WCW Region, Lexington Subregion, First Round:(15)Giant Babavs.(18)Diamond Dallas Page

[klunderbunker]

This is a first round match in the WCW Region, Lexington Subregion. It is a standard one on one match. It will be held at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.

#15. Giant Baba

Vs.

#18. Diamond Dallas Page

​

Polls will be open for three days following a one day period for discussion. Voting will be based on who you feel is the greater of the two competitors. Post your reasons for why your pick should win below. Remember that this is non-spam and the most votes in the poll win. Any ties will be broken by the amount of posts of support for each candidate, with one vote per poster.

Also remember that this is a non-spam forum. If you post a response without giving a reason for your selection, it will be penalized for spam and deleted.

 

[dd23beatlesfan1]

I will be voting for Giant Baba in this round. DDP was more entertaining and versatile in the ring and he was massively over during the Monday Night Wars. Frankly I think he's the most underrated star that WCW had in that time. He was great. I'm a bigger fan of DDP no doubt.

But this is Giant Baba we're talking about here. He was like the Andre the Giant of Japan. A huge, giant like wrestler that rarely lost and even won the NWA championship in the 1970's from Jack Brisco nonetheless. He was the founder of All-Japan Pro Wrestling and possibly the most widely respected promoter in wrestling history. In the landscape of pro wrestling, Giant Baba has a much larger spot and place in it than DDP does.

And in a kayfabe match even though it's taking place in America, I still can't see DDP overcoming Giant Baba. He'd give him a tough match, but Giant Baba would win in the end.


If you're voting kayfabe, to me that's your best argument for voting for DDP. But if you're voting on who was the greater and more important wrestler, than Giant Baba should be your vote, definitely.

 

[Brewski]

In AJPW Giant Baba was a 3 time NWA champion. He was incredibly popular and a total monster. Maybe not Inoki popular but definitely a big star (no pun intended). Tons of tag team success on his resume too. Really good career overall.

I was really into DDP durring his time in WCW, he was definitely one of my favorites. Also a 3 time champion but in WCW. Really popular, really important to the company.

I think this could go either way honestly. While DDP was a star for WCW Baba was way more over in Japan. I could definitely see him coming to Kentucky and beating DDP. Baba Wins in a close one.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

DDP was the more entertaining of the two, in my eyes. I was never a huge DDP guy, so you can imagine how little I'm thrilled with Baba.

That being said, Baba's influence in pro wrestling and the fact that his popularity made him, for all intents & purposes, the Hulk Hogan of Japan can't be ignored when it comes to DDP.

Baba was co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling and a huge star in the Japan Wrestling Association prior to that. He was a highly successful singles and tag team star in both organizations. While he did win the NWA WHC, it was done purely for show while the champs he defeated, Jack Brisco & Harley Race, were on tour in All Japan and those three reigns just totaled 19 days. However, he did win the title during a time when it mattered a whole helluva lot.

DDP was also a 3 time World Champion, in WCW. His runs totaled 29 days and came at a time when the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was virtually meaningless.

I have to go with Baba if, for nothing else, his influence & importance. Unfortunately for DDP, he happened to come along during a time when the overall quality of WCW and the prestige of its titles was obliterated by horrible booking decisions.

 

[Bernkastel]

Giant Baba was one of Rikidozan's main disciples, Inoki's main rival, and was All Japan's biggest draw until Misawa came around. His popularity and influence were on par with Inoki's and he was just as well known internationally, although not quite as popular.

DDP was well known for his multiple reigns as WCW world champ, but didn't have very long reigns. Baba didn't have long reigns as NWA world champ, but no one really expected him too since the title wasn't based in Japan. That's pretty sad for DDP - i'd argue he was better when he was chasing a world title rather than when he held it. Even though Misawa eventually eclipsed him as the promotions top draw, and he began phasing himself out of the main event in his later days. Baba as a midcarder was still easily better than Page's abysmal run in the WWE. Even though it was a waste of his talents, those were the cards Page was dealt.

