Tag: The Great Muta

The Great Muta To Be Inducted Into 2023 WWE Hall Of Fame, Announced By Ric Flair On The Bump

The Great Muta’s induction into WWE Hall of Fame has now been officially confirmed via Ric Flair on “The Bump.”

Keiji Muto, aka The Great Muta, will enter the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023. Ric Flair officially announced Muto’s on WWE’s “The Bump.” It remains unknown whether Flair will induct him during the ceremony, which will stream on Peacock directly after “WWE SmackDown” on March 31. 

Muto will be the second 2023 Hall of Famer announced so far, following Rey Mysterio, whose entry was announced on Monday’s “WWE Raw,” and reportedly preceding Stacy Keibler, who is believed to be another 2023 entrant. WWE is said to be keeping the list of inductees smaller than usual, with a shorter broadcast planned compared to years past. As of now, it’s unknown how many individuals will be part of the 2023 class. Last year saw the induction of The Undertaker, Vader, Queen Sharmell, and the Steiner Brothers, along with Shad Gaspard receiving the Warrior Award.

Despite his status as a legendary figure in professional wrestling, Muto’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame is slightly curious, as he’s never competed in the company over the course of his lengthy career. Still, it’s impossible to deny the impact of The Great Muta on the industry, and the company clearly thought highly of the performer; they recently gave permission for WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura to compete at a Pro Wrestling NOAH event on Muto’s farewell tour. Nakamura wrestled Muto there and walked away with a victory. Muto’s final match took place on February 21, with NJPW’s Tetsuya Naito defeating Muto after nearly 30 minutes.

Flair and Muto shared a rivalry in NWA, wrestling a number of times on both PPVs and at live events. Their feud culminated in a steel cage match featuring Flair, Arn Anderson, and Ole Anderson taking on The Great Muta, Buzz Sawyer, and Kendo “The Dragon Master” Nagasaki. Flair has been open about his high regard for Muto as an opponent, and the 16-time world champion is a natural fit to induct Muto into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Full Card Announced For The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye Event

The full card for The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye event presented by the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH has been announced.

Muta will wrestle in a six-man tag match and team up with AEW stars Sting & Darby Allin.

The event will take at the Yokohama Arena on Sunday, January 22, and air live on Abema TV. This will be Keiji Mutoh’s final match as The Great Muta. However, this is not going to be his final match as a pro wrestler. Mutoh’s actual final match will emanate from the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, February 21.

-The Great Muta, Sting, and Darby Allin vs. Hakushi, AKIRA, and Naomichi Marufuji

-Kaito Kiyomiya, Hijo de Doctor Wagner Jr., Takashi Sugiura, and Satoshi Kojima vs. Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakamjima, Masakatsu Funaki, and Manabu Soya

-AMAKUSA, Ultimo Dragon, and Ninja Mack vs. YO-HEY, Kzy, and Dante Leon

-GHC Martial Arts Rules match: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Hideki Suzuki

-Jake Lee, Jack Morris, and Anthony Greene vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura

-Yoshinari Ogawa, Eita, and NOSAWA Rongai vs. Junta Miyawaki, Alejandro, and Yasutaka Yano

-Timothy Thatcher vs. Masaaki Mochizuki

-Jungle Kyona and Saori Anno vs. Sumire Natsume and Maya Yukihi

-Atsushi Kotogi and Seiki Yoshioka vs. Hajime Ohara and Hi69

Darby Allin To Team With Sting & Great Muta In Muta’s Retirement Match

Pro Wrestling NOAH announced today that Darby Allin would team with The Great Muta and Sting for Muta’s retirement match on January 22nd. 

Opponents for the bout have not been announced. Muta (Keiji Mutoh) is currently on his retirement tour that will end on February 23rd, while the January 22nd match marks the final match that he will portray, The Great Muta. 

WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura will wrestle The Great Muta in a singles match at NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event on January 1.

Source: EWrestlingNews.

Shinsuke Nakamura On Great Muta Match: “It’s A Real Forbidden Door”

Pro Wrestling NOAH announce this past weekend that WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura was crossing over to the company as part of Keiji Mutoh’s retirement tour, with the former Intercontinental Champion announced as Mutoh’s opponent for its 1 January show, The New Year 2023. It’ll be one of the last times the 59-year-old works as The Great Muta before he draws the curtain on his wrestling career later that month – and something those involved had to work hard to make happen.

Tokyo Sports reports (via translation) that NOAH had earmarked Nakamura as somebody it wanted to book for Mutoh’s retirement run as soon as the legend made the decision to retire. Initially, they were met with disagreement from WWE, though “tenacious” negotiations continued once Vince McMahon stepped down as Chairman and CEO in July.

The two sides then reached an agreement on 26 October. Now, the bout is official.

Nakamura revealed he was spurred on by people within WWE, calling the situation “a real ‘Forbidden Door'”, nodding to AEW’s working relationship with NJPW:-

“There were people in WWE who pushed me forward. I opened a door that no one could break in. Hahaha…it’s a real ‘Forbidden Door’.”

