Remembering Giant Baba

[kurama_tengu]

This coming week will mark the 6th anniversary of Shoei Baba's death, which resulted in the formation of NOAH and the continuing slow death of All-Japan Pro Wrestling. I sat last night reading Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer obituary and afterwards watched a tape of the tribute show that NTV showed, as well as a segment covering his public memorial service. I am still amazed at the turnout to this day. If Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan died tomorrow, they would get a nice 5-10 minute memorial video on WWE programming highlighting their career, but nothing remotely resembling what tributes Baba received.

For those who have not seen a copy of this, I recommend looking for it on the net. It is amazing. For the memorial service, Motoka Baba approached a full-size wrestling ring memorial with a large picture of Baba above it, bowed, and placed a flower inside a vase in the ring. The cameras then showed the different members of AJPW as the approached and paid respect similarly. placing a flower in the ring. The gaijin wrestlers were first, starting with Lord James Blears, the figurehead president of the PWF, then The Destroyer, Stan Hansen, Gary Albright, and so on. Then came the local crew: Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi, et al. It was very touching to see Gary Albright look up to the picture of Baba and say something under his breath, almost as he was giving thanks for the opportunity he was given. After the wrestlers and other dignitaries approached, they let the public in. According to the broadcast, 28,000 people came to pay tribute. Many were crying and on their knees. What an effect this gentle giant had on the Japanese public. At the end of the ceremony, the entire ring and the front outside part of the ring floor was covered in flowers. This was not just a memorial service for a sports celebrity, it was a memorial for as Meltzer put it, a cultural icon.

The tribute show NTV broadcast had clips of some of Baba's most famous battles. These were clips I had never seen and it was so different watching something from the 60's and 70's. From the crowd heat, to the quality of the ring, to the workrate itself, it was like going back in a time capsule. Clips of matches against The Destroyer, Bruno Sammartino, Gene Kiniski, Jack Brisco, Harley Race, Bobo Brazil, The Funks, and his tag team with Antonio Inoki were among those shown. By today's standards, Baba was definitely not a good worker, but they were very watchable clips.

Finally, on the 5/2/99 Giant Baba Memorial Tokyo Dome show, they did the final ring count for Baba in an interesting way. They announced it as if it were a legends tag match with Bruno Sammartino and Gene Kiniski being introduced as the opposing tag team and The Destroyer introduced as Baba's tag partner. Footage of Baba's matches against those three were shown, as well as all three saying a few words. Motoka Baba then brought her husband's wrestling boots into the middle of the ring. A looping clip of Baba in his ring robe waiting to be called to the ring was shown in the overhead screens as the announcer read his accomplishments. Then, the final 10-count of the ring bell as the final tribute. The Destroyer then grabbed Baba's boots, exited the ring and handed them to a crying Motoka Baba. It is that scene of Mrs. Baba in tears that waters my eyes up every time I've watched it.

Such respect......such sorrow........such love.....shown for a man so important to puroresu. Meltzer wrote that Baba, along with El Santo and Inoki , were figures that everyone in their cultures, old and young, knew. This was a status that could be compared in the US to Elvis, the Beatles, and Sinatra, and something maybe only Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan have as sports figures have achieved. It's sad to see how puroresu is slowly falling apart due to various problems such as economy, political turmoil, bad American-style booking, etc. If All-Japan should go under in the near future, we could all look at 1/31/99, the day Baba died, as the beginning of the end.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Well said. Someone was asking in another thread who we think of first when we hear puroresu. To me, it's always Inoki and Baba.

[kurama_tengu]

Thanks for the praise Hisa. As a somewhat newer fan of puroresu, both Baba and Inoki are the names that come to my mind as well. It'll be interesting to read Meltzer's obit on Inoki when that time comes if he's still writing. I kinda think there will be more controversies among the stories. I mean, from the political scandals to his booking of wrestlers in shoot fights, there are a lot of things that make us scratch our head. Of course, he's had the great successes as well, but the most recent headlines are what sticks in my mind.

[edgehead1984]

well Motoko Baba ran a memorial show today...and here are the results from Oudou Love...

1. Masanobu Fuchi & Taichi Ishikari beat Yuto Aijima & Nobutaka Araya (11:03) when Fuchi used an inside cradle on Aijima.
2. Kaz Hayashi & Genichiro Tenryu beat Taiyo Kea & TAKA Michinoku (11:44) when Tenryu used the 53-years-old on TAKA.
3. Ryuji Hijikata & Toshiaki Kawada beat Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Tomoaki Honma (15:59) when Kawada used a backdrop suplex on Honma.


Also there were talk show segments with Tenryu, Kawada, Fuchi and Sakaguchi...

[Pheonix_Chi25]

*Plays "Champion's Spirit" in honor of Baba Shohei*

He was one of the most awesome big men wrestlers in Japan. For a guy 6'-10" he was just a wonder in the ring.

Domo Arigato Baba-san

[BusaLiger Dragon]

Heres the results from the other show that was on 2/5/05

Motoko Baba "6 YEARS OF GIANT BABA'S DEATH", 2/5/05
Tokyo Nippon Budokan

1. Nobukazu Hirai & Ryuji Hijikata beat Yuto Aijima & GOEMON (8:32) when Hirai used the Hirai End on Aijima.
2. Arashi & Shigeo Okumura beat Nobutaka Araya & Taichi Ishikari (7:40) when Arashi pinned Ishikari.
3. Dragon Gate Offer: Masaaki Mochizuki, K-ness & Susumu Yokosuka beat Ryo Saito, Dragon Kid & Genki Horiguchi (16:43) when Mochizuki used the Twister on Horiguchi.
4. Abdullah The Butcher & Tarzan Goto beat Jinsei Shinzaki Michinoku Pro & Tomoaki Honma (11:04) when Abdulah pinned Honma.
5. Mike Barton, Jim Steele & George Hines beat Jamal, Chuck Palumbo & Rodney Mac (14:02) when Barton used the Barton Basher on Mac.
6. Satoshi Kojima, Takao Omori & Hiroshi Hase beat Keiji Muto, Kensuke Sasaki & Kaz Hayashi (23:21) when Kojima used a lariat on Hayashi.
7. Toshiaki Kawada & Manukea Mossman beat Genichiro Tenryu & Masanobu Fuchi (25:56) when Mossman used the H50 on Fuchi.

[edgehead1984]

Looking at thay card, there's some wrestlers who I haven't seen mentioned in long time...Steele, Barton, Hines, Goto and Kea as Mossman...

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Rodney Mack?

[BusaLiger Dragon]

I just wished someone had pictures of this.... It would be great to see how everyone looks now. Anybody know where there might some pictures of this event could be located?

[NOAHMark]

I have the first show AJPW did after Baba's death "Fan Appreciation day" and i remember the beginning when Momota and Misawa were in the ring. It was a saddened day, the first AJPW show without Baba living to see it.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Thinking about Baba, I'm trying to put together two lists,

One called the best big men in Japan, the other called the best big men in the world, I'd like it if I can get imput from everyone on who they felt were the best big men to ever wrestle in Japan and the world, be they american, japanese or whomever.

I'm going to do like the NBA, post the 50 Greatest Big Man Wrestlers in Japan and the 50 Greatest Big Man Wrestlers in The World.