World Big League

The **World Big League**, also known as **World League** was a professional wrestling tournament annually held by Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance from 1959 until 1972. The 1973 edition was not held as JWA folded that year.

Wrestlers from all over the world participated in the various editions of the tournament, as it was meant since its beginning to be a world tournament. It had been one of the most important pro-wrestling tournament of its time, because it was one of the very few (and for some years after its creation the only) pro-wrestling tournaments of its time to be considered representative of the entire pro-wrestling world.

In 1970 JWA created a tag team counterpart of the World Big League, known as World Tag League.

Its prestige led Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba to create in their respective promotions, New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, tournaments which were presented as the direct followers to the JWA World League. Therefore, respectively, the G1 Climax for the NJPW and the Champion Carnival for the AJPW are the indirect descendant of the original World League.

## Tournament history

In the early 1950s, wrestling got popularity mainly from street television, from the background that many Japanese were recruiting a sense of inferiority to the West in the postwar period, and Rikidōzan was defeating one American wrestler after another. This was shortly after World War II, and the Japanese needed someone who could stand up to the Americans. Rikidōzan thus became immensely popular in Japan. However, in the latter half of the 1950s, popularity gradually fell and it was forced to enter the recession.

In 1957 Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance signed a contract with Nippon Television to carry out the regular broadcast. At the same time, he began to invite Lou Thesz. On October 7th and October 13th the same year, Rikidōzan wrestled Lou Thesz in a sixty-minute draw for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match was a great suscess, having many spectators and drew an 87.0 rating in the top ten television programs of all time in Japan.

This led later the creation of the **World League** bringing wrestlers from all over the world participated in the various editions of the tournament, as it was meant since its beginning to be a world tournament. It had been one of the most important pro-wrestling tournament of its time. The format of the tournament was a round robin tournament in the past the japanese wrestlers were in one block and the gaijins.

This format was later adopted by JDStar wrestling at the League Princess and JWP Joshi Puroresu at their Open Class Challenge League.

Its prestige led Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba to create in their respective promotions, New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling, tournaments which were presented as the direct followers to the JWA World League. Therefore, respectively, the G1 Climax for the NJPW and the Champion Carnival for the AJPW are the indirect descendant of the original World League.

## 1959

The 1959 World Big League ran from May 21 to June 15, 1959. The tournament featured 10 wrestlers. The top four finishers advanced to a knockout round, with the top finisher receiving a bye to the final. The Japanese wrestlers did not wrestle each other in the round robin portion. The semifinal match between Jesse Ortega and Enrique Torres ended in a time-limit draw. The match was restarted and it was the same result. Ortega was the one who passed ito the finals due to having more points.

Final standings
 Sandara Singh | 1-8-0

## 1960

The 1960 World Big League ran from April 15 to May 13, 1960. The tournament featured 14 wrestlers. The top finisher advanced to the final match of the tournament, to face the winner of a two-wrestler round-robin semifinal round. The Japanese wrestlers did not wrestle each other in the round robin portion.

Final standings
 Hans Herman | 1-12-0

Finals

 Rikidōzan | Nomellini(8:58) | Rikidōzan(10:09) | Rikidōzan(15:11)

## 1961

The 1961 World Big League ran from May, 1 to June 29, 1961. The tournament featured 12 wrestlers. The top finisher advanced to the final match of the tournament, to face the winner of a two-wrestler round-robin semifinal round. Rikidōzan was seeded to the final due to winning the previous leagues. It's unknown why some wrestlers had more matches than others.

Final standings
 Hercules Romero | 0-7-1

Finals

 Rikidōzan | Mr.X(6:17) | Rikidōzan(7:17) | Rikidōzan(12:39)

## 1962

The 1962 World Big League ran from April 21 to May 25, 1962. The tournament featured 17 wrestlers. The top finisher advanced to the final match of the tournament, to face the winner of a two-wrestler round-robin semifinal round. Rikidozan was seeded to the final due to winning the previous leagues. It's unknown why some wrestlers had more matches than others.

Final standings
 Kintaro Ohki | 0-8-0

Finals

 Rikidōzan | Lou Thesz(12:33) | Rikidōzan(14:36) | Rikidōzan(19:25)

## 1963

The 1963 World Big League ran from March 22 to May 17, 1963. The tournament featured 17 wrestlers. The top finisher advanced to the final match of the tournament, to face the winner of a two-wrestler round-robin semifinal round. Rikidōzan was seeded to the final due to winning the previous leagues. It's unknown why some wrestlers had more matches than others.

Final standings
 Mammoth Suzuki | 0.0

Finals

 Killer Kowalski

## 1964

The 1964 World Big League ran from April 3 to May 21, 1964. The tournament featured 14 wrestlers. The top finisher advanced to the final match of the tournament. It's unknown why some wrestlers had more matches than others.

Final standings
 Roy McClarty | 0-8-0

## 1965

The 1965 World Big League ran from April 8 to May 21, 1965. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners. Toyonobori was seeded to the final due to winning the previous league.

Round one
 Luke Graham | 0.0

## 1966

The 1966 World Big League ran from March 25 to May 13, 1966. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Kangaroo Kennedy | 0.0

Finals

 Wilbur Snyder

## 1967

The 1967 World Big League ran from April 7 to May 17, 1967. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Ox Anderson | 0.0

Finals

 The Destroyer

## 1968

The 1968 World Big League ran from April 5 to May 17, 1968. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Len Rossi | 0.0 | Duke Keomuka | 2.0

Finals

 Killer Kowalski

## 1969

The 1969 World Big League ran from April 4 to May 16, 1969. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Tom Andrews | 1.5 | Motoshi Okuma | 0.5

## 1970

The 1970 World Big League ran from April 3 to May 29, 1970. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Paul Jones | 1.5 | **Akihisa Takachiho** | 1.0

Finals

 Don Leo Jonathon

## 1971

The 1971 World Big League ran from April 2 to May 19, 1971. This year the participants were splitted in one block of gaijins and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Nikolai Volkoff | 1.0

## 1972

The 1972 World Big League ran from March 31 to May 12, 1972. This year the participants were splitted in two blocks the gaijins in one block and the japanese the other. The round robin part of the tournament consisted of the Japanese wrestling the foreigners.

Round one
 Calypso Hurricane
 Salvatore Lothario

Finals

 Gorilla Monsoon

## Gallery

* Gallery
* Winners

Trophy

RikidozanToyonoboriGiant BabaAntonio Inoki