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Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling NOAH's The New Year event.
The two Japanese legends crossed paths in an incredible match at Budokan Hall. The finish to the match saw Nakamura kick out of Muta's Shining Wizard move.
The King of Strong Style then took a page out of Muta's book and misted the veteran wrestler midway through the match. This led to a brutal Kinshasa, with Nakamura securing one of the biggest wins of his career.
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Post-match, Nakamura expressed his gratitude towards Muta. He thanked his opponent and called him his idol as the two briefly celebrated in the ring.
This was Nakamura's first match outside of WWE since signing with the company back in 2017. He previously competed under New Japan Pro Wrestling and made a huge name for himself under the company.
As for Keiji Muto, he is set to appear at the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 17 show. He will also team up with AEW stars Darby Allin and Sting at another upcoming show as part of his retirement tour.
Shinsuke Nakamura briefly spoke about The Great Muta prior to their match
Shinsuke Nakamura recently spoke in an interview with Yahoo Sports. During the conversation, he explained how surprising it was for him to learn that a match with The Great Muta was going to take place.
Nakamura claimed that it might've been difficult for him to compete outside of WWE under Vince McMahon.
"I was like, 'No way. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think it would happen.' It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE. Noah came to me with the idea, and we discussed it, but my answer was no. Vince [McMahon] stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. I still thought it would be difficult, but I even talked directly to Triple H. When the decision was actually made, I was shaken," Nakamura said.
Shinsuke Nakamura is expected to return to WWE. However, it remains to be seen if he could potentially compete under NJPW at some point down the road.
Did you enjoy Nakamura's match with Muta? Sound off in the comment section.
