Tag: great muta

Daily Update: WWE notes, Mick Foley, Great Muta

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered in this issue:

  • A detailed look at the WBD/Paramount/Netflix situation, what the latest decision of WBD to Paramount entails, the keys to why this is happening, business notes, how this affects AEW and can it get approved.
  • A look at the UFC and WWE business in 2025 and in the final quarter of this past year. We look at the numbers, what they mean, why WWE was more profitable in 2025 than UFC and the key thing that can change that in 2026, Mark Shapiro talks ESPN value to WWE, lots of news about the business of the White House show, UFC fighters upset over pay, why WWE wrestlers are so underpaid but not publicly upset over, and business initiatives going forward
  • The violence in Mexico and tons of wrestling shows canceled this past week
  • We look in depth at the Janel Grant speech from last week, what we learned, what she said, and where everything stands.
  • Update on the build for WrestleMania, Elimination Chamber, business notes, ticket sales and favorites for the weekend.
  • An updated look at AEW Revolution and business notes
  • The retirement of AJ Styles looked at
  • The most detailed look at the television ratings from the past week, including comparisons with a year ago, competition, demos and much more.
  • Notes from Arena Mexico
  • CMLL attempts to break a North American record next week
  • Cinderalla tournament in Stardom
  • Fantastica Mania notes
  • The life and times of former Olympic wrestler Bobby Douglas, his coaching career, his beating Dan Gable, and two notable pro wrestlers he coached
  • College wrestling sets an attendance mark already this season
  • Who had the most top ten matches of the year over a career according to Cage match.
  • City builds a bust memorializing top 80s star
  • WrestleMania week schedule
  • Former MMA fighter and pro wrestler running for Governor
  • Robbery of the ring truck for an indie group
  • Ticket sales for upcoming WWE, AEW and TNA shows over the next two months.
  • How many subscribers does Paramount need to make up for UFC expenses
  • More talk on Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
  • Stand & Deliver moves and why
  • When Roman Reigns and Brock Ldesnar are booked for TV in the Mania build
  • Pro wrestler who is active in Japan competes this weekend for the U.S.national team in anther sport
  • Notes on a newcomer to WWE who started this week
  • More notes on value of Dwayne Johnson’s TKO stock

This Week’s Back Issue

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Thursday Update

Nia Jax & Lash Legend WWE
Image: WWE

WWE

  • During an appearance on the Beyond The Bell podcast, Nia Jax gave a kayfabe response to CM Punk’s promo line from Raw where Punk said he’s going to bury Roman Reigns next to his father Sika:
    • I think small men bark loud. And so in that moment right there, he was probably feeling a little confident. It’s funny because you see him walk away right after he says that line. That doesn’t bother me because I know what my family is physically capable of. We’ve shown it over the last three decades what our family is capable of, the Samoan Dynasty. So that’s fine. He can speak all he wants. But when it comes down to it, the person who’s going to be reigning over Phil will be none other than The OTC.
  • Paul “Triple H” Levesque shared the official poster for Punk and Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42.
  • Ahead of their upcoming WrestleMania match, Stephanie Vaquer and Liv Morgan both attended a training session at Natalya and TJ Wilson’s Dungeon last night. To keep kayfabe, they did not appear in photos together. Natalya tweeted that the session might have been her favorite ever at the facility: “Maybe the best practice we’ve ever had in The Dungeon. Four hours of sweat equity. So incredibly proud of this group tonight.”
  • Trish Stratus told Wrestlezone that there were plans for her to do more with WWE last year, but her mother passing away changed that. Stratus would like to come back and get closure on her career:
    • The 25th anniversary year was a special year. [WWE and I] worked together to see how we can celebrate it. It turned out really good with the homecoming moment, where I could team up with Tiffy. Being part of Evolution, all women’s pay-per-view, obviously, was amazing. Coming back to the Royal Rumble as 25. So, we kind of like plotted it out.
    • My mom got sick last year, and she passed. So there were plans [for more]. So, I do think there should be a bit of a finale moment. I’m very much about closure. So I feel like that I would need a little bit of closure. And I think maybe you guys need some closure on your Stratusfaction as well. Maybe.
  • Bianca Belair received flowers from Charlie (former WWE wrestler Dakota Kai) as she recovers from finger surgery.
  • The Ghost of Hollywood interviewed Chelsea Green.
  • The Wrestling Classic has an interview with Blake Monroe.
  • Ronnie Singh of 2K Games appeared on this week’s episode of “What’s Your Story?” with Stephanie McMahon.
  • The WCW YouTube channel put together a two and a half hour compilation of Great Muta footage from 1989.
  • Logan Paul uploaded a new vlog with footage from Elimination Chamber.

