Motoko Baba (1940-2018)

Real Name - Motoko Baba

Lifespan - 1/2/40 - 4/14/18

Akashi, Hyogo, Japan

Occupational Background - n/a

Mentor(s) - Shohei Baba

Promotional Background - All Japan(`72-`02)

Peak Years - n/a

Place in History - When one begins listing the most powerful and influential women in pro-wrestling, it is a short list.  Women like Mildred Burke and the Fabulous Moolah were successful performers and ran their own troupe of girls.  Linda McMahon, Ann Gunkel and Lea Maivia all married into the business and found themselves in positions of power.  There are also women like Jackie Sato and Chigusa Nagayo who were both mainstream celebrities and ran promotions. However, there has never been a woman more influential in pro-wrestling than Motoko Baba.  Although she was vilified by many as the “Dragon Lady,” Mrs. Baba was a shrewd businesswoman who was crucial in the success of All Japan Pro-Wrestling. Motoko was from a prominent Kobe family and she kept her marriage to Shohei Baba and secret for nearly twenty years.  They were always side-by-side though and ran their company very much like a family business with the wrestlers and front office staff being their family. Giant Baba was not only a beloved figure in the ring, but amongst the most respected promoters ever. A key part of maintaining this status was Mrs. Baba playing the heel in business dealings not unlike how Vince McMahon used his Head of Talent Relations over the years.  Curiously, one of Motoko’s favorites, Johnny Ace, took on that role for McMahon years later. The Baba’s created an business, Giant Services, separate from the wrestling operation that was for merchandising. They were pressing t-shirts, making music albums and printing products on a scale that other companies would not be for years to come. This venture, along with real estate investments in Hawaii, made the Babas the wealthiest pro-wrestling promoters of their time.  However, they were seen by some as miserly and there was a level of discontent with talent, but they remained loyal. When Shohei Baba died in 1999, it created a power vacuum. Mitsuharu Misawa led an exodus of wrestlers and personnel to form Pro-Wrestling NOAH. All Japan was in a dire situation and Mrs. Baba brought back Genichiro Tenryu (who had left in 1990 to start another company) to help rebuild. He was followed by Keiji Muto who came in first as an interpromotional attraction and then he took over as president of the company.  Mrs. Baba sold off her interest in the company and it went into what most would call a downward spiral. Her last ties were pro-wrestling were granting Jun Akiyama permission to revive the legacy of All Japan by using the classic logo, the Triple Crown, the established tournaments and tour names. They hired her as a consultant as a way to publicly show their link to the Baba legacy.