Baba as a promoter wasn't known for dealing too much with other companies unless he could see a big payoff, and Giant Baba versus Diamond Dallas Page doesn't really scream "blockbuster!!!" and nor should it to any of you. Vote Giant Baba.

 

[deem]

I'm not a Baba fan tbh. Love puroresu, but he's a gangly awkward looking guy who I've always found underwhelming. I mean, not that physical appearance is important at all to anyone apart from Vince McMahon Jr., but I just never got into him. He's certainly fairly agile for his size but I think he's overhyped. Hey, I've only seen five or so matches, maybe I got unlucky/picked them from too late in his career.

DDP's so damn likeable. Just had that intangible that you have to pull for. I really think personality shines through in some people - if you havn't already, please find him on YouTube and watch his recent work helping out Jake Roberts and Scott Hall to detox themselves and sort their lives out. It's inspirational and so feel good, especially Jake's progress. I'm not gonna link it because it's irrelevant to the tournament, but please do yourself a favour and check it out. So great.

So Baba Vs DDP in WCW in the first round of a tournament, in kayfabe. I could sortttt of see a DDP win, but like someone else said Baba's win/loss is pretty decent and his losses matter. I don't think DDP falls quite into the class of wrestlers that would go over Baba in the first round here. His title reigns were notoriously short and uninspiring.

If you wanna set aside logical booking and vote on kayfabe performances against similar athletes;

[youtube]giCTC4RhWek[/youtube]

I mean, you could say that Baba poses a bigger threat than Show at that stage of his career. I think it's kinda close, although undoubtedly Baba had the bigger impact on history even compared to Big Shows entire career to this point. It's SO tough to evaluate these old school guys in a tournament like this where being ahead of their time/innovative means little considering everyone is in their peaks at the same time.

I'm giving this to Baba but I wouldn't brand anyone that votes DDP a fool.

 

[Tastycles]

When all is said and done, the world of wrestling owes Baba a lot more than DDP, but he wouldn't win here. DDP was incredibly popular with American audiences, and I think they'd carry him over the edge here. Baba is better, but I think that DDP would ultimately have the crowd behind him, and the people normally get what they want.

 

[The Brain]

I wouldn't just automatically vote for Baba based on his reputation but I think he can handle DDP. Page had a nice run from 1997-1999 and was popular but was never the number one guy. A good three year run isn't enough to overcome Baba's legacy. I don't think Baba is traveling to the states to lose to DDP in the first round.

 

[Bernkastel]

I wouldn't just automatically vote for Baba based on his reputation but I think he can handle DDP. Page had a nice run from 1997-1999 and was popular but was never the number one guy. A good three year run isn't enough to overcome Baba's legacy. I don't think Baba is traveling to the states to lose to DDP in the first round.

Reputation only means so much anyway. I wouldn't vote for Michaels over Hogan because his reputation was better, you've got to look at it objectively. Baba was the top draw, and head promoter of a company that was arguably the best promotion in Japan at the time - it wasn't always that way, but for a time it was.

Page was a world champ in a promotion that was on it's downward spiral, and he had short, unremarkable reigns. You'd vote for Baba because he was the better wrestler in every category that a pro wrestler could be measured.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I'm going with DDP for three reasons:

1) I prefer him (sue me).
2) Baba may have won the title that would become the WCW World Heavyweight but never in the States, this is being fought in Lexington - Paige would be the crowd favorite.
3) He has come out on top of guys like Savage, the Giant, Sting, Flair etc. It's hardly a stretch to come out on top against Baba.

 

[Mr. Artistic guy]

I know Baba got over well in Japan and DDP was never a number one guy and it looks like Baba might go over here and if I'm basing it purely off reputation I'm sure he probably would. However, I've seen Giant Baba wrestle, if you haven't go and watch people. That's why I'm voting DDP. A guy who was a worse worker than Khali against the guy who gave Goldberg his best match ever. It's easy for me.