Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance

Uh, when he first started out, he was wrestling, just breaking into the business, and b- keeping the books on the side just for a little extra money.

Uh, but by the 1960s, he had been around, and he, and he had, uh, been to Japan in 1965 for the Japan Wrestling Association.

He...

And those matches are on YouTube, where Fritz Von Erich is just this humongous star in Japan.

Baba was born in Nagata on January 23rd, 1938.

Before the ring, he was a professional baseball pitcher.

Ricky Dozen pulled him into the Japan Wrestling Association in 1960, the way Fe- uh, Pfeffer and the old offices pulled athletes into the American territories.

The big size first, education second.

But he spent the last couple of years in the United States.

But while he was here before, top division sumo wrestler, one of JWA's original light heavyweight and junior heavyweight champions.

He left Japan in 61 when Baba left and Mammoth Suzuki.

So while Baba was being developed as the international monster, the superstar, the heavyweight, Yoshino Sato became a hated Japanese heel, the stereotypical heel in Tennessee, the Carolinas.

It happens.

Correct.

And Yoshino Sato was gone from JWA for 27 months, just over two years.

But he was getting seasoned.

I ain't through with you, not yet by a long shot.

On September 30th, 1960, one of the most beloved Japanese wrestlers ever, Giant Baba made his professional wrestling debut for the Japanese Wrestling Association.

Baba would beat Yonataro Tanaka in his match, while another debutant wrestler, Antonio Inoki, lost to Kentaro Oki.

30 years later in 1990, to mark the 30th anniversary of Giant Baba's wrestling debut, All Japan Pro Wrestling celebrated with a show in Corican Hall in Tokyo.

Antonio Inoki, at the time number two guy, but the star.

And JWA, Japan Pro Wrestling, had two different network channels.

One company, but channel four, Nippon TV.

Channel 10, NET, TV Asahi.

Acknowledging, you know, see, y- you have to know Bruno Sammartino, WWWF Champ- World Champion, you know?

W- why was that, uh, Fumi? Why, why did they not acknowledge the-

Well, 1976, you know, JWA, Nippon Pro Wrestling, became official member of NWA, you know? And, uh, Yoshinosato became that, the second vice president of the organization.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, you asked about Inoki and Baba.

They split off from the Japanese Wrestling Association, the JWA.

They had been the primary main wrestling organization in Japan in the 50s and 60s.

But in 72, Baba split off and formed All Japan.