At CyberFight Festival 2022, Keiji Mutoh (The Great Muta) announced that he will have five more matches and then retire next spring.
Mutoh had been sidelined since January with a hip injury, but returned to the ring in May. Mutoh stated that the doctor told him if his hip becomes deformed, he will need a hip replacement and there is no way he can wrestle with that. He said that it was the doctor's decision to have him retire and it's not his personal choice.
The following dates were announced as part of his retirement tour:
- July 16th 2022, Nippon Budokan
- September 25th 2022, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
- October 30th 2022, Ariake Arena, Tokyo
- January 22nd 2023, Yokohama Arena (Great Muta Final "Bye-Bye")
The date and venue for his final bout has yet to be announced. January 22 will mark his last match as The Great Muta.
Pro Wrestling NOAH management (via Hisame) stated, "We are planning to add some more, so we will announce them as soon as they are decided."
"We are planning to add some more, so we will announce them as soon as they are decided."
— Pro-Wrestling Noah Eng (Hisame, 冰雨\) (@Hi5ame) June 17, 2022
Noah management.
Mutoh has held championships in all the major Japanese organizations throughout his career, capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on four occasions, the Triple Crown Championship on three occasions, and the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