Other Wrestling

  • AEW produced an eight-minute video with Renee Paquette & RJ City detailing everything that new fans need to know about the promotion:
    • Looking to join in as a fan of All Elite Wrestling, but not quite sure where to start? Do you have a friend who wants to become a fan and you’re trying to help them out? We’re here for you. Here’s everything you need to know about AEW in 8 minutes to get you up to speed, from our most prominent wrestlers to our championships and more.
  • Dustin Rhodes’ dog, a mastiff named Beast, won an award at Crufts Dog Show in the United Kingdom.
  • Mick Foley will be doing an auction at his upcoming comedy shows to raise money for Brian Knobbs, who has been battling health issues for a while and shared last month that he was back in the hospital due to an infection:
    • In our dysfunctional, yet loving extended professional wrestling family, I believe we have to look out for each other, especially when one of us is going through a difficult time. Brian is going through that type of time now and can use a little help from all of us.
    • Knobs is one of those legends in wrestling that other legends talk about. To say he’s an inimitable force would be an understatement. But he’s really hurting now and can use a hand. I’m going to be doing my shirt off my back auction and all five of my upcoming #40YearsOfFoley shows in March – #NewOrleans #Lafayette #ColumbusOH (two shows in Columbus) and #DundeeIL. If you’re at one of these events, please consider placing a bid. For everyone else, please take a look at the GoFundMe site that has been set up for Brian
  • Trey Miguel spoke to Soundsphere magazine about how much TNA means to him:
    • The last time you asked me, what I said was only a percentage of what it means now. TNA has given me the opportunity to change my life. Back then, we hadn’t worked with WWE yet. I grew up watching WWE, so getting to reunite the Rascals, do great matches for four months with my brothers. That was special.
    • And everything I’ve been through recently, the way TNA showed loyalty to me, loyalty I’ve always tried to show them. It feels good to work for people who care about you. We’re all more than wrestlers; we’re humans. Humans go to bed with worries: ‘Is this going to work out? Can I keep doing this?’
    • For a moment, I doubted I’d ever wrestle again. I had announced I was wrapping things up. TNA called and offered me an opportunity not to do that. That showed me that the company I’ve given my best to for seven years feels the same way about me. That deepened the connection I have with TNA.
  • The Great Muta had an MRI after experiencing numbness in his hand, but no abnormalities were found:
    • I had numbness in my right hand, so I got an MRI of my cervical spine, but nothing abnormal showed up. I’m not even a baseball pitcher, but my elbow is deformed and it hurts!! Treatment injections… It’s scary

The Great Muta appears ringside for WWE Payback main event

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The Great Muta was present at ringside for the WWE Payback main event on Saturday. 

Muta was briefly shown on camera while seated in the crowd for the Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura main event at Saturday’s Payback pay-per-view in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rollins defeated Nakamura to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the show-closing bout. Muta did not get involved in the match.

Muta, real name Keiji Muto, retired from the ring earlier this year after a career spanning nearly 39 years. 

Prior to his retirement, Muta wrestled Nakamura on January 1 at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year show in a rare instance of WWE allowing a contracted talent in Nakamura to work a match outside of the company. 

Muta would wrestle for the final time as The Great Muta character at The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye event on January 23 of this year in Yokohama, Japan. His final matches under his real name cam in February of this year at the Tokyo Dome at the Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling “Last” Love show, where he lost to Tetsuya Naito, then defeated Masahiro Chono in an unadvertised match to close his career. 

Muta was then inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on WrestleMania weekend on March 31 in Los Angeles. 

Muta won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter award for Wrestler of the Year in 2001, and was a member of the 1999 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame class. 

WWE Hall of Fame live coverage: Rey Mysterio, Great Muta, Stacy Keibler

Posted on by Ian Carey

Four inductees will join the WWE Hall of Fame in Los Angeles, California, following SmackDown.

The new class is made up of Rey Mysterio, The Great Muta, Stacy Keibler and comedian Andy Kaufman. Additionally, the late Tim White will be honored with the company’s Warrior Award.

Outside a three-year run when he left the company, Mysterio has been a fixture of WWE since 2002 following the end of WCW and has held nearly every major singles title in WWE.

The Great Muta never competed in WWE, but recently wrapped a near-yearlong retirement tour after a lengthy career. He had memorable runs in WCW and NJPW in addition to being the former president of AJPW.

Keibler is a former WCW Nitro Girl and rose to prominence as Ms. Hancock before coming to WWE post-sale. She was in WWE from 2001-2006 but never held a title.

Kaufman was also never in WWE, but was part of a legendary feud with Jerry Lawler. 

**********

Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are on commentary for the Hall of Fame Kickoff.  

Byron Saxton and Maria Menounos interviewed Corey Graves & Carmella backstage. Graves spoke about meeting The Great Muta for the first time tonight. 

Cathy Kelley interviewed Booker T and Sharmell backstage. Sharmell talked about her fellow Nitro Girl, Stacy Keibler, being inducted tonight. 

Back to Saxton and Menounos who are with Kurt Angle and his wife, Giovanna. Angle said he loves Rey Mysterio “like a brother.” 

Michael Cole then spoke about having known Rey Mysterio for over 20 years. 

Charlotte Flair is with Cathy Kelley. She mentioned that she was wearing matching outfits with her husband on the red carpet. 

Saxton and Menounos interview The Miz and Maryse. 

Cole discussed Tim White winning this year’s Warrior Award. He mentioned how White had been Andre the Giant’s assistant, ran the Friendly Tap bar, and what he meant to the company.

Sami Zayn and his wife are backstage with Menounos and Saxton. He mentioned him and Kevin Owens wrestling for years in PWG, mentioning Pro Wrestling Guerrilla by name. Zayn also seemed concerned that Dominik might somehow disrupt his father’s induction. 

The crowd got excited as Rob Van Dam took his seat on the stage with the other Hall of Famers and legends. 

