The Great Muta

Title History

IWGP (New Japan) World Tag Team titles w/Shiro Koshinaka;
WWC Puerto Rican title;
WWC Television title;
Florida Heavyweight title;
NWA World Television title defeating Sting (September 3, 1989);
IWGP World Tag Team titles w/Masahiro Chono defeating Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto (April 27, 1990);
IWGP World Tag Team titles w/Hiroshi Hase defeating Rick Steiner & Scott Norton;
IWGP World Heavyweight title defeating Riki Choshu (January 4, 1992);
NWA World Heavyweight title defeating Masahiro Chono (January 4, 1993);
IWGP World Tag Team titles w/Hiroshi Hase defeating Hawk & Kensuki Sasaki (November 11, 1994);
IWGP World Heavyweight title defeating Shinya Hashimoto (May 3, 1995);
UWIF World Heavyweight title defeating Nobuhiko Takada (May of 95);
IWGP World Tag Team titles w/Masahiro Chono defeating Kensuke Sasaki & Kazuo Yamazaki ();
IWGP World Heavyweight title defeating Scott Norton (January 4, 1999);
WCW World Tag Team titles defeating KroniK (August 13, 2000)

Career Highlights

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Keiji Mutoh’s first stint in New Japan wasn’t very successful, often teaming with Masahiro Chono & Shiro Koshinaka..
Keiji Mutoh & Shiro Koshinaka were able to capture the IWGP (New Japan) World Tag Team titles..

World Wrestling Council

Keiji Mutoh soon emerged in Puerto Rico in the WWC, where he wrestled as "Super Ninja"..
Super Ninja would win the WWC Puerto Rican title as well as the WWC Television Title..
Super Ninja engaged in bloody fueds with sadistic men like Carlos Colon, Abdullah the Butcher, Bruiser Brody and TNT..

Florida

Super Ninja had a brief run in Florida, where he won the Florida Heavyweight title..
Super Ninja was managed by Gary Hart and teamed with the Great Kabuki as the Rising Suns..

National Wrestling Alliance

Keiji Mutoh soon caught the eye of then NWA president, Jim Crockett..
Keiji Mutoh signed with Jim Crockett's National Wrestling Alliance and was transformed into the "Great Muta"!
The Great Muta wore face paint and spewed green mist into the air before his matches, a technique used by Tajiri years later..
The Great Muta formed a tag team with Dragon Master (Kendo Nagasaki) and were managed by Gary Hart..
The Great Muta began to fued with NWA Television champion, Sting, a fued that would go on for the next 10 years..
July 23, 1989 - Great American Bash: Sting vs The Great Muta ended in a NO CONTEST when there was a double pin finish..
~~~Great Muta defeated Sting in the rematch to win the held up NWA Television title!
October 29, 1989 - Halloween Havoc: Sting & Ric Flair defeated Terry Funk & Great Muta in a thrilling cage match..
~~~The Great Muta blamed Terry Funk for the loss and violently attacked him! Ric Flair & Sting made the save..
Starrcade 1989: The Great Muta lost matches to Ric Flair, Sting & Lex Luger (DQ) in the Iron Man tournament..
January 20, 1990: Arn Anderson defeated The Great Muta for the NWA World Television title..
The Great Muta left the NWA shortly thereafter..

Return to New Japan

The Great Muta returned to his homeland, ready to conquer Japan just as he did America..
April 27, 1990: The Great Muta & Masa Chono defeated Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto to win the IWGP World Tag Team titles.
November 1990: Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki beat The Great Muta & Masa Chono for the IWGP Tag Team titles..
The Great Muta engaged in a bloody fued with Hiroshi Hase, but the two ended up Tag Team partners in the end..
The Great Muta & Hiroshi Hase defeated Rick Steiner & Scott Norton for the IWGP Tag Team titles..
January 4, 1992: The Great Muta defeated Riki Choshu to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion..
The Great Muta & Hiroshi Hase were defeated by Big Van Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow for the IWGP Tag Team titles..

