News On How The Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Great Muta Match Came About

It was previously reported that WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura is set to face Japanese pro wrestling legend The Great Muta (Keiji Muto) in a highly-anticipated one-on-one matchup as part of the Japanese pro wrestling legend’s retirement tour at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year 2023 PPV Event on Sunday, January 1st from Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Tokyo Sports recently provided a detailed account on how the match between WWE Star Shinsuke Nakamura and Japanese pro wrestling legend The Great Muta came about. It was mentioned on the report that once The Great Muta’s retirement tour was announced Pro Wrestling NOAH had WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura listed as someone they wanted to bring in as one of the wrestling legend’s final opponents. There was also a mention that the initial discussions between Pro Wrestling NOAH and the WWE didn’t come to any deal being reached, but Pro Wrestling NOAH did not give up easily and continued to have conversations with WWE after former WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon resigned from the promotion and an agreement would finally be reached on October 26th. Nakamura even told Tokyo Sports that the WWE was behind him and that this is the real forbidden door.

This is what Shinsuke Nakamura said:

“There were people in WWE who pushed me forward. 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, I opened a door that no one had been able to pry open. Ha ha ha… It’s a real ‘Forbidden Door.’”