Balistik Blabber: The Great Muta
Massimo Martinini asked:
Welcome to the 23rd Balistik Blabber! Today we’re going to talk about an active legend in professional wrestling. See how I say “active” instead of “living”? To those who don’t get the difference, you’ll get it eventually~ I now present to you… the 20th entry to the “Ex-World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Talent…
THE GREAT MUTA!
In Japan, professional wrestling may look the same as it does in America but there are subtle differences. These differences can make or break an aspiring wrestler and one such wrestler was able to weather that storm and make his mark… this man was KEIJI MUTOH.
An amateur wrestler and practitioner of Judo, Mutoh was more than prepared for the ring when legendary trainer Hiro Matsuda began training him. This was the same Hiro who trained Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons and Ric Flair! Soon Mutoh made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in 1984. This first run didn’t fly off the ground very well despite competing with, as well as teaming up with the company’s best including Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto. It’s funny because nowadays, these same three men are considered pioneers and innovators of their time. Around the second half of 1985, Mutoh was sent on an excursion to America to learn a few more tricks of the trade. The destination was “World Class Championship Wrestling” in Texas where he wrestled under the name “The Super Ninja” where he briefly feuded with Kevin Von Erich. Other destinations of the excursion included Florida and Puerto Rico (lucha libre style training) when his growing potential caught the eye of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). On May 21, 1986, Mutoh wrestled as “The White Ninja” and beat Kendall Windham to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title! Mutoh would have the belt until later June when Kendall beat him to regain it. Prior to his eventual transformation, Mutoh returned to Japan and wrestled under yet another gimmick named “Space Lone Wolf” with the UWF. During his time there, he fell victim and got knocked out with the “dreaded” Tuokon Slap Attack”, a gimmick attack that was a sort of symbolic “slap of respect” various wrestlers asked from the legendary Antonio Inoki to discipline them. Mutoh also won the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Tag Team titles with Shiro Koshinaka on March 20, 1987 but would lose it 6 days later to Nobuhiko Takada & Akira Maeda — the same team they earned it from. Some unknown force must like Mutoh, because soon he was travelling the world again, this time to the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico! He never ran out of gimmicks because he had another one: “Black Ninja”. On February 6, 1988 he defeated Invader 1 and earned the WWC Television Title as well as Miguel Perez Jr. to become the WWC Puerto Rican Champion! It was during this time that Mutoh was able to tangle with many legends in various bloody encounters including Carlos Colon (father of Carlito and Primo Colon), Frank “Bruiser Brody” Goodish and Abdullah the Butcher!
Mutoh soon debuted his most widely recognized gimmick… “THE GREAT MUTA” in Jim Crockett’s NWA! He wore face paint, fought with an unorthodox mix of striking, high flying maneuvers and surprisingly powerful grapples. The Great Muta also utilized the dreaded “Asian Mist” or more commonly known as “poison mist” at varying points of a match be it the beginning, during or after. The mist is usually spewed into his opponent’s face or eyes and comes in various colors. Depending on the color, the spray supposedly has a different level of effect. Sounds a bit like a videogame no? Here’s a list showing the various effects of this “deadly” spray attack by color:
Green = obscures vision for a short time
Red = supposedly leaves a “burning” sensation on the eyes rather than limiting
vision
Black = more powerful that the green variation; blinding effect lasts longer than
green version
Yellow = supposedly has a paralyzing effect; takes effect as long as it makes
contact on any part of the body
