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AJPW History

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This series covers the history of All Japan Pro Wrestling. The company was founded by Shohei “Giant” Baba in 1972 and has gone through numerous phases over the last half century. In the ring, it started as something heavily influenced by the American NWA style and the 1970s footage we have features the top wrestlers of the era — Harley Race, the Funks, Billy Robinson and Jack Brisco, among others — taking on native AJPW stars, most frequently Baba and the rising Jumbo Tsuruta. In the early 1980s, Terry Funk, who became one of the greatest babyfaces in wrestling history in his AJPW tenure, Race and Ric Flair continued in that tradition until the arrival of Riki Choshu in late 1984, which prompted a shift to a more all-action style, with Choshu and Yoshiaki Yatsu facing Tsuruta and Genichiro Tenryu in some legendary tag team matches that were almost a pseudo-interpromotional feud with rival New Japan Pro Wrestling. After Choshu’s departure in early 1987, the Jumbo-Tenryu team was split and the former duo feuded with each other for nearly three years in some of the most legendary main events of all time. Tenryu departed the company in 1990, which prompted Baba to elevate a new generation of stars, most prominently Mitsuharu Misawa. Former Tenryu junior partner Toshiaki Kawada became a breakout star and a young Kenta Kobashi showed incredible promise. The decade ahead is legendary for the sheer number of classic matches those three wrestlers had against each other and other natives such as Jun Akiyama and Akira Taue, and also against top foreign talent like Stan Hansen and “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. In 2000, a year after Baba’s passing, Misawa departed AJPW with most of the roster at his side to form Pro Wrestling NOAH. The task of rebuilding the company fell on Kawada, who stayed behind, and the returning Tenryu. The glory years of AJPW were largely over, but the company exists and produces wrestling worth watching to this day, with top stars like Kento Miyahara, Zeus (no, not him), Suwama and others as top stars in recent years.

  1. AJPW quick links

    Started by Loss,

    All Japan Pro Wrestling Prequels #01 (1963-1966) #02 (March-December 1967) #03 (1968-1969) #04 (April-December 1969) #05 (1969-1970) #06 (December 1970-March 1971)

    • 0 replies
    • 826 views
    Loss

  2. AJPW History #01 (1963-1966)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #1 (02:05:36) Matches from 1963-1966 BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & GREAT TOGO & RIKIDOZAN vs PAT O’CONNOR & KILLER X & COWBOY BOB ELLIS (03/23/1963; JWA 5th Annual World League; 00:07:30) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs KILLER KOWALSKI (03/24/1963; JWA 5th Annual World League; 00:05:39) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & RIKIDOZAN & TOYONOBORI vs KILLER KOWALSKI & KILLER X & GORILLA MONSOON (03/27/1963; JWA 5th Annual World League; 00:09:50) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & RIKIDOZAN vs PAT O’CONNOR & KILLER KOWALSKI (03/28/1963; JWA 5th Annual World League; 00:07:23) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs PAT O…

    • 0 replies
    • 525 views
    Loss

  3. AJPW History #02 (March-December 1967)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #2 (02:24:27) Matches from March-December 1967 BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BRUNO SAMMARTINO (03/02/1967; JWA MSG Series; 00:25:34) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BRUNO SAMMARTINO (03/07/1967; JWA MSG Series; 00:59:23) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs GENE KINISKI (08/14/1967; JWA Summer Series I; 00:30:08) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs CRUSHER LISOWSKI (12/06/1967; JWA; 00:29:22)

    • 0 replies
    • 319 views
    Loss

  4. AJPW History #03 (1968-1969)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #3 (02:37:29) Matches from 1968-1969 BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs CRUSHER LISOWSKI (01/03/1968; JWA New Year Championship Series; 00:04:35) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs DICK THE BRUISER (02/28/1968; JWA; 00:18:01) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BOBO BRAZIL (06/25/1968; JWA Golden Series; 00:08:07) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BOBO BRAZIL (06/27/1968; JWA Golden Series; 00:24:01) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BRUNO SAMMARTINO (08/07/1968; JWA Summer Series I; 00:27:09) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO INOKI vs DANNY HODGE & WILBUR SNYDER (02/11/1969; JWA; 00:05:21) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO…

    • 0 replies
    • 301 views
    Loss

  5. AJPW History #04 (April-December 1969)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #4 (02:04:53) Matches from April-December 1969 BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs GORILLA MONSOON (04/05/1969; JWA World League; 00:07:26) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & KINTARO OKI vs BOBO BRAZIL & CHRIS MARKOFF (04/16/1969; JWA World BONUS! League; 00:15:15) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs BOBO BRAZIL (05/16/1969; JWA World League; 00:33:13) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO INOKI vs DICK THE BRUISER & THE CRUSHER (08/13/1969; JWA Summer Series I; 00:16:24) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs DORY FUNK JR. (12/03/1969; JWA NWA Series; 00:33:01) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs FRITZ VON ERICH (12/19/1969; NWA Hollywood; …

    • 0 replies
    • 299 views
    Loss

  6. AJPW History #05 (1969-1970)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #5 (01:53:17) Matches from 1969-1970 BONUS! DORY FUNK JR. vs SHOHEI BABA (12/03/1969; JWA NWA Series; 00:33:01) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs FRITZ VON ERICH (03/03/1970; JWA Dynamic and Iron Claw Series; 00:29:59) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO INOKI vs DORY FUNK JR. & TERRY FUNK (08/04/1970; JWA NWA World Champion Series; 00:15:16) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO INOKI vs JOHNNY VALENTINE & GENE KINISKI (12/01/1970; JWA International Champion Series; 00:34:59)

    • 0 replies
    • 350 views
    Loss

  7. AJPW History #06 (December 1970-March 1971)

    Started by Loss,

    AJPW History #6 (02:12:28) Matches from December 1970-March 1971 BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs GENE KINISKI (12/03/1970; JWA International Champion Series; 00:44:50) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA vs GENE KINISKI (12/18/1970; NWA Hollywood; Wrestling at the Olympic Auditorium; 01:02:50) BONUS! SHOHEI BABA & ANTONIO INOKI vs MIL MASCARAS & SPIROS ARION (03/02/1971; JWA; 00:24:48)

    • 0 replies
    • 1.3k views
    Loss

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