The Street Profits are backstage with Saxton and Kelley where Montez Ford and Saxton wearing matching jackets was the focus of the conversation. 

That takes us to the main show. 

We open up with a video featuring previously inducted members of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Kayla Braxton and Corey Graves are at the podium inside the ring. Braxton announces Stacy Keibler as the first to be inducted. Footage of Keibler’s career set to ZZ Top’s “She’s Got Legs” is shown. 

Keibler’s pre-WWE career from Baltimore Ravens cheerleader to Nitro Girl, to Miss Hancock to WWE is recapped. They also showed footage of her from Dancing With The Stars and more from her post-WWE career. 

Graves introduces Mick Foley and Torrie Wilson to induct her. Keibler inducted Wilson into the Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Foley suggested that Keibler and Molly Holly have a match to determine who is the nicest person in the history of WWE. He shared some memories from their time in WWE together before introducing Wilson. She spoke about meeting Keibler in WCW and said her friendly carefree attitude won people over all the time. Wilson spoke more about Keibler’s accomplishments in wrestling and in her post-wrestling career. 

Keibler made her entrance set once again to ZZ Top’s “She’s Got Legs.”

She thanked the fans and spoke about having always loved performing since she was little. Keibler showed a photo of her when she was young in a WCW live crowd holding up a sign that said, “Thank you Bret.” She said she was a superfan then and she’s a superfan now. Another photo of her wearing an NWO Wolfpac shirt as a kid was shown as well. 

Keibler spoke about wrestlers being gritty and how even though wrestling hurts, her pain went away whenever she went through the curtain. Keibler thanked Madusa for pushing her, Trish, Lita, Molly Holly, Jaqueline, Jazz, Victoria, and Gail Kim were mentioned. She also thanked Fit Finlay, The Dudley Boyz, Shane Helms, and Torrie Wilson. She said Foley will always have a special place in her heart. Keibler thanked her family, who were then shown ringside. 

She thanked the fans again and then wrapped it up. 

Next up is Andy Kaufman.

A video featuring footage of Kaufman’s time in wrestling along with comments from Jerry Lawler, William Shatner, and Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is shown. The video also had a clip of Kaufman’s friend Bob Zmuda saying Kaufman achieved his dream wrestling in Memphis. 

Jerry Lawler sent in a video. Lawler said as he’s home recovering, he asked Jimmy Hart to help induct Kaufman into the WWE Hall of Fame.  

Jimmy Hart came out to his song, “Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield.” Hart told some stories of how much Kaufman loved wrestling. He told different stories about how he and Kaufman once got attacked in their car because they were hated so much. Hart said that Kaufman would refuse to sign autographs to stay in character and told other stories from his time in wrestling. 

Hart then introduced the Kaufman family to the ring. Andy’s brother thanked Lawler for making all of this happen. He said Kaufman was a lifelong fan of wrestling and didn’t get into it as a gag. They mentioned people told Kaufman that wrestling was bad for his career but he wouldn’t stop because he loved it. They said being inducted into the Hall of Fame would have meant the world to him. Kaufman’s daughter thanked the fans and the speech finished up. 

Dominik and Ripley are shown, which got a reaction from the crowd. 

The Great Muta will be inducted next. 

Footage of The Great Muta’s career is shown focussing entirely on his time as The Great Muta character. The clips were mainly from WCW but there was also some footage from NOAH as well. They made special mention of Tegan Nox doing Muta’s Shining Wizard and showed a side-by-side of both doing the move. Asuka was shown talking about the mysterious mist. She said Muta is the reason she became a wrestler. Footage of his match against Nakamura is also shown. 

Ric Flair is introduced to induct Muta. 

Flair told some stories of working with Muta. He also commented on Asuka being “a bada**” at one point. Flair talked about his respect for the culture of wrestling in Japan. He then listed off wrestlers who beat him up in Japan. Flair gave a special mention to Jumbo Tsuruta and said he wants to induct him one day. He then joked about Hunter coming out to wrap him up. Flair then introduced Muta, referring to him as someone who performed in the same class as Ricky Steamboat and Shawn Michaels. 

Muta walked to the ring. Flair continued to say that Muta once looked after his son as if he was his own and that he will love him forever. The crowd chants Muta’s name. 

Muta thanked everyone and said he would keep it short because he doesn’t speak English well. He said he was honored to be in the WWE Hall of Fame and wrapped up a short but fun speech. He then blew green mist into the air to a big pop. Asuka was then shown cheering in the crowd. 

Braxton and Graves then introduced a video about Tim White winning the Warrior Award. 

Clips of White’s refereeing career were shown including segments and matches with several Hall of Famers. They also spoke about his role and friendship with Andre the Giant. A clip of White saying he particularly enjoyed working with The Godfather is also shown. They also mentioned his career behind the scenes and that he was universally liked. 

JBL and Ron Simmons are brought out as the APA to induct White. 

Ron Simmons said “Damn” after waiting a comedically appropriate time. JBL said that Tim was a great friend of theirs and a great friend of everybody. They spoke about spending a lot of time in Tim’s bar. Simmons joked about how whenever White needed to renovate the bar, he’d call WWE about doing a scene there so WWE would then need to pay for the damage caused. 

JBL introduced Tim’s brothers to accept the Warrior Award. 

