Keiji Mutoh, (December 23, 1962), also known as The Great Muta, is a retired Japanese professional wrestler who gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He was an amateur wrestler and competed in numerous Judo competitions. He began his pro wrestling career in Japan for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and has competed all over the world. As The Great Muta, Mutoh is known as one of the first Japanese wrestlers to also achieve a fan base outside of his native Japan in the United States. Famed for playing mind games and spitting various Asian mist on different opponents which he inherited off his (kayfabe) father The Great Kabuki.
Career[]
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Shining Wizard - Innovated
- Muta Lock - Innovated
- Moonsault
- Signature moves
- Asian mist
- Space Rolling Elbow (Cartwheel back elbow to a cornered opponent)
- Flashing Elbow (Running twisting elbow drop)
- Dragon Screw Leg Whip
- Dropkick
- Frankensteiner (sometimes from the top rope)
- Whiplash or Elevated Whiplash
Championships and accomplishments[]
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- AJPW Triple Crown Championship (3 times)
- AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Taiyō Kea, Kenzo Suzuki, Masakatsu Funaki, Joe Doering and Arashi
- Champion's Carnival (2002, 2004, 2007)
- F-1 Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kannazuki
- Giant Baba Six Man Cup (2002) – with George Hines and Kaz Hayashi
- January 2 Korakuen Hall Heavyweight Battle Royal (2011)
- January 3 Korakuen Hall Junior Heavyweight Battle Royal (2011)
- Akiho Yoshizawa Cup (2010) – with Masakatsu Funaki and S1 Mask
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (2001) – with Taiyō Kea
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (2007) – with Joe Doering
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (2009) – with Masakatsu Funaki
- World
- NWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA World Television Championship (1 time)
- Regional
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (6 times) – with Hiroshi Hase (2), Masahiro Chono (2), Shiro Koshinaka (1) and Taiyō Kea (1)
- Greatest 18 Championship (1 time)
- G1 Climax (1995)
- Super Grade Tag League/G1 Tag League (1993, 1994) – with Hiroshi Hase
- G1 Tag League (1997) – with Masahiro Chono
- G1 Tag League (1998) – with Satoshi Kojima
- G1 Tag League (1999) – with Scott Norton
- MVP Award (2001)
- Singles Best Bout (2001) vs. Yuji Nagata on August 12
- Tag Team Best Bout (2001) with Hiroshi Hase vs. Jun Akiyama and Yuji Nagata on October
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #3 in the 2002 PWI 500 (His highest-ever ranking and the second highest ranking achieved by a Japanese wrestler - Mitshuaru Misawa was ranked second to Dean Malenko in 1997)
- PWI ranked him # 25 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- He was ranked # 22 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" in 2003 with Hiroshi Hase
- Nikkan Sports
- Match of the Year (1999) vs. Genichiro Tenryu on May 3
- Match of the Year (2001) with Hiroshi Hase vs. Yuji Nagata & Jun Akiyama on October 8
- Outstanding Performance Award (1998)
- Tag Team of the Year (2009) with Masakatsu Funaki
- Technique Award (1997)
- Wrestler of the Year (1999, 2001, 2008)
- Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Match of the Year (1999) with Genichiro Tenryu on May 3, 1999
- Match of the Year (2011) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano, All Together, August 27
- Outstanding Performance Award (1998)
- Rookie of the Year (1986)
- Special Award (1989)
- Tag Team of the Year (1990) with Masahiro Chono
- Tag Team of the Year (2005) with Akebono
- Wrestler of the Year (1995, 1999, 2001, 2008)
- Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
- Global Impact Tournament (2015) - Team International (The Great Sanada, Drew Galloway, Bram, Tigre Uno, Magnus, Rockstar Spud, Khoya, Sonjay Dutt and Angelina Love)
- World Championship Wrestling
- WCW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Vampiro
- BattleBowl (1992)
- World Wrestling Council
- WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWC World Television Championship (1 time)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Best Wrestling Maneuver (2001) Shining Wizard
- Match of the Year (2001) vs. Genichiro Tenryu on June 8, Tokyo, Japan
- Most Improved Wrestler (2001)
- Wrestler of the Year (2001)
- Readers' Favorite Wrestler (2001)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1999)
- 5 Star Match (1987) with Shiro Koshinaka vs. Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada on March 20
- 5 Star Match (1991) vs Big Van Vader at NJPW G1 Climax Day 3 on August 9
- Other achievements
- Bahamut Championship (1 time) – with Sugi-chan
- World Wrestling Entertainment
- WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2023)
