Shinsuke Nakamura Says Great Muta Match Wouldn't Have Happened Under Vince McMahon's WWE Regime

Speaking with Encount, Shinsuke Nakamura revealed his match with The Great Muta in Pro Wrestling NOAH would not have been possible under the old Vince McMahon regime of WWE.

"It was something that would never have happened under the previous structure of the WWE...Vince [McMahon] stepped down in the summer, and I was advised by people within the company that it might be possible now. Even so, I thought it would be difficult, but I spoke directly to Triple H. When the decision was actually made, I was shaken," Nakamura said.

"There was a big change in WWE between when Muto announced his retirement and when the match was decided. Vince, who was the symbol of everything, was retiring, and that was something that no one could believe. Everything changes in America when the top changes. At that time, there was a feeling that many things would change in the future. One of the changes that occurred to me was this. The fact that 'no' became 'yes' gave me a boost."

Nakamura will take on The Great Muta at NOAH's The New Year on January 1, 2023. The event will air live on Wrestle Universe.

Nakamura's return comes as Keiji Muto is on his retirement tour. He will have one final match as The Great Muta on January 22 when he teams with Sting and Darby Allin. Muto will then call it a career inside the Tokyo Dome on February 21. The wrestling legend also has one more NJPW match scheduled for Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4.