First Of Keiji Muto's Final Matches Revealed

The first of wrestling legend Keiji Muto's final five matches has been revealed, with Pro Wrestling NOAH today announcing that Muto would take on Kaito Kiyomiya on July 16.

The match will be part of the promotion's Destination 2022 event and will take place in Tokyo's Nippon Budokan.

Muto announced at NOAH's Cyberfight show last week that he would only wrestle five more matches and planned to retire in the spring of 2023.

The 59-year-old has been plagued by injuries during a career that has spanned almost 40 years.

Writing in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer mentioned that all five of Muto's remaining matches would be promoted as major events in Japan.

Muto and Kiyomiya have faced each other three times previously and Muto holds two wins over the young star, including in a GHC Heavyweight Title match last year. Their third match ended in a time-limit draw during NOAH's 2021 N1 Victory tournament.

Muto and Kiyomiya also teamed together earlier this year in the main event of the NJPW vs. NOAH Wrestle Kingdom 16 show. They lost to Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi in that match.