After his defeat at the hands of Chono, Mutoh had a new challenge to face, years of moonsaults and stiff kicks had led to crippling knee pain. After a hiatus Mutoh seriously considered retirement, he instead headed back to his second home, WCW, for what many felt at the time was one last US run. This was not the WCW Mutoh so fondly remembered, years of poor management and wacky booking decisions had robbed the once vibrant company of all momentum. Even Mutoh could not turn the tide and his return was somewhat flat.

Mutoh did win the WCW Tag-Team Championship with Vampiro, but it was a short-lived reign and his final moment of glory in a dying WCW. Mutoh, again evolved, shaving his head and working a more mat-based style. Amazingly in 2001 Mutoh, would once again have a banner year. He headed back to NJPW forming a faction named BATT with Shinjiro Otani, Don Frye, Jinsei Shinzaki, Taiyō Kea and old enemy Hiroshi Hase. Mutoh would go on to compete in All Japan defeating fellow legend Tenryu to lift the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. In addition, Mutoh captured more gold when he and Taiyō Kea lifted both All Japan’s World Tag Titles and the IWGP Tag Team Title. In 2002, the somewhat successful cross-promotion ended. Mutoh was expected to return to NJPW, what came next shocked the wrestling world.

Unhappy with the latest direction of NJPW Mutoh elected to join AJPW full time, Kojima and Kashin joined him. Mokoto Baba was perhaps grooming Mutoh as his successor, and Mutoh was appointment as the new president of AJPW. In 2003 Mutoh made a return to the US to compete in Ring of Honor, the ROH fans gave him a welcome befitting his legendary status. Mutoh was riding high as Triple Crown Champion and President of AJPW. Later that year The Great Muta would welcome the challenge of an old friend and fellow Musketeer, Shinya Hashimoto. Hashimoto lifted the Triple Crown defeating Muta in an historic match. Unfortunately, this would prove to be Hashimoto’s final reign as a world champion.

By 2005 facing financial difficulties and mounting injuries Hashimoto had. walked away from his Zero-One promotion. A reunion appearance was pencilled in with Mutoh and Masahiro Chono, for an upcoming AJPW event, the deal was done. Sadly “The Fighting Spirit Three Musketeers” would never ride together again, as on July 11th 2005 Hashimoto died of a brain haemorrhage just days after his 40th Birthday. The death of Hashimoto was devastating to Mutoh and Chono.

Privately Mutoh must have contemplated in-ring retirement, but over the next couple of years, he continued to wrestle sporadically under both his own name and The Great Muta gimmick. Mutoh also moved into acting appearing in the film Rikidozan, whilst attempting to build the AJPW brand. This was a time of struggle for the wrestling business and pooling resources was once again necessary. Mutoh secured a working deal with TNA in the US and NJPW in Japan. This arrangement would ultimately lead to an NJPW return and one of Mutoh’s biggest years.

At 2008’s. Wrestle Kingdom II the Great Muta defeated Hirooki Goto. Mutoh would later go to feud with Millennial superstar Shinsuke Nakamura to lift his fourth IWGP Championship. Mutoh went on to defend the IWGP Title against a new crop of challenges including a hotly contested rematch with Nakamura. The Great Muta, would also capture the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in AJPW, In doing so Mutoh become only the second man to hold both heavyweight titles at the same time. As January 2009 came around Mutoh, would face a fresh challenge, this time from his former student, the future ace of NJPW Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mutoh dropped the IWGP crown at Wrestle Kingdom III to Tanahashi in a strong outing. Mutoh saw this as a passing of the torch to the millennials, it was now their company. Mutoh again focused his efforts on AJPW, defending his Triple Crown Championship against Yoshihiro Takayama. This would prove to be a bloody brutal affair, both men battering one another until Takayama took the win and the gold. Muta had lost two titles in as many months. Mutoh had been putting off reconstructive knee surgery for years, inside the ring he could still bring it, but outside of the squared circle, he was struggling to even walk. Once again perhaps thinking his career was at an end Mutoh visited the US appearing on some indie shows before committing to surgery. Mutoh was indeed “great” but he had to go under the knife, spending much of 2010 rehabilitating. In September 2010 Mutoh, made yet another comeback, this time facing Masakatsu Funaki. However, his time as president of AJPW was coming to an end.

Shortly after his return to competition Mutoh announced he was stepping down as company president. Mutoh’s resignation followed an unpleasant backstage incident at an AJPW show, which led to Hirai suffering a stroke. Mutoh, although not involved, ultimately took the blame for the incident. Mutoh made a brief return to NJPW at Wrestle Kingdom VI where he defeated. the up and coming Tetsuya Naito. Perhaps still soured by the incident involving Hirai later in 2012 Mutoh sold his AJPW shares to the Speed Partners corporation for ¥200 million. Speed Partners president Nobuo Shiraishi took over as the new president of AJPW. Shiraishi’s first decision was to fire the previous president, Mutoh’s successor and friend Masayuki Uchida, Mutoh immediately resigned from AJPW.

Mutoh’s resignation led to a mass exodus of talent from AJPW. Mutoh, started his own promotion Wrestle-1, the core of Wrestle-1’s roster being Mutoh, loyalists who left AJPW. Mutoh served as the promotion’s president. In October 2013 Mutoh announced his semi-retirement, stating he would only wrestle on special occasion such as big events. Wrestle-1 would develop a working relationship with TNA, meaning The Great Muta would occasionally return to the US Muta, worked TNA’s Bound for Glory event in Tokyo, teaming with Tajiri in a tag team main event, where they defeated James Storm and The Great Sanada. On the 1st of November 2014 during an event celebrating his 30 years in pro wrestling, Mutoh beat Masayuki Kono to become the. Wrestle-1 Champion a title he would defend for four months. In 2017 Mutoh stepped down as Wrestle-1 president. What comes next for the legendary grappler is unclear, but what remains certain is his legacy.

In Part Five of the Three Musketeers we will look at the amazing career of Masahiro Chono.

Puroresu-Gaijin