Some familiar faces encouraged Yoshiki Inamura ahead of his NXT title match.
During NXT, a video package aired showing Inamura defeating Jasper Troy on last week’s show to become the number one contender for Oba Femi’s NXT Championship, with the two set to square off at Saturday’s Great American Bash. Pro Wrestling NOAH stars The Great Muta, Naomichi Marufuji, Ulka Sasaki, and Kaito Kiyomiya were then seen showing messages of encouragement, as well as current WWE Women’s Champion IYO SKY. The video ended with Muta telling Inamura in English that he can become a champion.
Legends from @noah_ghc and all over the world know what @noah_yoshiki brings to the table…
Can Inamura shock the world and take home NXT Championship SATURDAY at The Great American Bash?!? pic.twitter.com/t9oaGQQOIQ
Inamura has been part of NXT since November of last year, taking an excursion from NOAH to train at the WWE Performance Center. He quickly formed a tag team with Josh Briggs and has seen some success, though the two have yet to win the NXT Tag Team titles.
In storyline, there was a brief period where Inamura had to head back to Japan as Briggs feuded with The Culling. But Inamura made his return at Battleground, helping Briggs and Hank & Tank to defeat The Culling in a six-man tag match.
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.
It appears that The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) will be the next inductee confirmed for the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame class.
On Raw last night, it was announced that Ric Flair will reveal the next Hall of Fame inductee on WWE’s The Bump this Wednesday. Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Flair has been asked to induct Muta into the Hall of Fame.
I presume that that’s Keiji Muto because Ric Flair has asked to induct Muto, or has been asked to induct Muto. A lot of people thought it would be Sting, but politically that would have been tough before. I think it would be even tougher now. So I don’t know that that’s the case. We do know that Muto has been asked to be in the Hall of Fame, and we do know that Flair has asked to induct him, so that seems to make sense.
Muta completed a retirement tour at the Tokyo Dome last month. The retirement tour also included a match against WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura for Pro Wrestling NOAH.
PWInsider first reported that Muta would be going into the WWE Hall of Fame this year. They’ve also reported that WWE is working on a deal for Stacy Keibler to be one of this year’s inductees.
The Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place in Los Angeles after SmackDown on Friday, March 31. The ceremony will stream live on Peacock/WWE Network.
Rey Mysterio is the only inductee that has been officially announced for the 2023 Hall of Fame class thus far. He’s being inducted by Konnan.
On this week’s Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast, Fumi Saito and I look at the career of Keiji Muto.
We begin with his debut in 1984, American excursions, the creation of The Great Muta, his rise to stardom in NJPW, the Three Musketeers, All-Japan, Wrestle 1, Hustle, NOAH and more.
Fumi has known Muto since 1984, so this is 90 minutes of insight you won’t hear anywhere else, including what inspired a young Muto to become one of the biggest stars of all time.
Keiji Muto is dealing with several injuries as he approaches the final match of his career.
An article in Tokyo Sports released Wednesday revealed that Muto is dealing with hamstring tears in both legs suffered during the main event of The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye. Muto teamed with Darby Allin and Sting to defeat AKIRA, Hakushi & Naomichi Marufuji on the show.
The injuries make it difficult for the 60-year-old to stand and as a result, he was forced to pull out of an appearance at a Setsubun Tsuinashiki ceremony scheduled for Friday.
Muta was a guest presenter at the K-1 AWARDS 2022 on Wednesday and was asked about his upcoming final match against Tetsuya Naito in the Tokyo Dome.
“I’m going to have a good match, but I had a match 10 days ago and separated my thigh. I’m in a pinch, but I’ll do my best. (translations via DeepL)
“I’ve got hamstring tears in both legs. I’m lucky it wasn’t torn, but it hurts anyway. It’s been 10 days since I hurt it, but it hasn’t healed at all. I feel sick, damn it…” he spat.
Muto revealed that he was already dealing with back pain before suffering the hamstring injuries. He went into The Great Muta’s final match “out of shape.”
Actually, I was in bad shape before I went there that day. I had back pain. I don’t know what triggered it, but I was out of shape.”
“The pain in my knee is chronic and I’m used to it, but my muscles are in a lot of pain. I think I put extra strain on my knee and hip joints by protecting them…”
“I feel like I’ve been given a test by the wrestling gods. I don’t know what to do. I train only my upper body, but it’s really hard to do that, too. It’s stressing me out. I’m in the biggest pinch at the end, and I want to extend it by a month…”
Muto was seen being pushed in a wheelchair backstage following The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye. He was also seen using a wheelchair at the K-1 Awards on Wednesday.
