The Great Muta
| Keiji Mutoh | |
|---|---|
Mutoh in November 2009
|
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| Birth name | Keiji Mutoh |
| Born |
December 23, 1962 Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan |
| Spouse(s) | Hisae Ashida |
| Children | 2 |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Bach Mutoh The Black Ninja The Great Mota The Great Muta Keiji Mutoh Kokushi Kokushi-Muso The Space Lone Wolf The Super Black Ninja The Super Ninja Viet Cong Ming The White Ninja |
| Billed height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Billed weight | 110 kg (240 lb) |
| Billed from | The Land of the Rising Sun |
| Trained by |
Antonio Inoki Hiro Matsuda Kotetsu Yamamoto |
| Debut | October 5, 1984 |
Keiji Mutoh (武藤 敬司 Mutō Keiji?, born December 23, 1962) is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) during the 1990s, but he has also worked in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan. He is a former president of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), as well as being a full-time wrestler for the promotion from 2002 to 2013. He also gained the rank of the Master Sergeant during his military service in Japan.
Mutoh is credited as one of the first Japanese wrestlers to achieve a fan base outside of his native Japan. The Great Muta gimmick is one of the most influential gimmicks in puroresu, having been emulated by many wrestlers including Satoshi Kojima (as The Great Koji), Kazushi Miyamoto (as The Great Kazushi), Atsushi Onita (as The Great Nita), and Seiya Sanada (as The Great Sanada). In addition, countless other wrestlers have paid tribute to Muta through emulation and imitation.
Mutoh is one of three wrestlers to hold the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (the others being Shinya Hashimoto and Satoshi Kojima). He is also a former five-time AJPW World Tag Team Champion and a six-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.
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