Billy Robinson vs. Giant Baba (AJPW, 7/24/76)

Billy Robinson is so awesome. Not to sell Baba short, he was great here too, but Robinson’s performance was fantastic. From the apprehension he conveys about locking up with Baba, maintaining a certain distance and treating him like a major threat throughout the match, to his movements, his takedowns, his quick snakebite strikes to the legs.  He tries to overwhelm Baba rather than get tangled up in his spindly limbs, chopping him down at the knees. I’ve said it a million times but it’s the little things that add up and Robinson is a master at incorporating them into his matches. The way he pushes his weight back onto Baba’s chinlock in order to pin his shoulders to the mat, or cranking Baba’s leg over his own head, using it as a battering ram to weaken the leg. When Baba realizes Billy’s not going to tie up with him, he starts slapping and chopping away, picking up the first fall after a backdrop.

Robinson sells Baba’s strikes so well, making them look extra painful, trying in vain to block them. He starts firing back on offense, hitting a gnarly neckbreaker, and when he’s unsuccessful with the double arm suplex attempts, Robinson takes out the leg and quickly submits Baba with a single leg crab to even the score. And he doesn’t let up, hitting leg enziguris at the start of the third fall, once again trying to submit him before Baba builds any momentum. At one point, Billy drapes Baba’s leg on the ropes and executes a tope onto the leg through the ropes, causing them both to tumble outside! By the end of this thing, Robinson is delivering everything he can in his arsenal to down the giant, including an impressive backbreaker, but when he runs into the neckbreaker drop, it’s game over, emphasizing once again the danger that is Baba and how every move could be the last.

Giant Baba vs. Destroyer (JWA, 12/11/72)

While not nearly on the same pedestal as their 1969 masterpiece, this match showed how the Destroyer can turn a prolonged headlock-dominated first fall into something entertaining. Baba isn’t the most engaging on the mat but Destroyer not only does a solid job selling Baba’s headlock but when the roles are reversed, Destroyer makes the headlock interesting. Whether it’s wrenching Baba’s head back and forth, using his knees to tenderize, or springboarding off the ropes with the takedown, Destroyer breathes life into an otherwise lackluster first fall. He’s jaw jacking to the fans, yelling at Baba “you get paid to lay down!”, but when he runs into the neckbreaker drop, it’s over. The second fall ends just as quickly when Destroyer gets Baba in the figure-four leglock. Baba’s selling in the third fall is tremendous. He hurts himself on the coconut crusher, his leg gives out on the single leg crab hold, but when Destroyer tries to take advantage of the injury, he keeps hurting himself, too! Baba wins the third fall and the match via countout. As always, Destroyer was a joy to watch in the ring and Baba really turned up the drama in the third fall.

Giant Baba vs. The Destroyer (JWA, 3/5/69)

Giant Baba is an interesting cat -- gangly, awkward and at times, clumsy, but he somehow makes it work. He may not be the stiffest worker but he’s one of the smartest, knowing his limitations and how to utilize those long limbs in effective ways. Even with his size and strange build, Baba’s early takedowns and reversals looked silky smooth. The Destroyer is about the best kind of heel you can ask for: dastardly, perfectly despicable, and a wrestling savant on the canvas. When he’s working Baba’s arm, he’s gnawing on the fingers, punching the hand, making the hold multifaceted and interesting. Baba’s limbwork isn’t nearly as enthralling but Destroyer makes the struggle and eventual escape really fun to watch. There’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game between the two as Destroyer keeps getting caught with Baba’s leg scissors after each successful escape. At one point, Destroyer cackles in freedom, only to get trapped yet again. There’s an awesome moment where Destroyer tries to attack the arm again and Baba counters with the leg scissors.

The narrative throughout this first fall is clearly Baba thwarting Destroyer with those lanky scissors holds. Destroyer then starts playing dirty, rubbing shit in Baba’s eyes, busting him open with a loaded mask headbutt, using a “mystery weapon” from his trunks to bloody Baba even more. This only pisses Baba off and after coconut crushing him, Baba picks up the first fall by using his weight to counter the double leg cradle. Destroyer starts the second fall by biting Baba’s face! True heel! They keep teasing the figure-four leglock as Destroyer continually works over Baba’s leg and when he finally gets it on, Baba quickly submits. But everything falls apart in the end as Destroyer’s American cowboys get involved, resulting in the referee getting socked and Baba winning via DQ. Shit finish but Destroyer ruled this match and Baba more than held his own with those big ass leg scissors.

Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 8/7/68)

Compared to Baba, Bruno Sammartino is an Italian terrier with a bite, backing a defenseless Baba into a corner, aggressively sinking his teeth into Baba’s arm, using his boots, elbows, and knees to strike at him, before a peeved Baba ragdolls Bruno across the ring. Terrific psychology throughout the first fall, with Baba targeting the leg and Bruno really selling it as he hobbles from ringpost to ringpost. Again, the simple nuances are what really elevate this. For example, there’s a part where Baba is working the leg and Bruno starts fighting back with strikes, so Baba traps the arm but in turn, Bruno begins to assert control of Baba’s previously worked over arm and Baba has to bail out to his feet when Bruno nearly has it. Awesome stuff. Bruno wins the first fall with an impressive over-the-shoulder backbreaker rack and throughout the second fall, he keeps going back to the bear hug, which Baba is able to avoid, ultimately evening the score with a dropkick. At the start of the third fall, Bruno is still selling the leg and Baba takes notice, going back on the attack. In a great moment of stubborn determination, Bruno tosses Baba to the outside and does everything he can to prevent him from re-entering the ring, to the point where Baba has to chop his way back inside. The finish was underwhelming but played into both guys trying to get the win via count out -- Baba succeeding with a little help from a foreign object at ringside.