Muto’s final match is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21, 2023, from the Tokyo Dome. He will wrestle Naito in the main event. It will be the second time the two have faced off in singles competition. Muto defeated Naito at Wrestle Kingdom VI on January 4, 2012.
Keiji Muto wrestled his final match as The Great Muta on Sunday morning.
Teaming with AEW’s Darby Allin and Sting, Muta defeated AKIRA, Hakushi, and Naomichi Marufuji in the main event of The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye event. The finish had Muta mist Hakushi after he fell as he was doing a rope walk. Sting followed with the scorpion death drop, Allin hit the coffin drop, then Muta pinned Hakushi with a second shining wizard.
After the match Allin, Sting, and Muta celebrated together. After Sting and Allin went to the back, the announcer said Muta’s name one final time as pyro went off, ending the show.
During entrances, The Great Kabuki was introduced and came to the ring. When The Great Muta character was first introduced in WCW back in 1989, it was explained by then-manager Gary Hart that he was the son of Kabuki, who he had also managed.
Muto’s final match will be held on February 21 at the Tokyo Dome. During Great Muta Final Bye-Bye, the entire card for the show was announced, with Muto facing NJPW’s Tetsuya Naito in the main event.
The full lineup for The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye card has been revealed.
The Yokohama Arena show on January 22 will have Great Muta team with AEW’s Sting and Darby Allin against Hakushi, AKIRA, and Naomichi Marufuji. This will be Keiji Mutoh’s final match as The Great Muta.
Elsewhere on the card, the co-main event will have the current GHC World, National, and Tag Team Champions team together, as Kaito Kiyomiya, Hijo de Doctor Wagner Jr., Takashi Sugiura, and Satoshi Kojima will team together to take on KONGO’s Katsuhiko Nakajima, Kenoh, MAsakatsu Funaki, and Manabu Soya.
A Martial Arts Rules match will also take place, with Kazushi Sakuraba facing Hideki Suzuki. Jake Lee, who recently made his debut for the company after leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling, will team with Jack Morris and Anthony Green to take on Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura.
This will not be Mutoh’s final match as a wrestler. That event will take place on February 21 at the Tokyo Dome.
Here is the full lineup for the NOAH event, which will air on ABEMA:
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 Nakajima, 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
Shinsuke Nakamura emerged victorious over The Great Muta at Sunday morning’s NOAH The New Year event at Budokan Hall.
The finish of the match had Nakamura kick out of Muta’s shining wizard. Nakamura, who had been misted by Muta during the match, retaliated with mist of his own. He then pinned Muta with the kinshasa.
After the match, Nakamura thanked Muta, calling him his idol. Nakamura celebrated in the ring briefly before running up the ramp and helped Muta walk to the stage entrance. Both posed on the stage as pyro went off, concluding the show.
This is Nakamura’s first match outside of WWE since signing with the promotion in 2017. While doing press for his match, Nakamura called the agreement between WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH a “miracle”, noting it wouldn’t have happened under the previous Vince McMahon regime.
Keiji Mutoh will next appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, teaming with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shota Umino to take on Tetsuya Natio, SANADA, and BUSHI. He will have two retirement shows: one as The Great Muta on January 22 where he will team with AEW’s Sting and Darby Allin, then another as Keiji Mutoh on February 21 at the Tokyo Dome.
WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura is heading home to Japan to face The Great Muta for Pro Wrestling NOAH this weekend — but it’s a match that wouldn’t be happening if Vince McMahon was still in charge of WWE.
It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE… Vince [McMahon] stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. Even so, I thought it would be difficult, but I spoke directly to Triple H. When the decision was actually made, I was shaken.
There was a big change in the WWE between when Mutoh announced his retirement and when the match was decided. Vince, who was the symbol of everything, was retiring, and that was something that no one could believe. Everything changes in America when the top changes. At that time, there was a feeling that many things would change in the future. One of the changes that occurred to me was this. The fact that ‘no’ became ‘yes’ gave me a boost.
Nakamura vs. Muta is happening at NOAH’s The New Year this Sunday (January 1, 2023). The show will air live on Wrestle Universe.
The match is part of Keiji Mutoh’s retirement tour. Mutoh have his final match as the Great Muta character on Sunday, January 22, teaming with Sting & Darby Allin in a six-man tag team bout. Mutoh will then have his final match at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, February 21.