Another note to add to the poison mist attack is that The Great Muta WAS NOT the first to use this “dastardly” technique… that credit goes to Akihisa “The Great Kabuki” Mera, The Great Muta’s “onscreen father” (to those who can’t catch on… they’re NOT REALLY related)! The two once formed a tag team called “The Rising Suns” but it didn’t really catch on and was soon dropped. As “The Great Muta”, Mutoh wrestled mostly as a “heel” character (EEEVIL) and faced the likes of Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and his eternal rival Sting with whom he engaged in a rivalry that went well over 10 years! On July 23, 1989 edition of the original “Great American Bash” pay-per-view, Muta and Sting fought to a “no contest” decision after a double pinfall occurred. They would face each other again on September 3 culminating in Muta beating Sting and capturing the NWA World Heavyweight title! On a separate occasion, Muta also beat Dick Murdoch to win the NWA World Television title. All this happened and soon, two years had passed and Muta felt like going home once again~
Soon Mutoh was back in NJPW and was competing with both Japanese and “gaijin” (foreigner) opponents as they had a talent exchange program with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was during the years of 1991 to 1993 that Mutoh made his mark in Japanese wrestling together with Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto. In 1991 on the very first G-1 Climax tournament in Japan, Mutoh and Chono fought each other through 30 minutes with the victory going to Chono. Afterwards, Hashimoto entered the ring and the three men celebrated like members of the “Madison Square Garden Incident” but instead of creating controversy, the event moved the audience – so much so that they labeled the men “The Three Musketeers of NJPW”. In another unforgettable though bloody moment, Mutoh faced Hiroshi Hase on December 14 that same year. To take revenge for earlier attacks, Hase poked Muta with a foreign object… and Muta bled like A FOUNTAIN! Typing that in ALL CAPS cannot exaggerate enough how much blood Mutoh lost that day as a result of blading himself too deep but nonetheless it created a spectacle that has never been duplicated for its sheer danger. That day, the “Muta Scale” was created and a match was forever immortalized in the fans that saw it.
The career of Keiji Mutoh is one filled with color. Through the years he has faced countless enemies from across the globe, won many titles and sprayed mist on many a hapless person’s face… He’s faced legends like Inoki and even Tiger Jeet Singh as well as mixed martial artists such as Don Frye and Ken Shamrock. He also made some pretty controversial actions such as betraying NJPW and joining All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for some time, earning the ire of NJPW loyalists. He also has been involved with new World order Japan, both as an opposer and a supporter of the faction. He had a second run with WCW but he had a very nagging knee problem and he was unable to regain his enormous fanbase unlike the previous time. Despite that, he is always trying to evolve his wrestling style and this led to the creation of one of my most favorite wrestling moves: THE SHINING WIZARD! The basic setup is that your opponent is down on one knee… you take a short run, use one leg to gain leverage by stepping on your rival’s outward knee, and deliver a nasty knee or shin attack to your opponent’s neck or face with your other leg. This move has been improvised and utilized by hundreds of wrestlers following in the footsteps of Mutoh. Gregory Helms is one of the most prominent users of the move as a finisher as well as Rob Van Dam on certain occasions. This and countless other mannerisms by Mutoh have made such an impact that even in videogames it has been given tribute! Go play a round of Tekken and choose the character King and you will see that he has the moonsault, the Shining Wizard in his arsenal as well as the “flashing elbow”, an exaggerated elbow drop with a twisting motion. You can find his signature taunt in the “Smackdown VS Raw” videogame series as the “wizard taunt” as well as another attack he calls “Space Rolling Elbow” which is a corner attack where he performs a cartwheel to a back elbow attack, followed up with a bulldog.
Innovator, and a legend all around the ring… the WWE doesn’t know what it’s missing! Not to undermine their achievements, but I believe Mutoh is greater than The Undertaker or Bret “The Hitman” Hart… it’s not because he has been a part of nearly every aspect of the business: wrestler, trainer and promoter… it’s not because he has won more titles… it’s because he has not only made a legacy, but also passing on that legacy to a new generation. I don’t think there can be another ‘Taker, but there can definitely be many more “Mutas” in future generations of professional wrestling! In fact, I’ve decided to feature one of the most prominent “Muta-inspired” wrestlers on the next issue! Keiji Mutoh is an “AUTOMATIC HALL OF FAME ENTRY”. No question asked. EVER!
Thank you very much for reading! See you all in the next Blabber!