Tim’s brother said the whole White family wanted to thank the WWE for his induction into the Hall of Fame. He said that if his brother was here today, he would express his gratitude for all the love, support, and friendships he received during his career. Tim’s other brother then hoisted the Warrior Award trophy up Stanley Cup style and celebrated, which was pretty fun. 

Braxton and Graves announced that Rey Mysterio’s induction is up next. 

Footage of Rey Mysterio’s WWE career was shown. There were some clips from WCW and ECW but it was primarily focused on his WWE career. Rey and Eddie Guerrero’s time working together was featured as well. I don’t believe there was any footage of Dominik shown. 

Konnan is brought out to induct Mysterio. He got a nice response and went right into it with a lot of energy. The crowd started to liven up. Konnan talked about how much things have changed, and how much more diverse wrestling has become. He talked about how Rey was a young surfer when he met him. It was hard to get promoters to use him but he would try with anyone who would listen. He told stories about lying to bouncers about Rey’s age so he could get into venues to perform. 

Konnan continued to talk about bringing Mysterio to ECW and WCW and pushing him hard as a generational talent to promoters. He also talked about Rey’s debut match in WCW getting a standing ovation backstage. His importance to Lucha libre and how he broke barriers of what a wrestler is supposed to look like is also mentioned. 

Konnan made a joke about being adopted and “replacing Dominik.” The camera then cut to Dominik who did not look pleased. 

Konnan was amazing here and got the crowd super into it. 

Rey comes out. Dominik and Ripley are the only ones on the stage who don’t stand up and cheer. Rey walks past and there is no exchange between them. 

“You deserve it” chants ring out throughout the arena. Rey told them to stop so he doesn’t cry more. A really big, long ovation for Rey. He thanked Konnan for the introduction. And with that, Dominik, Ripley, and Damian Priest stood up and left to a chorus of boos. Rey looked upset but composed himself. Rey told the crowd he “would take care of business tomorrow,” which got a big reaction. 

Rey spoke about starting his career in Mexico and backyards in Los Angeles. He said he wanted to follow in his uncle, Rey Mysterio Sr’s footsteps. He loved Lucha libre and started training at eight years old. His uncle would chop him so hard that he would bail out of the ring and hide in a corner. 

Rey talked about meeting Konnan when he was 12. It was a little brother, big brother relationship. He told a story about having to get his wrestling license in Mexico, which was difficult because he hadn’t even turned 15 yet. Rey’s father signed a waiver thinking that he would quit. He talked about it being hard to get booked because of his size. 

Rey talked about Konnan calling him when he was starting AAA and said Konnan wouldn’t let him turn down the opportunity. Rey said he couldn’t leave his girlfriend but Konnan responded that “if she loves you, she’ll wait for you” and now that woman is his wife. He talked about her sending him money when he was on the road and broke, which got an “Angie” chant from the crowd. 

Rey continued to talk about ECW and gave a special mention to Psicosis and Dean Malenko. He spoke about WCW and his relationship with Eddie Guerrero, which got a big reaction from the crowd. Rey mentioned he took some time off after WWE bought WCW as his daughter, Aalyah, was just born. 

He moved on to his WWE career next. He thanked anyone who had anything to do with his story and his success. Rey thanked his family, his coaches, and the veterans who broke him in. He specifically mentioned Konnan, and said he and his wife have a saying that they thank God first for everything they have, and Konnan second. 

Rey also thanked Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, Kevin Sullivan, and everyone he was ever in the ring with. William Regal, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, all the agents he’s worked with, Batista, Undertaker, Edge, JBL, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, John Cena, and Eddie Guerrero all received mention from Rey here. He thanked the WWE Universe as well and wrapped up his speech. Rey hugged several people ringside and received a standing ovation from the crowd as the show went off the air. 

 

Wrestling Observer Radio: AEW Dynamite, WWE Hall of Fame, Will Ospreay hurt

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Jeff Gaylord, Great Muta going into the Hall of Fame, Will Ospreay injury update, AEW PPV update, a full recap of both Dynamite and NXT, Rampage spoilers and more. 

A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

  • Start: Death of Jeff Gaylord
  • 3:18: Keiji Muto and Stacy Keibler to be inducted into the Hall of Fame
  • 4:08: Will Ospreay out of NJPW Cup, tournament updates
  • 10:47: AEW PPV buys update
  • 16:57: Forbidden Door date, AEW Canadian tour announced
  • 20:53: NCAA tournament, UFC this weekend
  • 24:29: AEW Dynamite recap
  • 52:06: WWE NXT recap
  • 1:07:38: Ratings
  • 1:11:52: AEW Rampage spoilers

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The Great Muta confirmed for WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Great Muta is the second confirmed inductee for the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class.

It was confirmed on WWE’s The Bump this afternoon that Muta (Keiji Muto) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame over WrestleMania 39 week. Muta is being inducted by Ric Flair.

“He’s a tremendous guy, a tremendous athlete, a great person, a great man,” Flair said about Muta. “I’ve wrestled him probably 500 times. And I can’t think of a better guy for the company to honor. And boy when you’re honored and enshrined in the WWE Hall of Fame, it really makes you a special, special person.”

Flair said he loves Muta beyond wrestling and has a special place in his heart for him because his late son Reid was working with Muta in Japan just before Reid’s passing.

The legendary career of Muta came to an end with a retirement tour that wrapped up at the Tokyo Dome last month. In his final matches, Muta faced Tetsuya Naito and Masahiro Chono.

