All Japan's 10th Anniversary show at Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) on October 9, 1981...(L-R) Jumbo Tsuruta, Mil Mascaras, Prince Tonga (Haku/Meng, behind Terry Funk's right shoulder), Terry Funk, Ashura Hara (behind Terry's left shoulder), Dory Funk Jr., Bruno Sammartino, Yoshihiro Momota (older son of Rikidozan, behind Bruno's left arm), Gen-ichiroTenryu, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer, behind Gunji Hara's right side), Gunji Hara (ring announcer/secretary/promoter for Baba), and Shohei "Giant" Baba
All Japan Pro-Wrestling, which is, no doubt, one of the most traditional and conservative wrestling companies in the world today, lost its founder, Shohei "Giant" Baba, on Sunday, January 31. They had the "Fan Appreciation Day" show without gaijin (foreign) wrestlers at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 13. Hayabusa (FMW) & Jinsei Shinzaki (a.k.a. Hakushi in the WWF / Michinoku Pro.) beat Tamon Honda & Jun Izumida to become the 64th All Asian Tag Team champions (23:17 Shinzaki b. Honda), which is one of the oldest wrestling titles, and had been held by Rikidozan, Baba, and Antonio Inoki in Japan since 1950. Kenta Kobashi / Jun Akiyama / Kentaro Shiga beat Mitsuharu Misawa / Yoshinari Ogawa / Masahito Kakihara to win the Six-Man Tag Team tournament (23:04 Shiga b. Kakihara).
Masanori with Dory Funk Jr.
They announced that they would have the "Farewell Ceremony to Giant Baba" with wrestling fans from 1:00 p.m. at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Saturday, April 17, and "Giant Baba's Retirement Ceremony" will be at Tokyo Dome from 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 2. It is expected that four legendary stars will return to All Japan Pro.'s ring for their old friend and biggest rival; they are Dory Funk Jr., who has been absent from All Japan since October 18, 1996; Terry Funk, who has been absent since October 21, 1992; Abdullah the Butcher, who has been absent since March 2, 1996; and The Destroyer (Dick Beyer), who has been absent since July 29, 1993 (his Retirement Ceremony at Nippon Budokan). Plus, Bruno Sammartino, Gene Kiniski, and Harley Race are expected to be the special guests for the ceremony.
Bruno Sammartino with Masanori
The company will be run by Mitsuharu Misawa, Mitsuo Momota (a son of Rikidozan), and Jumbo Tsuruta, who are three members of the board of directors (stockholders). They strain every nerve to run the company without the big boss who had controlled everything for 26 years since 1972. The next tour will start with eight gaijin wrestlers (Stan Hansen, Vader, Gary Albright, Johnny Ace, Giant Kimala, Johnny Smith, Wolf Hawkfield, and Maunukea Mossman) from Saturday, February 20 to Saturday, March 6 (10 shows). The Nippon Budokan show on March 6 will have double main events: Akira Taue vs. Vader for the vacant Triple Crown Heavyweight title, and Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa for the World Tag Team title. "Champion Carnival '99" (single round robin tournament) will be from Friday, March 26 (Korakuen Hall) to Friday, April 16 (final / Nippon Budokan). "Super Power Series '99" will be from Saturday, May 22 (Korakuen Hall) to Friday, June 11 (Nippon Budokan).
Masanori with Harley Race
I communicated with some gaijin wrestlers last week about Giant Baba's death. They were three of All Japan's regular gaijin wrestlers (Johnny Ace, Gary Albright, and Giant Kimala), as well as ECW's Rob Van Dam (a regular gaijin from February 19, 1993 to June 6, 1997), and WCW's Chris Jericho, who hasn't come to All Japan yet; they all mentioned about Baba's death.
"All Japan 1999" will be designed by the famous hard and tough competitions by Misawa, Kawada, Kobashi, Taue, and Akiyama again, same as last year, when they had 124 shows drawing 426,550 fans (average: 3,440 fans) in 1998. Plus, Vader (Leon White) can join their competitions, and he can draw fans. However, they usually have NO angles; therefore, there is no meaning to any of the matches on local spot shows; correctly speaking, there is meaning of the match ... match quality itself.
It will be an important subject for Johnny Ace, a gaijin booking agent, to find gaijin wrestlers who can appeal to fans' hearts and draw them to the shows.
Actually, there is a tense atmosphere among gaijin wrestlers, because their jobs will be influenced by Misawa's sense of direction for the company.
Stan "The Lariat" Hansen with Masanori
The late Giant Baba had cut the budget for regular gaijins for the past few years, because the Japanese economy had serious depression, when two majors, WWF and WCW, had enjoyed their big booming successes in the U.S.A., and for not only economic reasons but for some other reasons, a lot of regular gaijins have left All Japan … Dory Funk Jr., Abdullah the Butcher, Steve Williams & Terry Gordy, Danny Spivey, The Patriot (Del Wilkes), Big Bubba Rogers (Big Bossman), Can-Am Express (Danny Krofatt & Doug Furnas), Joel Deaton & Billy Black, The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers), Sabu & Rob Van Dam, The Eagle (Jackie Fulton) & The Falcon (Steve Armstrong), Mark & Chris Youngblood, Al Perez & Barry Horowitz, Southern Rockers (Rex King & Steve Doll), Tracy Smothers, and Richard Slinger.
Baba's death was shocking news in a transitional period between 1999 and 2000, and it will be a turning point for gaijin wrestlers, too.
You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp
Masanori's Japan Tour Dates List can be found at http://www.sky.net/~dannyp/japandates.html
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http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~dnak/
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