Nakamura was part of a five-way ladder match for the Intercontinental title at WWE’s Madison Square Garden house show on Monday night. He most recently wrestled on television when he lost to Santos Escobar in the first round of the SmackDown World Cup tournament.
Darby Allin is heading to Japan in January to take part in The Great Muta’s retirement match.
Pro Wrestling NOAH has confirmed that Muta will team with Sting & Allin in his retirement match on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Their opponents have yet to be announced.
“Great Muta Final Bye Bye” is the name of Muta’s retirement show. It’s being held at the Yokohama Arena and will air live via Wrestle Universe and Fite TV.
The match will be Keiji Muto’s final bout as the Great Muta character. Muto will then retire with his last match taking place at the Tokyo Dome for Pro Wrestling NOAH on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Last month, Sting told Sports Illustrated that he was trying to get Allin to come with him for Muta’s final match. Muta appeared for AEW on an episode of Rampage this September, helping to save Sting & Allin during a tag team match against The House of Black’s Brody King & Buddy Matthews.
“I know my days are numbered, so I’m trying to make the most out of the time left and give the fans everything I have before this wave comes into shore for good. I’m grateful that Muta was able to be here with me in the United States. That’s a memory I’m going to hold onto, and it signifies the end of our era. I’m looking forward to having one last grand hoorah with The Great Muta, especially in Japan,” Sting said.
“I’m trying to get Darby Allin to come with me. It’s such an honor, especially since that will be his last night as The Great Muta character.”
Shinsuke Nakamura has opened up about WWE granting him permission to face The Great Muta.
It was announced on Sunday that Nakamura will face Muta at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event on January 1 at Budokan Hall. An article in Tokyo Sports recently revealed how Nakamura was able to receive permission from WWE to do the match.
“After a disagreement at first, he persisted in negotiating with a new regime after Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon retired in July,” a translation of the article reads. “The final agreement was reached on the 26th of this month, and it seems that the tenacity has paid off.”
Nakamura mentioned in the article that the match against Muta is something he worked hard to make happen.
“It’s nothing but a miracle,” Nakamura said. “Of course, I wanted to do it. I opened a door that no one could break in. Hahaha…it’s a real ‘Forbidden Door’.”
“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,” he continued.
Keiji Muto’s last match as The Great Muta will take place on January 22, 2023 at The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye show in Yokohama. He will team with Sting on the show. Muto’s retirement tour then concludes with his final match on February 21, 2023, at the Tokyo Dome.
Shinsuke Nakamura is heading to Pro Wrestling NOAH.
The company announced Sunday morning that the current WWE star will face The Great Muta in a singles match at NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event on January 1 at Budokan Hall.
Nakamura responded to the news on Twitter, writing “This is miracle”.
Keiji Mutoh is planning his retirement tour, which is set to end on February 21, 2023 at the Tokyo Dome. Most recently, he appeared under the Muta persona during NJPW’s Battle Autumn tour, costing The Great-O-Khan his NJPW World Television title match. He is set to have his final match in NJPW on November 20 at the NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over event, where he will team with Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano to take on Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare.
Mutoh’s final match under The Great Muta persona will take place on January 22, 2023 at The Great Muta Final Bye-Bye event in Yokohama. He will team with Sting with opponents yet to be named.
The Bray Wyatt return, speculation, numbers, comparisons to Punk
Full coverage of Extreme Rules and business notes
Jon Moxley signs five-year deal, the signing of Renee Paquette, how his situation changes and how it stays the same, plus why he did so, why he wasn’t looking at signing at one point and will he work indies
The fight for the rights to Antonio Inoki’s name now that merchandise is expected to be huge
How Inoki was pushed from a young age
Inoki vs Bruno
New Japan Declaration of Power full coverage
Upcoming New Japan events
Impact Bound for Glory coverage
Ross Hart looks at the Cauliflower Alley Club banquet
TV ratings from the last week, including international numbers and streaming numbers
What show set its all-time viewership record in the U.K?
How Raw & Dynamite rank on cable for the week
Preview of TripleMania
NOAH announces major show
PWG returns
Ronda Rousey key speaker at Gene LeBell funeral
AEW gets major vote of confidence
Update on status of Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and C.M. Punk
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Tuesday News Update
WWE
Matches taped for Main Event this week include Cameron Grimes vs. Akira Tozawa and Cedric Alexander vs. Duke Hudson.