Muta had his final match as the Great Muta character in January, teaming with Sting & Darby Allin in a six-man tag team match.

Muta’s retirement tour also included a match against WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura for Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Rey Mysterio (inducted by Konnan) and Muta are the first two entrants to be confirmed for this year’s WWE Hall of Fame class. The ceremony is taking place after SmackDown in Los Angeles on Friday, March 31. It will stream live on Peacock/WWE Network.

Great Muta Final Bye-Bye live results: Muta, Sting & Darby Allin trios match

Posted on by Chick Fritts

The retirement tour for Keiji Mutoh continues at Japan’s Yokohama Arena as Mutoh wrestles for the final time as famed character The Great Muta at NOAH’s The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye event.

Muta will team with Sting & Darby Allin against Hakushi, Akira & Naomichi Marufuji in the night’s main event. It’s the first time Sting and Muta have teamed since July 2004 for an Hawaii indie event.

Outside two singles matches, the rest of the event is made up of traditional and multi-person tag team matches.

One of those singles matches will see Kazushi Sakuraba against Hideki Suzuki in a GHC martial arts rules match while the other features Timothy Thatcher against Masaaki Mochizuki.

Kaito Kiyomiya, Hijo de Doctor Wagner Jr., Takashi Sugiura & Satoshi Kojima will team to face Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masakatsu Funaki & Manabu Soya while AMAKUSA, Ultimo Dragon & Ninja Mack take on YO-HEY, Kzy, and Dante Leon.

**********

 Kongo (Hajime Ohara & HIROKI) defeated Atsushi Kotoge & Seiki Yoshioka

Nothing special, but a fine enough opener.

This opening junior tag started with typical back-and-forth during the first few control segments. As the pace picked up later in the match, the trading continued, just with a little more urgency. HIROKI eventually ended the match with a Stuka Splash on Yoshioka.

Jungle Kyona & Saori Anou defeated Maya Yukihi & Natsu Sumire

After a brief altercation after the opening bell, Natsu and Anou tagged out, leaving Kyona and Maya to trade strikes. Natsu pulled Kyona to the floor, helping her team establish control early. Natsu and Maya then worked to isolate Kyona, leading to the eventual hot tag.

After receiving the tag, Anou reversed the flow of the match for a while, but it didn’t take long for the heel pairing to begin their isolation tactic again. This time, Kyona was able to help Anou, keeping her competitive even through Natsu and Maya’s concentrated efforts.

Kyona eventually made the tag, but a top rope dropkick, pair of running boots, and a top rope splash left her on the receiving end of a near fall. Kyona continued to fight, however, landing a double suplex, a double lariat, and a sliding lariat for a near fall of her own.

Natsu connected with a pair of DDTs, forcing Anou to make the save; this led to a scramble for control. Kyona eventually landed a lariat which she followed with the Jungle Buster on Natsu, winning the match for her team.

Timothy Thatcher defeated Masaaki Mochizuki

Great match. Many people are mixed on Thatcher’s time in NOAH, but he has been a continued highlight for me, whether in the main event or lower on the card.

Thatcher opened the match with a quick attempt for grappling control, but Mochizuki answered by targeting Thatcher’s leg, taking the lead early. Thatcher eventually struck back by taking control on the mat.

Mochizuki used the targeted leg as a check to a standing Thatcher throughout the match; whenever Thatcher showed a little bit of life, he slowed him to a halt by focusing on the leg. Mochizuki tried to connect with a flurry of strikes, but Thatcher caught him with an armbar out of nowhere, forcing the submission.

Alejandro, Junta Miyawaki & Yasutaka Yano defeated Eita, NOSAWA Rongai & Yoshinari Ogawa

This was bad.

A quick brawl allowed team Ogawa to establish an early lead. Ogawa and company were more than willing to gain a numbers advantage at any turn as they worked to isolate whoever they were in the ring with. A lot of attention was paid to Alejandro, with the heels eventually ripping off his mask, resulting in the disqualification. 

After the match, NOSAWA cut an unwilling Miyawaki’s hair.

Good Looking Guys (Anthony Greene, Jack Morris & Jake Lee) defeated Daiki Inaba, Masa Kitamiya & Yoshiki Inamura

The opening minutes of this match saw different pairings of opponents testing their grit against one another. GLG eventually established control by forcing Inamura into the corner and trading tags to keep him from his team. GLG maintained their control for some time, even after Masa tagged into the match.

A tag to Inaba actually turned things around for his team. A lariat to Morris caused a match reset, leading to a Lee/Inamura exchange. Inamura dropped Lee with a suplex and a ton of elbow strikes, but Lee answered with a big knee to the midsection, followed yakuza kick. The rest of GLG cleared the ring of their opponents, and Lee pinned Inamura to win the match.

Tokyo Dome – Keiji Muto Grand Final Card

A video package played to announce the card for Muto’s Tokyo Dome farewell on 2/21/2023. All the matches had cute little names to set them apart.

