Keiji Muto To Retire In 2023 At Age 60

Japanese wrestling icon Keiji Muto is planning to wrap up his four-decade career with a retirement tour that ends in February.

Muto, who will turn 60 in December, made his wrestling debut in October 1984 and has divided his career between Japan and the U.S., often using the persona of The Great Muta in his bouts. In the course of his career, he won 32 championships, including 13 as a tag team wrestler; he is one of only four wrestlers to win Japan's top three wrestling crowns — AJPW's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and NOAH's GHC Heavyweight Championship. Most Americans first saw him in the 1990s when he made a series of appearances in WCW bouts as both a solo wrestler and as a tag team partner alongside Sting and Nikita Koloff.

Muto first announced his plans to retire in June, telling Tokyo Sports that he was not enthusiastic about wrapping his career in the ring.  

"I don't really want to quit," he said. "I really don't want to quit, but I want to do as many matches as I can within that timeframe. I want to leave behind what I can in NOAH, that's why [I decided on next spring]. I want to contribute a little. I'm sure that NOAH will have more big matches in the future. If I have my 'limited matches' there, it would be a little draw, wouldn't it?"

Post Wrestling reported that Muto's retirement tour will consist of four appearances in Japan culminating with a final appearance on Feb. 21, 2023, at the Tokyo Dome.