Keiji Muto Height: 6'2" Weight: 243lbs Date of Birth: 12/23/62 Place of Birth: Fuji Yoshida City, Yamanashi Debut: October 5th, 1984 (vs. Masahiro Chono)

Title History:

Triple Crown (2):
- Genichiro Tenryu (6/8/01) / Toshiaki Kawada (2/24/02)
- Genichiro Tenryu (10/27/02) / Shinya Hashimoto (2/23/03)

AJPW World Tag Team Title (2):
- (w/ Taiyo Kea) Genichiro Tenryu & Yoji Anjo (10/22/01) / Brian Adams & Bryan Clark (7/17/02)
- (w/ Arashi) Satoshi Kojima & Jimmy Yang (6/8/03) /

IWGP Heavyweight Title (3):
- Riki Choshu (8/16/92) / Shinya Hashimoto (9/20/93)
- Shinya Hashimoto (5/3/95) / Nobuhiko Takada (1/4/96)
- Scott Norton (1/4/99) / Genichiro Tenryu (12/10/99)

IWGP Tag Team Title (6):
- (w/ Shiro Koshinaka) Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada (3/20/87) / Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada (3/26/87)
- (w/ Masahiro Chono) Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto (4/27/90) / Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (11/1/90)
- (w/ Hiroshi Hase) Rick Steiner & Scott Norton (11/5/91) / Big Van Vader & Bam Bam Bigelow (3/1/92)
- (w/ Hiroshi Hase) Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior (11/25/94) / Vacated (5/11/95)
- (w/ Masahiro Chono) Kensuke Sasaki & Kazuo Yamazaki (10/19/97) / Vacated (5/7/98)
- (w/ Taiyo Kea) Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura (10/28/01) / Vacated (2/1/02)

NWA Heavyweight Title (1):
- Masahiro Chono (1/4/93) / Barry Windham (2/21/93)

NWA Television Title (1):
- Sting (9/3/89) / Arn Anderson (1/2/90)

NWA Florida Heavyweight Title (1):
- Kendall Windham (5/21/86) / Kendall Windham (6/86)

WCW Tag Team Title (1)
- (w/ Vampiro) Brian Adams & Bryan Clark (8/13/00) / Rey Misterio Jr. & Juventud Guerrera (8/14/00)

Tournament History:

- IWGP Tag Team Title League (1987): Keiji Muto & Shiro Koshinaka beat Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada (17:04) when Koshinaka used an inside cradle on Takada.
- WCW Battlebowl 1992: Great Muta won an 8 Man Battle Royal.
- Super Grade Tag League 1993: Keiji Muto & Hiroshi Hase beat Scott Norton & Hercules Hernandez (13:46) when Muto pinned Hercules.
- Super Grade Tag League 1994: Keiji Muto & Hiroshi Hase beat Masahiro Chono & Super Strong Machine (26:01) when Muto used a moonsault press on Machine.
- G1 Climax 1995: Keiji Muto beat Shinya Hashimoto (24:08) with a moonsault press.
- Super Grade Tag League 1997: Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono beat Shinya Hashimoto & Manabu Nakanishi (23:33) when Muto used a figure-four leglock on Hashimoto.
- Super Grade Tag League 1998: Keiji Muto & Satoshi Kojima beat Tatsumi Fujinami & Shinya Hashimoto (18:51) when Kojima used a lariat on Fujinami.
- G1 Tag League 1999: Keiji Muto & Scott Norton beat Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata (21:32) when Muto used a cross armbreaker on Nakanishi.
- Real World Tag League 2001: Keiji Muto & Taiyo Kea beat Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai (16:49) when Kea used the Hawaiian Smasher on Nagai.
- Champion Carnival 2002: Keiji Muto beat Mike Barton (9:50) with a moonsault press.
- Giant Baba 6 Man Cup (2002): Keiji Muto, George Hines & Kaz Hayashi beat Genichiro Tenryu, Arashi & Nobutaka Araya (10:57) when Muto used the Shining Wizard on Araya.
- AJPW World Tag Team Title Tournament (2003): Keiji Muto & Arashi beat Satoshi Kojima & Jimmy Yang (24:49) when Arashi used a frog splash on Yang.
- Champion Carnival 2004: Keiji Muto beat Kensuke Sasaki (15:33) with a moonsault press.

Signature Moves:

- Dragon screw leg whip
- Figure-four leglock
- Moonsault press
- Shining Wizard

Profile:

Muto was initiated into New Japan in April, 1984, and would debut in October that year against fellow debutant, Masahiro Chono, a man he would have one of wrestling's greatest feuds with in later years. On his second learning excursion to America in January, 1988, he began using a new persona, Great Muta, an enigmatic character who painted his face and blew poisonous mist. After much success in the NWA, Muto returned to New Japan as himself in April, 1990, defeating Chono in his return match. His greatest and most memorable match with Chono came in the 1991 G1 Climax final, when the two brought Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan to it's feet in a half hour thriller that helped make them superstars. His first IWGP Heavyweight Title reign was as Muta, with legend, Riki Choshu, falling to a moonsault press in August, 1992, and Muta would hold the belt for a year before dropping it to fellow "Musketeer" (the other being Chono), Shinya Hashimoto. For much of the decade, Muto dominated New Japan, enjoying two more reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, many IWGP Tag Team Title reigns, and his one and only G1 Climax victory in 1995. Because of the New Japan/All Japan alliance at the time, Muto was able to venture into All Japan, where he scored a big win over Toshiaki Kawada, then made history when he defeated Genichiro Tenryu to capture All Japan's prestigious Triple Crown. At one point, in October, 2001, he held SIX belts, the Triple Crown (three), AJPW World Tag Team Title (two), and IWGP Tag Team Title (one). In early January, 2002, he shocked the world by quitting New Japan, ending his 17+ year career there, and becoming a full-time All Japan wrestler, taking Satoshi Kojima and Kendo Kashin with him. He quickly became the ace and lead figure of All Japan, and later in 2002 succeeded Motoko Baba as president of the company. With so many titles and tournament victories to his name, Keiji Muto is a legend and icon in wrestling, and perhaps the most recognizable Japanese wrestler on western shores too. After many successful years in New Japan, Muto now leads All Japan against his old haunt, and remains one of the most popular wrestlers in the country.

AKA Great Muta & Kokushi Muso