Giant Baba’s legacy rests on more than his fame in the ring: he became a leading Japanese wrestler, founded All Japan Pro Wrestling, and helped shape the company as its promoter and a teacher to future stars. Wrestling histories remember him with deep respect and affection, though that reputation is qualitative rather than a measurable claim about every fan in Japan.
From professional baseball to the wrestling ring
Baba began his athletic career as a professional baseball pitcher for Japan’s Yomiuri Giants. After a shoulder injury, he turned to wrestling and trained under Rikidōzan, the influential wrestler who helped establish the sport in Japan. Greg Oliver’s 1999 obituary and the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame’s account both describe this transition.
He founded All Japan Pro Wrestling
In 1972, Baba founded All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), giving him a role in building the institution as well as performing for it. A scholarly article’s surfaced summary dates the promotion’s first show to October 21, 1972, and says it had funding from Nippon Television and support from Rikidōzan’s family. That detail is attributed to the article summary; the full PDF was not available to verify further context.
His influence extended beyond his matches
Baba was All Japan’s central headliner and promoter, and he served as the company’s president. Oliver’s obituary also describes him as a well-respected teacher whose students became stars in Japan. That combination—performer, company leader, and mentor—helps explain why his importance is not limited to a list of championships or memorable bouts.
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Why wrestling accounts remember him so warmly
The International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame essay calls Baba a Japanese cultural icon. Oliver’s obituary, published on February 1, 1999, says he was respected and loved by fans. These are accounts of his reputation, not findings from a representative survey or a numerical ranking of popularity.
The Hall of Fame essay quotes wrestler Stan Hansen, from the prologue to Hansen’s autobiography The Last Outlaw: “People use the term ‘legend’ loosely, but if there was a true legend in Japan, Baba most certainly was one.” The line captures the stature attributed to Baba by a fellow wrestler who knew his world.
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Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki founded different promotions
Baba is associated with All Japan Pro Wrestling; Antonio Inoki is associated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The Japan Foundation’s educational quiz identifies Inoki as the wrestler who founded New Japan and fought Muhammad Ali. The distinction matters: Baba and Inoki were both major figures in Japanese wrestling, but the founder of New Japan was Inoki, not Baba.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the available record does—and does not—establish
The sources support a clear account of Baba’s baseball-to-wrestling path, his founding of All Japan, and his work as a promoter and teacher. They also convey an affectionate reputation through attributed commentary. They do not establish a reliable popularity statistic, so his standing is best described through those documented roles and the way wrestling historians and colleagues remember him.
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