PWInsider reported that Big E and Madcap Moss will be “regularly involved” with WWE Campus Rush events.
WWE has filed a trademark for ‘Lyra Valkyria”.
Goldberg will be a part of the programming lineup for the relaunch of the Speedvision television channel, which will take place this fall.
Sammy Guevara will be in Dubai on November 13, serving as a backstage reporter and commentator for the upcoming Floyd Mayweather/Deiji fight.
Jon Moxley was on FOX 19 Now talking about his upcoming match against Hangman Page on tonight’s Dynamite.
AEW’s social media has a profile on Dalton Castle ahead of his ROH Championship match on tonight’s Dynamite.
Other Wrestling
Bret Hart recently took part in a K&S WrestleFest autograph signing, mentioning Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Brock Lesnar as people he would have liked to face in the ring. Regarding Lesnar, Hart said “I would have loved to work with Brock Lesnar just because I always heard he was a good pro in the ring. The opposite of Goldberg.”
The Great Muta spoke to Wrestling Inc. about never working for WWE. “I just don’t understand this,” Muta said. “[WWE]’s way of thinking was so different at that time.”
Antonio Inoki’s YouTube page has footage from his wake.
Tonight’s Tales from the Territories will look at the AWA. Promotional material reads: “Verne Gagne created the American Wrestling Association with one singular goal: return dignity and athleticism to a business losing touch with both.”
Sting is honored to be part of The Great Muta’s final match.
The two pro wrestling legends had a surprise reunion at AEW Rampage Grand Slam last month. While Sting was handcuffed and about to be attacked with a bat by Buddy Matthews, Muta made his way out to the ring and saved his former rival Sting. A green mist from Muta left Matthews unable to see, then Sting freed himself from the handcuffs and hit a Scorpion Death Drop to get the victory over the House of Black.
It was announced after Grand Slam that the reunion between Sting and Muta will continue as they team together in Keiji Muto’s final match as the Great Muta character. Sting and Muta will be on the same side of a six-man tag match at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Great Muta Final Bye-Bye in Yokohama on Sunday, January 22, 2023.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Sting said he’s looking forward to having “one last grand hoorah” with Muta. Sting also said he’s trying to get Darby Allin to team with him and Muta in the six-man tag.
“I know my days are numbered, so I’m trying to make the most out of the time left and give the fans everything I have before this wave comes into shore for good. I’m grateful that Muta was able to be here with me in the United States. That’s a memory I’m going to hold onto, and it signifies the end of our era. I’m looking forward to having one last grand hoorah with The Great Muta, especially in Japan,” Sting said.
“I’m trying to get Darby Allin to come with me. It’s such an honor, especially since that will be his last night as The Great Muta character.”
Sting told Sports Illustrated that, no matter if it’s in the United States or Japan, he’s always had great chemistry with Muta.
“It’s been over 30 years, but I can still feel that excitement of sharing the ring with him,” Sting said. “The first time we were ever together, we knew there was a chemistry there. It didn’t matter if we were in Philadelphia or Fukuoka. There was a magic, that’s for sure.”
Sting also stated that it was Muta who asked him to be part of Great Muta Final Bye-Bye.
“When it’s Muta asking, I’ll always say yes,” Sting said. “Every time we speak, it’s like no time has passed. I know we’re older now, but it doesn’t feel that way when we’re together.
“It’s such an honor. He is one of the greatest to ever do this.”
Following his last match as The Great Muta character, Keiji Muto will retire with his final match taking place at the Tokyo Dome for Pro Wrestling NOAH on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Japanese wrestling icons and past rivals Keiji Muto and Hiroshi Tanahashi will compete each other one final time at NOAH’s Pro Wrestling Love Forever 3.
The event is set for Sunday, October 30th at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
Muto will team with Naomichi Marufuji and Yoshiki Inamura against NJPW’s Tanahashi, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma as part of Muto/Great Muta’s retirement tour.
The two appeared at a Monday press conference where Tanahashi presented Muto with 38 roses in recognition of Muto’s 38 years in wrestling in a show of respect.
The two have met multiple times in their legendary careers, mainly in tag team matches. The last was in January as part of NJPW vs. NOAH matches that took place the first night of Wrestle Kingdom. Tanahashi & Okada defeated Muto & Kaito Kiyomiya.
The two have had singles matches in both NJPW and AJPW. At 2009’s Wrestle Kingdom, Tanahasi defeated Muto for the IWGP World title.
