Who was Giant Baba?

Giant Baba, the ring name of Shōhei Baba, was a wrestler and promoter who helped shape Japanese professional wrestling. He founded All Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972 and remained one of the most recognisable figures in puroresu for decades. His reputation is bigger than his height or his famous finishing kick: Baba helped decide how a major Japanese promotion could look, travel and endure.

From baseball to the wrestling ring

Baba was born in Sanjō, Niigata, in 1938 and spent time in professional baseball before entering wrestling. That background matters. Post-war Japanese sport already had a huge television audience, and the wrestling business was searching for national stars who could connect that audience to international opponents.

The name Giant Baba came from his striking physical presence, but size alone does not explain his career. He understood how to pace a main event for a local crowd and how to run a promotion that relied on touring, television and visiting talent from abroad.

Founding All Japan Pro Wrestling

In 1972, Baba founded All Japan Pro Wrestling, often called AJPW or Zen Nihon Pro Wrestling. It became one of the two central forces in modern puroresu alongside Antonio Inoki’s New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The companies shared an audience, but they did not offer the same kind of wrestling identity.

All Japan became known for major-match presentation, long-running rivalries and relationships with foreign wrestlers. Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, Stan Hansen and Abdullah the Butcher were among the names who made Japan feel connected to a wider wrestling world. Baba was the constant organiser behind that exchange.

The 16 Mon Kick and a distinct presence

The 16 Mon Kick became Baba’s signature. It looked simple, but its timing, distance and the opponent’s reaction made it an event. That economy is part of the appeal of classic puroresu: a move carries weight because the audience understands when it is coming.

Baba did not present himself as an unreachable superhero. His calm manner and dry humour made him feel dependable, even as younger wrestlers brought faster and more aggressive styles into the ring. That public image was a key part of his longevity.

Why his influence still matters

Baba left two connected legacies. The sporting one comes from his place as a top attraction during the period when Japanese wrestling built stronger international links. The structural one comes from his promotion, which gave later generations the room to push long-form, technical main events into a new era.

When Baba died in 1999, All Japan lost its founder but not its influence. The idea that a card can build patiently toward a major contest, and that rivalries deserve time to grow, still shapes how many fans and wrestlers talk about Japan. For anyone exploring puroresu, Giant Baba is an essential starting point.

How to start watching Baba

To understand Baba, watch matches from different periods rather than searching only for a list of moves. A short bout shows his presence; a packed-arena main event shows the patience of the style. Notice how opponents sell the 16 Mon Kick, how the crowd reacts before contact and how the match changes pace near its finish. That visual language explains his importance better than a list of championships.

It also helps to place All Japan in its moment. The company was neither a copy of American wrestling nor merely a stage for foreign guests. Baba adapted international exchanges for a Japanese audience and established a tradition that later wrestlers developed further. That combination of star, promoter and organiser is what makes his story so central.