Shinsuke Nakamura To Face Great Muta At Pro Wrestling NOAH New Year 2023

Shinsuke Nakamura will make a special appearance at Pro Wrestling NOAH New Year 2023 on January 1, to wrestle The Great Muta at Budokan Hall.

Nakamura, who is still under contract with WWE, will be making his first appearance for NOAH since 2013.

Muta (Keiji Mutoh) is currently on his retirement tour, bringing to an end a near 40-year career inside the ring. His tour will conclude on February 23, 2023, though his last match as the Muta character will take place on January 22. For that match, Muta will team with AEW star and former WCW rival Sting to face two opponents yet to be named.

Mutoh defeated Nakamura to win the IWGP Heavyweight title on April 27, 2008 in Osaka, ending Nakamura's second reign as champion. He went on to retain the belt over Nakamura in a high-profile rematch at NJPW Destruction that October at Sumo Hall.

Nakamura's coming off of a match on Friday's episode of SmackDown, where he teamed with Hit Row to face all three members of Legado Del Fantasma.