WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura defeats The Great Muta at NOAH The New Year 2023

Shinsuke Nakamura emerged victorious over The Great Muta at Sunday morning’s NOAH The New Year event at Budokan Hall.

The finish of the match had Nakamura kick out of Muta’s shining wizard. Nakamura, who had been misted by Muta during the match, retaliated with mist of his own. He then pinned Muta with the kinshasa.

After the match, Nakamura thanked Muta, calling him his idol. Nakamura celebrated in the ring briefly before running up the ramp and helped Muta walk to the stage entrance. Both posed on the stage as pyro went off, concluding the show.

This is Nakamura’s first match outside of WWE since signing with the promotion in 2017. While doing press for his match, Nakamura called the agreement between WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH a “miracle”, noting it wouldn’t have happened under the previous Vince McMahon regime.

Keiji Mutoh will next appear at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4, teaming with Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shota Umino to take on Tetsuya Natio, SANADA, and BUSHI. He will have two retirement shows: one as The Great Muta on January 22 where he will team with AEW’s Sting and Darby Allin, then another as Keiji Mutoh on February 21 at the Tokyo Dome.