Keiji mutoh

Keiji Mutoh

Ring name(s)

Keiji Mutoh[1]
The Great Muta[1]
Space Lone Wolf[1]
Kokushi-Muso[1]
Kokushi[1]
White Ninja[1]
Super Ninja[1]
Black Ninja[1]
Super Black Ninja[1]
Viet Cong Ming[1]



Billed height

1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]



Billed weight

105 kg (230 lb)[2]



Born

December 23, 1962 (age 49)[1]
Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi



Billed fromThe Land of the Rising Sun (Tokyo, Japan)



Trained by

Hiro Matsuda[1]



Debut

October 5, 1984[1]


Keiji Mutoh (武藤 敬司 Mutō Keiji?, born December 23, 1962)[1] is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he hasalso competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan. He is a former President of All Japan Pro Wrestling, as well as being a full-time wrestler for the promotion since 2002. Mutoh is widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time, both in Japan and America.[citation needed]

Mutoh is credited as one of the first Japanese wrestlers to achieve a fan base outside of hisnative Japan in the United States. The Great Muta gimmick is one of the most influential gimmicks in puroresu, having been emulated by many wrestlers including Satoshi Kojima (The Great Koji), Kazushi Miyamoto (The Great Kazushi) and Atsushi Onita (The Great Nita). In addition, countless independent wrestlers have paid tribute to Muta through emulation and imitation.

Mutoh is one of twowrestlers to hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the AJPW Triple Crown Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (the other being Shinya Hashimoto). He is also famous for taking part in what is generally considered to be the bloodiest professional wrestling match of all time against Hiroshi Hase, leading to the creation of the "Muta Scale."[3]




[edit] Career

[edit] Earlyyears (1984–1989)

Mutoh was an amateur wrestler and competed in numerous Judo competitions prior to being trained by Hiro Matsuda in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Academy. He debuted on October 5, 1984 against Masahiro Chono. Mutoh's initial NJPW run was largely uneventful, the only noteworthy event being a six day IWGP Tag Team Championship reign with Shiro Koshinaka. He also wrestled for a shorttime under the moniker "Space Lone Wolf", a space-age type character that was briefly revived in 2005 by NOSAWA Rongai.

In the mid-1980s, Mutoh was sent on a learning excursion to the United States for seasoning. He wrestled briefly in World Class Championship Wrestling under his ring name at the time The Super Ninja, and had a very short lived feud with Kevin Von Erich before departing theorganization.

In 1988, Mutoh went on another excursion, this time in Puerto Rico. It was in Puerto Rico he formed The Three Musketeers with Chono and Shinya Hashimoto. He wrestled only one match in New Japan on July 29, before returning to Puerto Rico. But after runs in Puerto Rico and his return to the United States in Florida, Mutoh's personality and ring skills earned him a high billing inthe National Wrestling Alliance, where he was dubbed The Great Muta.

[edit] National Wrestling Alliance (1989-1990)

Muta first appeared in the NWA on the March 18, 1989 edition of World Championship Wrestling. His manager Gary Hart introduced him as the son of the Great Kabuki, whom Gary Hart also had managed years earlier. Muta would feud with stars like Lex Luger, Ric Flair, andespecially Sting, from whom he would capture the NWA World Television Championship on September 3, 1989. He eventually lost the championship to Arn Anderson on January 2, 1990 (aired on the January 13, 1990 edition of NWA Power Hour), and some time after the Clash of the Champions on February 6, Mutoh eventually returned to New Japan, going between his real name and his Muta gimmick as he pleased....