Well it is time for another blog! Yipeeeee! Everytime I almost forget about this turd of a blog it creeps back into my life. And who aided in the creeping this time? Why Metal Mikey of 'Action Attraction' fame! Seems Mikey and I were discussing something (porn, butts, ex-girlfriends... something) and somehow Giant Baba came up? I think it may have had to do with one of his girlfriends looking like Giant Baba but I am going on memory here. Anyway if you aren't familiar with the head of All-Japan Pro Wrestling and its biggest (literally) star than you should check him OOT!:
Baba was a former baseball player in Japan and he also was in a Jerry Lewis movie! You can't fucking beat that for a background. In his younger days he had some big time matches with Living Legend Bruno Sammartino:
The guy was huge and he had devestating chops that could take down a tree or a big muscled up Italian Strongman. Baba, always a hero in Japan, was a freak of nature. He had hands the size of catchers mitts and a head like a Pterodactyl. The Japanese fans loved him as he took on all comers. His matches against monsters like Abdullah the Butcher, Tiger Jeet Singh, Stan Hansen and Bruiser Brody were legendary. These matches were tantamount to Godzilla defending the homeland against some giant foreign menace. One such villain was The Sheik.
Baba though big and suffering from what appeared to be some kind of nerve damage that caused limited mobility in his arms was still a good worker. For a big man Baba knew how to sell. And when it came time he knew when to show fire and when to bring it. Though his style was limited because of his physicality Baba was not beyond throwing a nice drop kick or a running clothesline. And Baba was not afraid to get 'the juice'. Many of his matches against these evil villains saw Baba wearing 'The Crimson Mask'.
Baba was also The Batman to All Japan Pro Wrestlings Robin Jumbo Tsuruta. These two tag teamed for years and took on every team to come to All Japan. Their matches with the dominant heel tag team of the time Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen are still legendary:
Baba later in his career was still head of and owner of All Japan Pro Wrestling but he eventually started taking a back seat in the ring to Jumbo. He often was found in feel good attraction matches where he would team with old foes like Abdullah the Butcher or Andre the Giant. At this time these wrestlers were pretty much over the hill but it was a nice way to give the fans a bit of nostalgia and for these older wrestlers to get one more chance in the spotlight.:
Giant Baba died of cancer January 31, 1999 at the age of 61. He left a lasting legacy that will never be forgotten in pro wrestling.
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