| The Great Muta |
| The Great Muta
Height: 6'0" Weight: 253 lbs. Real name: Keiji Mutoh Hometown: Yamanishi, Japan Pro debut: October 5, 1984 Finishing move: Dragon Screw Legwhip, Shining Wizard (Strike to the side of the opponent's head with the side of the knee after stepping off one of the opponent's knees), Moonsault Other aliases: Kokushi-Muso, White Ninja (NJPW/FCW), Super Ninja (WWC), Super Black Ninja (WCCW), Black Ninja Career highlights: IWGP World Tag Team Champion (6), WWC Puerto Rican Champion, WWC TV Champion, NWA Florida Heavyweight Champion, NWA TV Champion, Greatest 18 Champion, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion (3), NWA World Heavyweight Champion, WCW World Tag Team Champion (w/Vampiro), AJPW Triple Crown World Heavyweight Champion (2), AJPW World Tag Team Champion (2) Trained by: Hiro Matsuda Mutoh was trained to be a professional wrestler by Hiro Matsuda in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Academy. He debuted on October 5, 1984 against Masa Chono. Mutoh's initial NJPW run was largely uneventful, and he went to North America for seasoning. After runs in Puerto Rico and Florida, Mutoh's "Great Muta" personality and ring skills earned him a high billing in the National Wrestling Alliance. During this period, Muta would feud with stars like Sting, Lex Luger, and Ric Flair. Muta would then return to Japan. The working agreement between World Championship Wrestling and NJPW would allow Muta to climb the ranks of both companies, in singles ranks and tags. He would eventually capture both the NWA and IWGP Heavyweight titles. Muta would then take time off to heal injuries to his knees. Upon his return he formed the Japanese version of the nWo along with Masahiro Chono, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan, among others. Muta had another run in WCW in 2000, but was unable to recapture his former popularity in the company. He would return once more to Japan. At this point Muta would radically change his appearance and wrestling style. He would abandon his evil ninja persona, instead using his real name. He would also shave his head, which had gained a noticeable bald spot for the past several years, and grow a goatee, resembling a Japanese Stone Cold Steve Austin. Mutoh had been using the moonsault when wrestling as Muta which had caused damage to his knees. As an alternative finisher, Mutoh invented the Shining Wizard, which he uses now as his finisher for both characters. The Shining Wizard has become a very popular move, even a cliché in the wrestling industry, with many people adopting the original Mutoh version or a variation of it. At the conclusion of an All Japan/New Japan interpromotional war, Keiji Mutoh surprisingly jumped ship to the rival company. He brought along his student Satoshi Kojima as well as Kaz Hayashi from the recently sold WCW. A grateful Motoko Baba (widow of AJPW's former owner and founder Giant Baba) would then transfer her stock of the company to Mutoh. Mutoh wrestles to this day, defending All Japan against the Voodoo Murders faction. Mutoh, regardless of his allegiance and his personality, is one of the biggest stars in the history of Japanese wrestling. He did some shows teaming with Ultimo Dragon in the mexican CMLL promotion. In a 1992 match with Hiroshi Hase, Mutoh, wrestling with his Great Muta gimmick, bladed himself although cut too deeply and bled severely. Scars can be seen on Mutoh's forhead. Due to this incident the "Muta Scale" is used to judge bleeding in a wrestling match. In 2004, he played the part of Harold Sakata in the movie Rikidozan, a film based on the life of the wrestler who is known as the "Father of Puroresu." |
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