Shinsuke Nakamura reflects on his last match against The Great Muta.
Nakamura received a rare opportunity this year when he was granted the opportunity to face The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s The New Year event in January while under WWE contract. The bout was part of Muta’s retirement tour as he officially wrapped up his career in February.
Their match is now receiving even more recognition as Tokyo Sports named Nakamura vs. Muta as the winner of the 2023 Best Bout Award. Nakamura recently spoke to Tokyo Sports to comment on the accolade. (Translation via DeepL)
“When I was in New Japan, people used to say that it was hard to win the award for the match on January 4th (Tokyo Dome), no matter how good the match was,” Nakamura said. “In that sense, this year’s New Year’s Day match left behind a universal art form in pro wrestling that will never fade away. The timing, the story we followed, the content of the match…. I was able to leave behind something beautiful in many aspects, and I think it is one of the most beloved matches of my career.”
Shinsuke Nakamura: Great Muta Match Was ‘Salvation’
Nakamura expressed that he has been feeling frustrated in recent years, however the match against Muta proved to be a combination of being in the right place at the right time to help turn things around.
“To be frank, I have been feeling frustrated that I haven’t been able to show my potential for the past few years, and then suddenly I got an offer from NOAH, and that match was born from a miraculous combination of the timing and the swell of the times,” Nakamura added. “I felt that it was also a ‘salvation’ for me. It was a work that came to fruition and I was able to perform the match with sincerity. I am grateful for the public recognition.”
After beating Muta, Nakamura eventually returned to WWE storylines. He recently had a memorable feud against Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship. The former Intercontinental Champion is now embroiled in a feud with Cody Rhodes.
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