Starting Love tag: Masa Kitamiya and Daiki Inaba vs. Yoshiki Inamura and Yasutaka Yano

TJPW Spark: Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki, Rika Tatsumi, and Shoko Nakajima vs. Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miu Watanabe, Yuki Arai

World Warrior Battle 6-Man tag: Takashi Sugiura, Satoshi Kojima, and Timothy Thatcher vs. Good Looking Guys (Anthony Greene, Jack Morris & Jake Lee) 

New Explosion 10-Man tag: Eita, Yoshinari Ogawa, Hayata, Daga, and Chris Ridgeway vs. Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY, Seki Yoshioka, Alejandro and Junta Miyawaki

Dramatic Dream Future 8-Man tag: Shunma Katsumata, Mao, Toui Kojima, and Yuki Ueno vs. Tetsuya Endo, Yuya Koroku, Hideki Okatani, and Takeshi Masada

Dragongate vs. NOAH 6-Man tag: Dragongate (Shun Skywalker, Kai, and Diamante) vs. NOAH (Naomichi Marufuji, Hijo Del Dr. Wagner Jr., and Ninja Mack) 

AJPW vs. NOAH 6-Man tag: AJPW (Kento Miyahara, Suwama, and Yuma Aoyagi) vs. NOAH/Kongo (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima, and Manabu Soya)

Final De Lucha Tag: Gedo and Taiji Ishimori vs. NOSAWA Rongai and MAZADA

Tokyo Tornado: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Amakusa

Shinning Through: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya

Pro-Wrestling “Last” Love: Keiji Muto vs. Tetsuya Naito

This is an incredibly stacked card. It really feels as if the wrestling world is coming together to celebrate the career of Muto.

GHC Martial Arts Rules: Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Hideki Suzuki

This is what it’s all about. I loved this.

The match opened with a scramble on the mat. Sakuraba tried to secure guard on Suzuki, but Suzuki was able to pass. After the stalemate on the ground, they stood up and traded a few palm strikes, but Suzuki secured a double-leg takedown to return to the mat.

Sakuraba popped back to his feet and tried a takedown of his own, finally pulling Suzuki into full guard. From guard, Sakuraba nearly secured an armbar, but Suzuki flipped out of the hold. Both men struggled for control of the legs of the other, leading to an extended struggle for the lead.

Sakuraba secured a triangle choke from the mat. Suzuki tried to escape by powering up and landing a buckle bomb, but before he could connect, he passed out. The referee noticed and stopped the match, leaving Sakuraba as the winner.

Lucha Libre Rules: AMAKUSA, Ninja Mack & Ultimo Dragon defeated Dante Leon, Kzy & YO-HEY

This match was a ton of fun.

The match opened with an extended period of animated sequences. The lucha libre rules (no tags) allowed for fluid transitions between the competitors, leading to spatiality as the match escalated. Everyone hit impressive dives except Dragon, who teased a jump instead. Sonny Onoo, who accompanied Dragon to the ring, got involved, landing some quick kicks on KZY ahead of the finish. Ninja Mack won the match for his team with an insane top-rope dive on YO-HEY.

After the match, Onoo took a picture of the winning team with a disposable camera. 

El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr., Kaito Kiyomiya, Satoshi Kojima & Takashi Sugiura defeated Kongo (Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, Manabu Soya & Masakatsu Funaki)

This was a good match. The exchanges were fun, and all built upon each other up to the finish.

Kenoh and Kojima entered the match early, and with the rest of the faction’s help, Kongo established control. Kongo worked to isolate Kojima, with each member beating on the veteran.

Once the tag finally came, Sugiura challenged Kenoh, trading heavy blows and putting Kongo on the backfoot. Kaito tagged in and continued to further the lead made by Sugiura.

Funaki challenged Kaito, connecting with thunderous strikes and forcing the tag. Soya and Wagner entered to trade power moves, with Soya gaining the upper hand with a spear and a brainbuster. Kongo rushed the ring to fully cement Soya’s lead, which led to a free-for-all shortly after. Once the fog cleared, Wagner hit Soya with a driver and a beautiful moonsault to win the match.

Darby Allin, Great Muta & Sting defeated AKIRA, Hakushi & Naomichi Marufuji

This was incredible. It was filled with outlandish visuals, creative spots, and memorable moments. They worked around the limitations of the older wrestlers brilliantly, making them look outstanding despite their constraints. Brilliant sendoff.

The presentation of this match was highly extravagant. Before the match, a video package showed off Muta’s career and history with Sting. Marufuji came to the ring with an elaborate body and face paint combination. Hakushi and AKIRA had elaborate individual entrances. The Great Kabuki also walked to the ring with his nunchucks and gave the crowd a surprise show, mist and all. Allin skated to the ring with his AEW theme and the TNT championship. Sting’s first WCW theme, “Turbo Charged,” played before his entrance to his AEW theme with the snow. Muta’s entrance was probably the least ornate; other than a unique attire and some sparklers, it was normal.

Muta and Hakushi opened the match. Muta taunted Hakushi with a spray of green mist in the air. A scramble led the pair to the ground, but this first interaction was a tease of what was coming.

Marufuji and Sting tagged into the match. Marufuji tried chopping Sting, but Sting was unphased. Sting dragged Marufuji into the corner and tagged in Allin. Before Allin and Marufuji could come to blows, Marufuji tagged in AKIRA. AKIRA and Allin traded moves briefly before tagging out to Sting and Hakushi, respectively.

Sting hit Hakushi with a lariat that sent him to the floor. Hakushi took a moment to recover, only for Sting to bump him off the apron, over the barricade, and into the bell table. This led to a brawl outside, with Muta focusing Hakushi.

