Keiji Mutoh

The legendary Keiji Muto, known as The Great Muta, is a nine-time world champion and one of the most influential figures in puroresu.

Keiji Muto (武藤敬司, Mutō Keiji; born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestling executive, actor and retired professional wrestler. He is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego The Great Muta (グレート・ムタ, Gurēto Muta) in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) during the 1980s and 1990s. He is also known for his runs in both All Japan Pro-Wrestling (AJPW) between 2001 and 2013, and his run in Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH) from 2020 to 2023. He was the president of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) from 2002 to 2013 and representative director of Wrestle-1 (W-1) from 2013 until its closure in 2020.

Quick Facts

Character: The Great Muta; Keiji Mutoh
Role: Top Star; Face of the Company (1990s-2000s)
Affiliation: New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
Debut era: Late 1980s

Lore & Background

Considered one of the greatest and most influential wrestlers of all time, Muto is one of the first Japanese wrestlers (puroresura) to gain an international fanbase in the 1990s and beyond, thanks in large part to his Great Muta gimmick. The gimmick is one of the most influential in puroresu, emulated by many wrestlers, and seen as the most prevalent of Muto's alter egos. Many wrestlers copied or modified some of the moves that he popularized or innovated, such as the Shining Wizard, Moonsault (also known as the Rounding Body Press), Muta Lock, and the Dragon-screw leg-whip. He took part in what was generally considered to be one of the bloodiest professional wrestling matches at the time against Hiroshi Hase, leading to the creation of the 'Muta scale', which rates the bloodiness of matches relative to this one's 1.0 value. Muto is one of the five wrestlers to win the three major championships of puroresu (AJPW's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and Pro Wrestling Noah's GHC Heavyweight Championship) with Kensuke Sasaki, Yoshihiro Takayama, Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata. He also held the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, making him an overall nine-time world champion. He is also a 13-time world tag team champion with five AJPW World Tag Team Championships, six IWGP Tag Team Championships, one GHC Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship. In total, he held 32 championships throughout his 38-year career.

Reader's Guide

In 2013, Muto founded W-1, where he also wrestled semi-regularly. He made special appearances for the American promotion Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA, renamed Impact Wrestling in 2017) from 2014 to 2019, as part of a talent exchange with W-1. In June 2022, Muto announced that he would retire in 2023. His retirement matches occurred on February 21, 2023, in the Tokyo Dome during Noah's Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling 'Last-Love' event, first against his scheduled opponent Tetsuya Naito, and second in an impromptu double-retirement match against Masahiro Chono. In April 2023, Muto was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Evolution of a Global Icon

Keiji Muto is known for his work under his real name and as his alter ego The Great Muta in NJPW, as well as WCW and during the 1980s and 1990s, and from his runs in other Japanese, American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican promotions. Considered one of the greatest and most influential wrestlers of all time, Muto is one of the first Japanese wrestlers to gain an international fanbase in the 1990s and beyond, thanks in large part to his Great Muta gimmick. The gimmick is one of the most influential in puroresu, emulated by many wrestlers, and seen as the most prevalent of Muto's alter egos. Muto first appeared as 'Great Mota' in the NWA's World Championship Wrestling territory on the March 18, 1989 edition of WCW Saturday Night. His manager Gary Hart introduced him as the son of the Great Kabuki. Muto's name would eventually be changed to 'The Great Muta'. Muta would feud with stars like Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and Sting, from whom he would capture the WCW World Television Championship on September 3, 1989.

Innovation in Technique and Spectacle

Many wrestlers copied or modified some of the moves that Muto popularized or innovated, such as the Shining Wizard, Moonsault (also known as the Rounding Body Press), Muta Lock, and the Dragon-screw leg-whip. He took part in what was generally considered to be one of the bloodiest professional wrestling matches at the time against Hiroshi Hase, leading to the creation of the 'Muta scale', which rates the bloodiness of matches relative to this one's 1.0 value. On December 14, Muta faced Hiroshi Hase in a winning effort in a famous match where Hase used a foreign object to beat at Muta's forehead, as payback for their previous encounters, including the September 14, 1990 encounter, in which Muta busted Hase open. Muta bladed and cut very deeply into his forehead. As a result of this, Muta bled profusely for the rest of the match, and to this day he still bears scars from where he sliced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Keiji Mutoh?

He is a legendary professional wrestler best known for his iconic dual persona as the heroic Keiji Mutoh and the supernatural villain The Great Muta. As a cornerstone of New Japan Pro Wrestling, he became one of the most influential figures in Japanese wrestling history during the 1990s.

What was Keiji Mutoh's primary role in NJPW?

During the company's pivotal Strong Style era, he served as the top star and face of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He blended athletic realism with theatrical mysticism to define an entire generation of performance within the industry.

Is Keiji Mutoh still active in wrestling?

Although officially retired from full-time competition, he remains active through occasional appearances and leadership roles within the promotion. His legacy continues to influence current talent despite stepping away from regular matches.