Continuing, Nakamura called the bout a meeting of “fate”, adding that he worked hard to make it happen:-

“I think it’s really fate, and I worked hard to make it happen. I’ve fought Keiji Muto twice in the past, but this was my first encounter with Great Muta, the first and last. I definitely think that I am in the midst of the miracle of the times.”

Nakamura has not wrestled in Japan on a show promoted by a native company since January 2016, when he left NJPW for WWE. His last tie with Mutoh came in October 2008.

Source: WhatCulture

The Great Muta Appears On AEW Rampage, Sting To Be Part Of The Great Muta’s Final Match 

Japan pro wrestling legend The Great Muta, who is in the midst of his retirement tour, made a surprise appearance on AEW Rampage: Grand Slam to assist Sting in his No DQ tag team match.

Muta hit Buddy Matthews with his trademark mist and then got him with a dragon screw. Sting then hit the Scorpion Death Drop for the win.

Sting and Muta had an epic rivalry in WCW and NJPW in the late 1980s and early 1990s, so this was cool to see.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1573496610440495114

Sting will be heading to Japan next year and will be involved in The Great Muta’s final match.

Pro Wrestling NOAH has announced that Sting “has decided to participate in the Yokohama Arena tournament” at the “Great Muta Final Bye-Bye” show on January 22, 2023.

https://twitter.com/noah_ghc/status/1573525621036425216

Source: EWrestlingNews

Wrestling Legend (The Great Muta) Keiji Mutoh Announces His Retirement From The Ring

Keiji Mutoh, best known for his portrayal of The Great Muta in WCW and NJPW, announced his impending in-ring retirement at the “Cyberfest Festival” yesterday.

Muta, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, appeared at the joint project of DDT, Noah, and Tokyo Joshi Pro, and announced that he will no longer be competing in the ring after this Spring. He intends to have a final 5 matches before he takes off his boots for good.

The longtime veteran returned to pro wrestling this past May after recovering from a hip injury. He has been competing on and off for nearly 40 years now, first debuting in 1984 with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He would go on to be the IWGP Heavyweight Champion with the promotion on four separate occasions throughout his career.

Muta is also recognized as one of the wrestlers that popularized innovative moves that are used often in modern wrestling like the Shining Wizard, the Moonsault, the Muta Lock, and the Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Additionally, he is one of only four wrestlers that was able to capture AJPW’s Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and Noah’s GHC Heavyweight Championship in his career.

He is also a thirteen-time world tag team champion, including five AJPW World Tag Team Championships, six IWGP Tag Team Championships, one GHC Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship. Muta has held an impressive total of 32 Championships over the course of his career, a feat few other wrestlers can proclaim.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Great Muta Signs Pro Wrestling NOAH Contract After Winning GHC Heavyweight Title

Pro wrestling legend and new GHC Heavyweight Champion The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh) has signed a two-year deal with Pro Wrestling NOAH.

A joint press conference was held with Mutoh and new DDT KO-D Openweight Champion Jun Akiyama, according to F4Wonline.com. The 58 year old Mutoh confirmed that he will be a regular member of the Pro Wrestling NOAH roster for the next two years. The 51 year old Akiyama also announced that he has joined the DDT roster full-time.

Muta defeated Go Shiozaki to win the GHC (Global Honored Crown) Heavyweight Title for the first time at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2021 event from Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Friday. Akiyama won the DDT KO-D Title in Kawasaki, Japan on Sunday morning at DDT Pro-Wrestling’s Kawasaki Strong 2021 event by defeating Tetsuya Endo. DDT and NOAH are ran under the same parent company, CyberAgent.

Muta’s first title defense will be on March 14 at the Great Voyage event in Fukuoka. After winning the title this past weekend, he was confronted by Kaito Kiyomiya and challenged for March 14.

Muta made pro wrestling history with his GHC Heavyweight Title win as he is now the third person to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown, and now the GHC Heavyweight Title. The other two wrestlers are Yoshihiro Takayama and Kensuke Sasaki.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Great Muta Confronted The Rock In Japan

Earlier this month The Great Muta said he would attack The Rock when Rock comes to Japan to promote the DVD release of Hercules. On Sunday at a promotional event, Muta dressed as Hercules & confronted The Rock. After the two engaged in some banter , they shook hands. Rock called it an honor to meet Muta & called him inspiring.

 

The Great Muta Threatens The Rock

The Great Muta

Yahoo Japan has an article with The Great Muta talking about how he’s going to attack The Rock when The Rock visits Japan later this month to promote the DVD release of Hercules. The Rock’s vistit to Japan will be his first in 12 years & it appears that Muta is using that as a way to get publicity for Wrestle-1.

The Great Muta Announced For TNA’s June 25th Impact Taping In NYC

The Great Muta

 

TNA has announced that the Great Muta will be appearing at the June 25th Impact taping in NYC at the Manhattan Center. TNA Wrestling says they’re extremely honored & excited to announce his appearance.

Muta was last seen at TNA Lockdown in Miami, where he teamed with his Wrestle-1 proteges, Sanada & Yasu against Bad Influence & Chris Sabin.

Below is the match from TNA Lockdown: