Keiji Muto
A wrestling alchemist who fused Japanese martial spirit with American flamboyance, creating the terrifying and beloved Great Muta.
Born 1962 (age 64)·Japanese professional wrestler·Birthday: December 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Keiji Muto is not just a wrestler; he is a transformative figure who bridged continents and personas. Trained in the hard-hitting 'strong style' of New Japan, his career took off when he was sent to the U.S. as 'The Great Muta,' a painted, sinister character inspired by Japanese folklore. Muta was a revelation—a silent, malevolent artist who spat green mist and moved with a balletic, unsettling grace. This alter ego allowed Muto to explore a more theatrical, psychological form of violence, contrasting sharply with his 'real' self, a technically gifted ace. He became a true hybrid, a top star in both Japan's sport-oriented rings and America's cartoonish WCW. Later, as president of All Japan Pro Wrestling, he steered the company through a turbulent era. Muto's legacy is duality: the respected technician and the unhinged phantom, a man who understood that in performance, authenticity and artiface are two sides of the same coin.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Keiji was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Keiji Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Keiji's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and popularized the iconic 'Great Muta' character, one of the most influential gimmicks in global wrestling history.
- Became the first wrestler to hold the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship.
- Served as President of All Japan Pro Wrestling from 2002 to 2013, guiding the promotion after its founder's death.
- Won the G1 Climax tournament in 1995 and the Champion Carnival in 2001, two of Japanese wrestling's most prestigious accolades.
Did You Know?
The green mist he spat as The Great Muta was originally a mixture of breath mint solution and green food coloring.
He is known for his innovative 'Shining Wizard' knee strike finishing move, which has been adopted by wrestlers worldwide.
Muto had a brief but notable stint in professional baseball, playing for a Japanese corporate league team before his wrestling career.
He wrestled his final match under the Great Muta persona in 2023, in a major cross-promotional event that sold out the Tokyo Dome.
““I have two faces: Keiji Muto and The Great Muta. Both are me.””