New Japan/WCW Relationship

The Great Muta & Sting reignited their fued, but soon found themselves teaming up against the Steiner Brothers in tag team matches..
January 4, 1993 - WCW/NJPW Super Show III: The Great Muta defeated Masahiro Chono to unify the IWGP and NWA World Titles..
~~~The Great Muta becomes first person to ever hold Japan & America's top championships at the same time..
Super Brawl III: Barry Windham defeated The Great Muta for the NWA World Heavyweight title..
September 1993: Shinya Hashimoto defeated The Great Muta for the IWGP World Heavyweight title..
November 11, 1994: The Great Muta & Hiroshi Hase beat the Hell Raisers (Hawk & Kensuke Sasaki) to become IWGP Tag Team champions..
May 3, 1995: The Great Muta defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win his second IWGP World Heavyweight title..
The Great Muta & Hiroshi Hase vacated the IWGP Tag Title belts so Muta could concentrate on defending his newly won World title..
May 1995: The Great Muta defeated Nobuhiko Takada to unify the IWGP and UWIF World titles..
January 4, 1996: Nobuhiko Takada defeated The Great Muta to win the Unified World titles..
The Great Muta then took time off due to a knee injury..

new World order Japan

The Great Muta returned and joined Masahiro Chono, who had formed the Japanese version of the nWo..
The Great Muta & Masahiro Chono defeated Kensuke Sasaki & Kazuo Yamazaki to win the IWGP World Tag Team titles..
May 7, 1998: The Great Muta & Masahiro Chono vacated the tag team titles when Muta had to undergo knee surgury..

New Japan Pro Wrestling

January 4, 1999: The Great Muta defeated Scott Norton to capture the IWGP World title..
December 1999: The Great Muta held the title for almost a year before being upset by Genichiro Tenryo..

World Championship Wrestling

2000: The Great Muta came back to America for another stint in World Championship Wrestling..
July 14, 2000 - Thunder: Tank Abbott & Three Count defeated Jung Dragons & The Great Muta..
July 18, 2000 - Nitro: The Great Muta pinned Vampiro in a United States title tournament match..
~~~The Great Muta was beaten by Mike Awesome later in the night in the second round..
July 21, 2000 - Thunder: Tank Abbott defeated The Great Muta..
July 24, 2000 - Nitro: Vampiro vs The Great Muta fought to a No Contest..
The Great Muta then joined Vampiro & Insane Clown Posse in a faction known as Dark Carnival..
July 26, 2000 - Thunder: The Great Muta & Vampiro defeated Sean O'Haire & Mark Jindrak..
July 31, 2000 - Nitro: KroniK defeated Sean O'Haire/Mark Jindrak and Great Muta/Vampiro in a triple threat match..
August 2, 2000 - Thunder: Sting, Booker T & KroniK beat Vampiro, Demon, Great Muta & Jeff Jarrett in an elimination match..
August 7, 2000 - Nitro: Vampiro/Great Muta/The Demon defeated The Jung Dragons..
August 9, 2000 - Thunder: Ernest Miller & Sting defeated The Great Muta & Vampiro..
August 13, 2000 - New Blood Rising: The Great Muta & Vampiro defeated KroniK to win the World Tag Team titles..
August 14, 2000 - Nitro: Rey Mysterio & Juventud Guerrera defeated Great Muta & Vampiro after a 24hr reign as champions..
~~~Later that night Sting defeated Vampiro, The Great Muta & The Demon in a four corners match..
August 16, 2000 - Thunder: The Great Muta pinned The Demon..
August 23, 2000 - Thunder: The Great Muta/Vampiro/Insane Clown Posse defeated Tank Abbott & Three Count..
The Great Muta once again reignited his fued with Sting, but failed to recapture the magic the two shared in their earlier encounters..
August 28, 2000 - Nitro: The Great Muta vs Sting went to a NO CONTEST..
September 4, 2000 - Nitro: Sting defeated Vampiro & The Great Muta in a Wargames Qualifying Handicap Match..
Nitro: The Great Muta defeated Sting..
Fall Brawl 2000: Sting defeated The Great Muta..
The Great Muta packed his bags and returned to Japan..

All Japan Pro Wrestling

The Great Muta jumped ship to All Japan, leaving his "Great Muta" gimmick behind him..
~~~Since NJPW owned the "Great Muta" gimmick, he began using his real name, Keiji Mutoh..
October 19, 2002: Keiji Muto suffered right ligament damage at All Japan show in Niigata and was hospitalized..
~~~He was told to stay out of action for three weeks, which would cause him to miss the 10/27 Budokan Hall show..
October 27, 2002 - AJPW PPV: Keiji Mutoh defeats Gen'ichiro Tenryu to win the Triple Crown championship!
