>>13468425Inoki was a fantastic wrestler, very crisp in execution and made everything look like a struggle. Also, excellent babyface in peril selling ability. He could play the audience any way he wanted. Classically trained, so he could shoot if he needed to. Wasn't afraid to play heelish when the situation called for and knew exactly when to get color.
As a booker he was far too ridgid and uncompromising. He protected himself but didn't give a shit about protecting his wrestlers. Choshu booked circles around him.
Baba was a capable wrestler, even downright great at mat-based grappling but he was always awkward in-ring, which was only exacerbated as he aged. His style also fell out of favor by the end of the 70's and he simply couldn't adapt. Despite his tremendous size he wasn't quite able to project the kind of Giant Aura that Andre could.
As a Booker he was light years ahead of the competition. He had a knack for building intrigue upon intrigue, doling out just enough at a time to string the audience along masterfully. He also had a knack for judging what the live audience needed and could adapt on the fly, most famously deciding to have his Ace lose to an up-and-coming star based on solely on the "mood" of the crowd that showed up to arena. He juggled foreign heels and domestic rivalries with ease and even made each loss painful but rewarding.