Muta choked Hakushi with a cable before jumping his ringside accompaniment. Muta took Hakushi’s graveside marker, broke it over his knee, and jabbed the jagged wood into Hakushi’s head, drawing blood. After dragging Hakushi back into the ring, Allin bit Hakushi’s wound, and Sting targeted it with slams into the barricade and ring post.

Muta slowed the violence momentarily, locking Hakushi in an STF in the middle of the ring. AKIRA hit the ring to make the save, leading to a tag into Marufuji.

Marufuji moved Allin into the corner, leading into a slightly faster sequence. Allin landed a fantastic dive, as only he could, before grabbing a chair. Instead of hitting him with it, Allin sat Marufuji in the chair, climbed to the top rope, and hit a dropkick, ring-to-floor.

Sting tagged in, but after several Stinger splashes, he lost control to AKIRA. AKIRA slipped up, however, getting caught in the scorpion deathlock before Muta re-entered the match. Muta connected with his signature dragon screws and shining wizard, but AKIRA held on. After blocking Muta’s second attempt at a shining wizard, AKIRA landed a top rope splash and tagged out to Hakushi.

Hakushi climbed to the top rope and delivered a falling headbutt for a nearfall. Allin hit the ring, smashing Hakushi over the head with his skateboard. This led to a brawl, clearing the ring of everyone but Hakushi and Muta.

Hakushi, blood-drenched, cupped his hands over his cut and drank his own blood before botching a top rope walk. Muta blinded Hakushi with the green mist after the fall. Muta hit Hakushi with a shining wizard. Hakushi’s tag partners hit the ring and made the save, but Muta’s partners were quick to back him up.

With Hakushi still on his back, Allin landed a coffin drop. Muta followed this with another shining wizard before pinning Hakushi to win his farewell.

After the conclusion, Muta attacked Hakushi’s ringside monk again. He grabbed the grave marker and stabbed Hakushi with it again. Muta then took Hakushi’s blood and wrote a message on the broken marker, trapping Hakushi’s demon inside him forever.

On his way to the back, Muta was visibly in a lot of pain. Allin and Sting helped him to the top but left him alone for one last mist spray. 

Wrestling Observer Radio: Don West, WWE injuries, Muta, Giulia, AEW in Seattle, Smackdown, more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the death of Don West, thoughts on the Ric Flair documentary, injuries to Gunther and AJ Styles, NOAH Budokan and Stardom notes, AEW in Seattle and NXT previews, Smackdown and Rampage reviews and more. A fun show as always so check it out~!

Timestamps:

Start: Back from the holidays

1:50: Don West, Pele, Mike Pappas pass away

16:43: AJ Styles breaks ankle, Gunther chair shot, Kevin Owens, John Cena wrestled

19:18: Dax Harwood wants CM Punk back in AEW

22:58: Dave’s Ric Flair documentary thoughts, Charlotte Flair returns on SmackDown

31:45: The mystery tag partner for January 11 Dynamite

33:31: Stardom, NOAH notes

38:27: Raw & NXT preview, Dragon Lee thoughts, & preview for Dynamite

51:48: AEW Rampage recap

57:13: WWE SmackDown recap

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Great Muta’s final New Japan match set for NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The Great Muta will take part in his final NJPW match at November 20th’s NJPW X STARDOM Historic X-Over event. 

NJPW announced late Wednesday that following his involvement in an angle on Wednesday’s Battle Autumn show, Great Muta will team with Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano against United Empire’s Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare. 

On Wednesday’s show, Muta helped Yano defeat O-Khan to advance in the IWGP World Television Championship tournament.

Additionally, a six-woman tag match has been added to Historic X-Over, as Thekla will team with Himeka, and Mai Sakurai against Lady C, AZM, and Saya Kamitani.

Here is the updated lineup for the November 20 pay-per-view:

  • IWGP Women’s Championship tournament finals: Mayu Iwatani vs. KAIRI
  • The Great Muta, Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Utami Hayashishita vs. Hirooki Goto & Maika
  • Tom Lawlor & Syuri vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Giulia
  • El Desperado, DOUKI, Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Natsupoi & Tam Nakano
  • Thekla, Himeka & Mai Sakurai vs. Lady C, AZM &Saya Kamitani

Great Muta appears at NJPW Battle Autumn, TV title tournament update

Posted on by Ian Carey

The Great Muta has returned to NJPW. 

The legendary wrestler made a surprise appearance during the NJPW Battle Autumn tour stop on Wednesday from Korakuen Hall. 

During the TV title tournament match between Toru Yano and the Great-O-Khan, the lights in the building went out and Muta was standing ringside when they came back on. Muta then blew poison mist in Khan’s face, allowing Yano to roll him up and get the three count. 

Speaking backstage after the event, Muta said he wants to team with Yano and Kazuchika Okada to face Khan at NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over on November 20. 

Muta’s retirement tour continues Sunday at NOAH Pro Wrestling Love Forever 3 from Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. He will team with Naomichi Marufuji and Yoshiki Inamura to face Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma.

Ren Narita also advanced in the TV title tournament on Wednesday. He defeated Tomohiro Ishii in the main event. Narita and Khan will square off in the tournament quarter-finals. 