Giant Baba vs. Gene Kiniski (JWA, 8/14/67)

The atmosphere of this match is incredible, with the outdoor seating, fans puffing cigarettes and fanning themselves off as two dudes sweat for an hour inside a small wrestling ring. It’s the kind of match you put on in a dingy hip bar somewhere and let play without any context or explanation. The no good cheatin’ Gene Kiniski against the surprisingly more aggressive Giant Baba. On a whole, this match isn’t going to burn any barns down but there are a lot of neat nuances dashed throughout, like the way Baba uses his long legs to hammer the back of Kiniski’s neck while he’s got him in the leg scissors, repeatedly pushing his own knee into Kiniski’s face. The little extra mustard behind Baba’s kicks and stomps, or how Kiniski immediately puts his knees up after a scoop slam to counter the pin attempt -- cool shit bits like that. Baba wins the first fall with a dropkick, Kiniski the second with a diving knee drop, and during the third, the two unload on each other in desperation, with plenty of brain chops and big boots from Baba, sold really well by Kiniski. After time expires, they’re given five more minutes and the lanky Baba comes out dropkicking. Kiniski delivers a backbreaker hold and a diving knee but when he tries for the coup de grâce kneedrop, Baba rolls out of the way. Smelling blood, Baba attacks Gene’s leg, trying to submit him with the single leg crab before the match ends in a double time limit draw.

Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 3/7/67)

Going way way back to 1967 -- a very solid contest with plenty of dedicated work from both guys down the stretch. Great first fall with Baba rolling around the mat, trying to shake Bruno’s arm control before turning the game around on Bruno. Sammartino has some nifty escapes and at times, nifty Logan-esque hair. At one point, he goes for an arm drag and Baba just deadweights him to counter, reasserting his control of Bruno’s arm. The crowd digs the sportsmanship as the two go back-and-forth targeting the arms, trying to weaken their opponent’s respective offense – Bruno with the bearhug and Baba with his giant chops. After Baba tosses Bruno around for a bit, he picks up the first fall with a knee drop. They stay with the arm work for the second fall as things settle down. The match feels sluggish and repetitive at times, and the execution isn’t quite as smooth as the early goings. Bruno starts with the bear hug attempts and Baba is quick to chop his way out of harm’s way. After evening the score with a running body press, Bruno starts unloading on Baba during the third fall. Good strikes from Bruno, especially with the knees. By the end of it, they’re both past the point of exhaustion, with Bruno desperately lunging after Baba with the bearhug attempts and Baba trying to end it with chops, but due to all that prior hard work, neither is effective as the time runs out.

Giant Baba vs. Bruno Sammartino (JWA, 3/7/67)

I prefer their match the following year but this was still a solid contest, with a lot of dedicated work from both guys down the stretch. Great first fall with Baba rolling around the mat, trying to shake Bruno’s arm control before turning the game around on Bruno. Sammartino has some nifty escapes and at times, nifty Wolverine hair. At one point, he goes for an arm drag and Baba just deadweights him to counter, reasserting his control of Bruno’s arm. The crowd digs the sportsmanship as the two go back-and-forth targeting the arms, trying to weaken their opponent’s respective offense – Bruno with the bearhug and Baba with his giant chops.

After Baba tosses Bruno around for a bit, he picks up the first fall with a knee drop. They stay with the arm work for the second fall as things settle down. At times, the match feels sluggish and repetitive, and the execution isn’t quite as smooth. Bruno starts with the bear hug attempts and Baba is quick to chop his way out of harm’s way. After tying things up with a running body press, Bruno starts unloading on Baba during the third fall. Good strikes from Bruno, especially with the knees. By the end of it, they’re both past the point of exhaustion, with Bruno desperately lunging after Baba with the bearhug attempts and Baba trying to end it with chops, but due to all that prior hard work, neither is effective as the time runs out.

Terry & Dory Funk Jr. vs. Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta (AJPW, 12/15/78)

Terry Funk was terrific here, exuding a ton of charisma and selling to the sympathy of the Japanese fans, whom, by the end of it, were in full support of the Funks winning. I thought Dory looked more fired up than usual and both guys outshined Jumbo and Baba for the most part. Loved Funk selling Baba’s chop early on, tagging out in frustration only to return to shake Baba’s hand. Some of the extended hold sequences dragged a bit with Jumbo and Baba on offense but there were a couple spots like Dory delivering a knee crusher to escape a side headlock but Jumbo keeping it cinched in while still selling the leg. Or Terry physically walking Jumbo toward the ropes while he’s in the camel clutch. Terry worked from underneath as the FIP through most of this as Jumbo/Baba targeted his injured ribs with abdominal stretches. Love Jumbo’s kneeling uppercuts and him going nuts on Terry with the chops. The final minutes of this match sizzled with panic and desperation as each side unloads on offense trying to pick up the fall before the time expires. A plodding first half builds to a hot finishing stretch, with the Funksters all riled up and the crowd fully in support. Turned out to be a lot of fun.