On January 1, Shinsuke Nakamura will travel to Pro Wrestling NOAH to compete against The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh) in one of his final bouts.
The match announcement came as a surprise to many fans as Nakamura is under contract with WWE.
Speaking to Tokyo Sports, Nakamura commented on the bout coming to fruition.
"There were people in WWE who pushed me. It's nothing short of a miracle. Of course, I wanted to do it. It was an area that no one had ever stepped into, or rather, it opened a door that no one had been able to pry open. Ha ha ha...It's a real 'Fоrbidden Dооr," he said.
According to the outlet, NOAH listed Nakamura as an opponent for Mutoh once he decided to embark on his retirement tour in June. There were reportedly initial disagreements, but NOAH negotiated with the new WWE regime (Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan) after Vince McMahon retired on July 22.
A deal was reportedly reached on October 26.
Nakamura is currently on tour with WWE, most recently wrestling at a live event in Glasgow, Scotland. Fans can find results from the show by clicking here.