October 2003: Keiji Mutoh is expected to wrestle in the U.S. in 2004, most likely with MLW..
December 27, 2003 - ROH/AJPW Final Battle: The Great Muta & Arashi defeated Christopher Daniels & Danny Maff..
January 04, 2004--New Japan Pro Wrestling: Keiji Muto & Bob Sapp defeated Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan..
April 20, 2004: Keiji Muto won the Champion Carnival tournament on the All Japan PPV at Tokyo Yoyogi Gym..
July 21, 2004--Hawaiian Championship Wrestling: Sting & The Great Muta beat Diamond Dallas Page & Satoshi Kojima..

I think this is a great nominee. Should generate interesting conversation. I said yes. I think he had a super gimmick, introduced the acrobatic style to US wrestling, and has been very important to the development of Japanese wrestling.

Also, if it weren't for Muta, we wouldn't have such a great scale for blade jobs :)

True, and I just saw that match for the first time last week. It's pretty sick.

I voted yes as well, but it wasn't clean and clear. Not that I don't think he's a worth candidate, it's just that he's done so much in the last few years that totally suck the life out of the rest of his career. Muta was definately one of the first Japanese performers that I have ever seen (with Liger running a close second) so the influence is there. The in ring is where he lacks the most as his gimmick was top notch with probably nobody ever in Japan drawing as much money simply because of their gimmick.

I say yes, for the reasons stated above. He's like the Hogan of Japan, he was huge and had classic matches, but politiked it up.

Since I was the one who supported the Great Muta during the argument over Bruiser Brody, I voted yes. I won't hold the last 5-6 years of his career against him, since almost everyone's in ring ability slps (or gets lazy). Anyone have a picutre of the famous blade job that created the Muta-scale?

Easily. You won't find many people with the accomplishments he's had in Japan. Like Kido said he's been a cancer since 2001 but you can't deny his run in the early 90s.

Although his 2001 run was fucking awesome. It shows you what he could have done, had he been motivated.

Yeah, he always suffered greatly from getting lazy after his huge IWGP run in 95. But I give the guy a lot of credit for completely re-inventing himself with a whole new ringstyle in 2000.

I don't know if I've really seen enough to vote. I didn't really watch much WCW at that time. And from what I watched, I don't remember too well.

I vote NO, for being a lazy fuck who dragged Kawada down to his worst match ever, among other things.

REALLY? I mean, I'm no hardcore Muta supporter myself......but you really voted "No" Ray?

Color me surprised.

I think the bad (being lazy and wasting his talent, ruining AJPW, worst Kawada match ever, etc...) outweighs the good (1991 MOTY and a handful of other great matches).

I wish I could argue with you but I really can't

I have to be honest as well, the most Muta I ever saw was from the past couple of years when he was in the "lazy" stages of his career. My philosophy though on these things is that if I'm not that familiar with a nominee, I wait and see what their defenders and detractors have to say and form an opinion based on that.

In other words, it's okay for Plague to vote.

This definitely didn't start any discussion. Nominate someome everyone but me likes, then you'll get an argument going.

Yeah, I'm very let down by this. I thought for sure we were going to have a bitter argument between those who loved Muta in his prime and those who thought Muta sucked ass the past five years.

Well... everyone AGREES with both sides of the argument. He was one of the most talented wrestlers in his prime, and he has sucked major ass in the last half-decade.

He briefly broke out for 2000-2001 with his new offense but it only kept him motivated for maybe 12-18 months.

Might I suggest maybe trying Arn Anderson or Tully Blanchard.

Well, this was a disappointing nomination, but Muta is in the HOF now. I want to know if you guys think I should pick a sure thing for monday or should I nominate someone who will be more likely to start a great debate :)

Either that, or I'm going to go with my manager nomination...

Pick someone like Rick Rude, who has supporters and naysayers. You've been in a rut lately of people that everyone loves or everyone agrees on.