Wilma
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Welcome to the 23rd Balistik Blabber! Today we’re going to talk about an active legend in professional wrestling. See how I say “active” instead of “living”? To those who don’t get the difference, you’ll get it eventually~ I now present to you… the 20th entry to the “Ex-World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Talent…
THE GREAT MUTA!
In Japan, professional wrestling may look the same as it does in America but there are subtle differences. These differences can make or break an aspiring wrestler and one such wrestler was able to weather that storm and make his mark… this man was KEIJI MUTOH.
An amateur wrestler and practitioner of Judo, Mutoh was more than prepared for the ring when legendary trainer Hiro Matsuda began training him. This was the same Hiro who trained Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons and Ric Flair! Soon Mutoh made his debut in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in 1984. This first run didn’t fly off the ground very well despite competing with, as well as teaming up with the company’s best including Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto. It’s funny because nowadays, these same three men are considered pioneers and innovators of their time. Around the second half of 1985, Mutoh was sent on an excursion to America to learn a few more tricks of the trade. The destination was “World Class Championship Wrestling” in Texas where he wrestled under the name “The Super Ninja” where he briefly feuded with Kevin Von Erich. Other destinations of the excursion included Florida and Puerto Rico (lucha libre style training) when his growing potential caught the eye of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). On May 21, 1986, Mutoh wrestled as “The White Ninja” and beat Kendall Windham to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight title! Mutoh would have the belt until later June when Kendall beat him to regain it. Prior to his eventual transformation, Mutoh returned to Japan and wrestled under yet another gimmick named “Space Lone Wolf” with the UWF. During his time there, he fell victim and got knocked out with the “dreaded” Tuokon Slap Attack”, a gimmick attack that was a sort of symbolic “slap of respect” various wrestlers asked from the legendary Antonio Inoki to discipline them. Mutoh also won the International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Tag Team titles with Shiro Koshinaka on March 20, 1987 but would lose it 6 days later to Nobuhiko Takada & Akira Maeda — the same team they earned it from. Some unknown force must like Mutoh, because soon he was travelling the world again, this time to the World Wrestling Council (WWC) in Puerto Rico! He never ran out of gimmicks because he had another one: “Black Ninja”. On February 6, 1988 he defeated Invader 1 and earned the WWC Television Title as well as Miguel Perez Jr. to become the WWC Puerto Rican Champion! It was during this time that Mutoh was able to tangle with many legends in various bloody encounters including Carlos Colon (father of Carlito and Primo Colon), Frank “Bruiser Brody” Goodish and Abdullah the Butcher!
Mutoh soon debuted his most widely recognized gimmick… “THE GREAT MUTA” in Jim Crockett’s NWA! He wore face paint, fought with an unorthodox mix of striking, high flying maneuvers and surprisingly powerful grapples. The Great Muta also utilized the dreaded “Asian Mist” or more commonly known as “poison mist” at varying points of a match be it the beginning, during or after. The mist is usually spewed into his opponent’s face or eyes and comes in various colors. Depending on the color, the spray supposedly has a different level of effect. Sounds a bit like a videogame no? Here’s a list showing the various effects of this “deadly” spray attack by color:
Green = obscures vision for a short time
Red = supposedly leaves a “burning” sensation on the eyes rather than limiting
vision
Black = more powerful that the green variation; blinding effect lasts longer than
green version
Yellow = supposedly has a paralyzing effect; takes effect as long as it makes
contact on any part of the body
