Ninja Mack Opens Up About Experience Of Tagging With The Great Muta

The Great Muta, also known as Keiji Muto, has been in the professional wrestling business since the 1980s and will be retiring in early 2023. Muta has been wrestling some of his final matches recently, and one of those saw him team with Ninja Mack and fellow Japanese legend Satoshi Kojima against HAYATA, Jack Morris & Naomichi Marufuji. In an exclusive interview conducted by Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman, Mack discussed how it felt to team with Muta in one of his final matches.

"It's been a great opportunity and a great pleasure, especially to be able to work with some of the very best pro wrestlers and talent in the world, and then even to attend this last run of Muta and his shows and see what he does in a ring," Mack said. I literally got to see it firsthand, being able to tag with him ... His presence is so commanding."

Mack revealed what he has learned from teaming alongside Muta. "Just his presence," Mack continued. "I believe every person, every wrestler has a certain aura to them, certain energy level. And to walk in a room with him and just to feel the energy change because he's in the room, people are on their toes. I mean that's one of the best ever of all time to sit there and listen to talk to, for him to even listen. Everyone shuts up. I mean, it's words of wisdom."

Mack discussed Muta's current in-ring wrestling ability. "The guy in the ring can still go," Mack said. "He's a little hurt on his knees and his hips, but he is still going out there and hitting Shining Wizards, teaching Kiyomiya to be the next champ and the next great one for NOAH. The guy's put in so much work, and he still continues to put in so much work. So I just — to share a ring with him, I'm glad I was able to get that opportunity before he does retire. And then even Mayor Fuji was in that match, Hayata was in that match, Jack Morris was in that match. It was such a star-studded match that it's such a great opportunity."

Muta has a match against WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura in early 2023 leading up to his final match, an announcement that surprised many fans around the world as WWE has not been known to work with many promotions outside the company. The participants of Muta's final match have not all been announced, however, he recently showed up at AEW and helped Sting and Darby Allin to a victory over the House of Black. Following his aid of former rival Sting, it was announced that Sting, along with Allin, would team up with Muta in his final match ever.

Throughout his career, Muta won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship four times and the GHC Championship once.