NJPW TV Championship tournament results:

  • David Finlay defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (October 14)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Alex Zayne (October 14) 
  • Yoshi-HASHI defeated Jeff Cobb (October 15)
  • EVIL defeated Aaron Henare (October 15)
  • SANADA defeated Taichi (October 16)
  • KENTA defeated Hirooki Goto (October 16)
  • Toru Yano defeated Great-O-Khan (October 26)
  • Ren Narita defeated Tomohiro Ishii (October 26)
  • David Finlay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (October 27 or 30) (quarter-final)
  • Yoshi-HASHI vs. EVIL (October 27 or 30) (quarter-final)
  • SANADA vs. KENTA (October 27 or 30) (quarter-final)
  • Toru Yano vs. Ren Narita (October 27 or 30) (quarter-final)
  • Semi-final #1 (November 5)
  • Semi-final #2 (November 5)
  • Finals (January 4)

Full results from the 10/26 NJPW Battle Autumn show:

  • Aaron Henare & Gideon Grey defeated Kosei Fujita & Yuto Nakashima
  • Alex Zayne, Tiger Mask, & David Finlay defeated TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Zack Sabre Jr. 
  • Hikuleo & Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Dick Togo & EVIL
  • KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo defeated Taichi, El Desperado, & DOUKI
  • SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Master Wato & Togi Makabe
  • Francesco Akira, TJP, & Jeff Cobb defeated BUSHI, Titan, & Tetsuya Naito
  • Toru Yano defeated Great-O-Khan to advance to the second round of the NJPW TV Championship tournament
  • Ren Narita defeated Tomohiro Ishii to advance to the second round of the NJPW TV Championship tournament

Wrestling Observer Live: The White Rabbit

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley. 

The clues to the “White Rabbit” on SmackDown lead to another show. These clues need to be more than just promos for the next episode, otherwise WWE risks fans turning on this angle. So far, it’s turned out to be just a carny trick in the digital age. Fans need to be rewarded for their time, not used. 

Plus, a monologue from three weeks ago turns out to be prophetic when it comes to the CM Punk controversy, The Great Muta and Bobby Fish make surprise appearances on AEW and IMPACT respectively, the lineup for EXTREME RULES so far, and more. Check it out.

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Keiji Muto’s final match set for Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Tokyo Dome return

Posted on by Ian Carey

Keiji Muto’s final match will take place inside the Tokyo Dome. 

Pro Wrestling NOAH has announced that Muto’s retirement tour will culminate on Tuesday, February 21 as the company returns to the Tokyo Dome for the first time since Destiny 2005. 

In June, Pro Wrestling NOAH announced four dates for Muto’s retirement tour. He was defeated by Kaito Kiyomiya in the first match of the tour on July 16 at Destination 2022. He has since performed at Ultimo Dragon’s 35th Anniversary Show on July 30 and the N-1 Victory Grand Final show on September 3. 

Muto’s final match as The Great Muta will take place on January 22 from Yokohama Arena. The remaining dates on his retirement tour are as follows: 

  • September 25, 2022 at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
  • October 30, 2022 at Ariake Arena in Tokyo
  • January 22, 2023 at Yokohama Arena (Great Muta Final ‘Bye Bye’)
  • February 21, 2023 at Tokyo Dome (Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling ‘Last’ Love～Hold Out～)

Tickets for Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling ‘Last’ Love～Hold Out～ go on-sale for NOAH fan club members on September 8. Wrestle Universe subscribers will have access to tickets beginning October 1 and general sale to the public begins on November 19. 

Great Muta teaming with Dreamer at Impact A Night You Can’t Mist

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Impact Wrestling has announced the main event of their next Impact Plus live special.

The Great Muta will team with Tommy Dreamer against Johnny Impact & Michael Elgin at “A Night You Can’t Mist.” The show is named after Muta and is taking place at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 8.

Former ECW World Champion Jerry Lynn, who works as a coach/producer for All Elite Wrestling, will be the special guest referee for the match.

Muta most recently wrestled in the United States over WrestleMania weekend in New York City last month. He was a surprise entrant in the Honor Rumble match on the ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard pre-show and teamed with Pentagon Jr. & Tajiri against Low Ki & LAX for House of Glory Wrestling.

Impact Plus launched at the beginning of this month, replacing the Global Wrestling Network and serving as a rebranded version of it.

A Night You Can’t Mist is in partnership with Dreamer’s House of Hardcore promotion.

WM week notes: Ultimate X set for Impact, Muta six-man tag at HOG

Posted on by Joseph Currier

With WrestleMania week under two months away, the lineups for shows are starting to take shape.

Impact Wrestling announced over the weekend that there will be an Ultimate X match at their WrestleMania week show, which is called “United We Stand” and is in partnership with WrestlePro. It’s taking place at the Rahway Recreation Center in Rahway, New Jersey at 11 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday, April 4.

Impact noted that the entrants for the match will be revealed in the coming weeks. Rich Swann is the current X Division Champion. He won the title in an Ultimate X match at Impact’s Homecoming pay-per-view last month.

United We Stand will air live on Twitch. It will also feature Pentagon Jr. & Fenix facing Rob Van Dam & Sabu.

House of Glory has Culture Clash 19 at the NYC Arena in Queens, New York at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, April 6. They’ve announced that The Great Muta will team with Pentagon Jr. & Tajiri against LAX (Santana & Ortiz) & Low Ki in a six-man tag match at the show.