Another note to add to the poison mist attack is that The Great Muta WAS NOT the first to use this “dastardly” technique… that credit goes to Akihisa “The Great Kabuki” Mera, The Great Muta’s “onscreen father” (to those who can’t catch on… they’re NOT REALLY related)! The two once formed a tag team called “The Rising Suns” but it didn’t really catch on and was soon dropped. As “The Great Muta”, Mutoh wrestled mostly as a “heel” character (EEEVIL) and faced the likes of Terry Funk, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and his eternal rival Sting with whom he engaged in a rivalry that went well over 10 years! On July 23, 1989 edition of the original “Great American Bash” pay-per-view, Muta and Sting fought to a “no contest” decision after a double pinfall occurred. They would face each other again on September 3 culminating in Muta beating Sting and capturing the NWA World Heavyweight title! On a separate occasion, Muta also beat Dick Murdoch to win the NWA World Television title. All this happened and soon, two years had passed and Muta felt like going home once again~
Soon Mutoh was back in NJPW and was competing with both Japanese and “gaijin” (foreigner) opponents as they had a talent exchange program with World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was during the years of 1991 to 1993 that Mutoh made his mark in Japanese wrestling together with Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto. In 1991 on the very first G-1 Climax tournament in Japan, Mutoh and Chono fought each other through 30 minutes with the victory going to Chono. Afterwards, Hashimoto entered the ring and the three men celebrated like members of the “Madison Square Garden Incident” but instead of creating controversy, the event moved the audience – so much so that they labeled the men “The Three Musketeers of NJPW”. In another unforgettable though bloody moment, Mutoh faced Hiroshi Hase on December 14 that same year. To take revenge for earlier attacks, Hase poked Muta with a foreign object… and Muta bled like A FOUNTAIN! Typing that in ALL CAPS cannot exaggerate enough how much blood Mutoh lost that day as a result of blading himself too deep but nonetheless it created a spectacle that has never been duplicated for its sheer danger. That day, the “Muta Scale” was created and a match was forever immortalized in the fans that saw it.
The career of Keiji Mutoh is one filled with color. Through the years he has faced countless enemies from across the globe, won many titles and sprayed mist on many a hapless person’s face… He’s faced legends like Inoki and even Tiger Jeet Singh as well as mixed martial artists such as Don Frye and Ken Shamrock. He also made some pretty controversial actions such as betraying NJPW and joining All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for some time, earning the ire of NJPW loyalists. He also has been involved with new World order Japan, both as an opposer and a supporter of the faction. He had a second run with WCW but he had a very nagging knee problem and he was unable to regain his enormous fanbase unlike the previous time. Despite that, he is always trying to evolve his wrestling style and this led to the creation of one of my most favorite wrestling moves: THE SHINING WIZARD! The basic setup is that your opponent is down on one knee… you take a short run, use one leg to gain leverage by stepping on your rival’s outward knee, and deliver a nasty knee or shin attack to your opponent’s neck or face with your other leg. This move has been improvised and utilized by hundreds of wrestlers following in the footsteps of Mutoh. Gregory Helms is one of the most prominent users of the move as a finisher as well as Rob Van Dam on certain occasions. This and countless other mannerisms by Mutoh have made such an impact that even in videogames it has been given tribute! Go play a round of Tekken and choose the character King and you will see that he has the moonsault, the Shining Wizard in his arsenal as well as the “flashing elbow”, an exaggerated elbow drop with a twisting motion. You can find his signature taunt in the “Smackdown VS Raw” videogame series as the “wizard taunt” as well as another attack he calls “Space Rolling Elbow” which is a corner attack where he performs a cartwheel to a back elbow attack, followed up with a bulldog.
Innovator, and a legend all around the ring… the WWE doesn’t know what it’s missing! Not to undermine their achievements, but I believe Mutoh is greater than The Undertaker or Bret “The Hitman” Hart… it’s not because he has been a part of nearly every aspect of the business: wrestler, trainer and promoter… it’s not because he has won more titles… it’s because he has not only made a legacy, but also passing on that legacy to a new generation. I don’t think there can be another ‘Taker, but there can definitely be many more “Mutas” in future generations of professional wrestling! In fact, I’ve decided to feature one of the most prominent “Muta-inspired” wrestlers on the next issue! Keiji Mutoh is an “AUTOMATIC HALL OF FAME ENTRY”. No question asked. EVER!
Thank you very much for reading! See you all in the next Blabber!
Wilma
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