All Japan Pro Wrestling
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All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. It is one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation as of 2005.
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History
The promotion was founded by Shohei "Giant" Baba and the Momota brothers, sons of Rikidozan. Baba, a former pro baseball pitcher, joined the JWA in 1960. In October, 1972, he left the JWA and formed his own group, All Japan. His group continues to promote today, with a television show on Nippon TV until 2000. Their first card was on October 21, 1972 at Machida City Gym in Tokyo, Japan.
Baba established the Pacific Wrestling Federation (PWF) as the governing body for all future titles in All Japan. In the beginning the PWF recognized a world heavyweight championship and several "regional championships" given as billing to foreign stars depending from which region they came from, but after All Japan joined the NWA, the PWF world title was downgraded to a regional championship. The PWF "President" (similar to a commissioner in a U. S. promotion, with the added task of "presenting" the belts to the winners in title bouts) from the start until 2000 was Lord James Blears and after that Stan Hansen.
Baba passed away in January 1999, leaving the promotion in the hands of top star Mitsuharu Misawa. Misawa, disheartened with Motoko Baba's proposed direction for the company, left the group on May 28th 2000 to form a new group, Pro Wrestling NOAH. Misawa took many top wrestlers from the All Japan group.
Motoko Baba, Shohei's widow, is now president of the company, but it is known to be booked by former New Japan Pro Wrestling star Keiji Mutoh.
Titles
AJPW currently promotes the following championship belts:
Titles previously promoted by the company include the PWF (World) Heavyweight Title, NWA International Heavyweight Title, NWA United National Title (the three constituent belts of the Triple Crown), and the All Asia Heavyweight Title.
Wrestlers
In the thirty two years since its inception, AJPW has featured many legends of the squared circle on their shows. These include:
- Natives: Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu, Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada, Kenta Kobashi, Jun Akiyama, Atsushi Onita, Yoshiaki Yatsu, The Great Kabuki
- Foreigners: Stan Hansen, Ric Flair, Dory Funk, Jr., Terry Funk, Abdullah the Butcher, Jack Brisco, Steve Williams, Big Van Vader, Johnny Ace, Gary Albright, Mil Mascaras, Harley Race, Chavo Guerrero Sr., Dynamite Kid
Current Ownership
Following her husband's death in January 1999, Motoko Baba inherited control of the company. Mitsuharu Misawa had been serving as company President and chief booker, but the two frequently clashed over how the promotion should be run, and in May 2000 Misawa and almost all the roster of Japanese wrestlers quit the company to start Pro Wrestling NOAH with Baba's original business partners the Momota brothers. Mrs. Baba responded by bringing Genichiro Tenryu back into the company, 10 years after he and others quit under similar circumstances to Misawa to form SWS, although back then the roster had not been as decimated as it was in 2000.
In 2001, at the end of a year long cross promotional angle with New Japan Pro Wrestling, three of New Japan's top stars, Keiji Mutoh, Satoshi Kojima and Kendo Ka Shin, defected to All Japan. Muto was rewarded by Mrs. Baba with the job of company President, and eventually all the Baba family stock was transferred to Muto.