Kox (July 1, 1966); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Michiaki Yoshimura defeating Fritz Von Goering & Mike Paidosis (November 5, 1966); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Antonio Inoki defeating Tarzan Tyler & Bill Watts (October 31, 1967); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Antonio Inoki beating Bill Miller & Crusher Lisowski for vacant titles (February 3, 1968); NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Bobo Brazil (June 27, 1968); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Antonio Inoki defeating Danny Hodge & Wilbur Snyder (February 4, 1969); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Antonio Inoki defeating Dick the Bruiser & Crusher (August 13, 1969); NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Gene Kiniski (December 19, 1970); NWA (JWA) International Tag Team titles w/Seiji Sakaguchi defeating Terry & Dory Funk Jr. (May 19, 1972); PWF (Japan) Heavyweight title wins Series Tournament (February 27, 1973); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Jack Brisco (December 2, 1974); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Terry & Dory Funk Jr. (February 5, 1975); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Kintaro Ohki & Kim Duk (December 9, 1976); All Asia Heavyweight title defeating Kintaro Ohki (October 29, 1977); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Kintaro Ohki & Kim Duk (May 11, 1978); PWF (Japan) Heavyweight title defeating Abdullah the Butcher (February 10, 1979); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Ray Candy & Abdullah the Butcher (October 19, 1979); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Harley Race (October 31, 1979); NWA (Detroit) World Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Randy Scott & John Bonello (June 28, 1980); NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Harley Race (September 4, 1980); PWF (Japan) Heavyweight title defeating Harley Race (February 11, 1983); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Ron Bass & Stan Hansen (April 17, 1983); NWA (All Japan) International Tag Team titles w/Jumbo Tsuruta defeating Umanosuke Ueda & Tiger Jeet Singh (August 1, 1983); PWF (Japan) Heavyweight title defeating Stan Hansen (July 31, 1984);
1955: Shohei Baba joined the Yomiuri Giants baseball team after dropping out of High School as a pitcher.. 1959: Shohei Baba was released from the team due to injury and lackluster performances.. 1960: Shohei Baba, who towered over the average Japanese with a 209-centimeter frame, became a professional wrestler.. Giant Shohei Baba formed a tag team with the equally legendary wrestler, Antonio Inoki in the JWA promotion.. July 1, 1961: Giant Baba leaves Japan to tour the United States.. 1970: Giant Baba founded the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion.. 1970: Giant Baba's All Japan promotion went head-to-head with Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling.. 1970s: Giant Baba & AJPW had a strong relationship with many NWA promoters, such as: ~~~Texas (Dory Funk Sr. & Fritz Von Erich), Florida (Eddie Graham), Georgia (Jim Barnett), and Mid Atlantic (Jim Crockett Jr.).. December 2, 1974: Giant Baba defeated Jack Brisco to become the first Japanese wrestler to win the NWA World Heavyweight title.. September 28, 1985 - AWA SuperClash: Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba & Genichiro Tenryu beat Harley Race & Bill & Scott Irwin.. April 20, 1986 - AWA WrestleRock: Giant Baba defeated :Bulldog: Bob Brown.. April 13, 1990 - WWF/AJPW Wrestling Summit: Giant Baba & Andre the Giant defeated Demolition (Ax & Smash).. February 1, 1999: Giant Baba, an avid cigar smoker, passed away as a result of Cancer at the age of 61..