Bruce Prichard Recalls WWE’s Talks With The Great Muta In 2001

Prichard told the story of when he met Muta at a house show.

On the newest episode of Something to Wrestle, Bruce Prichard recalled the talks that WWE held with Keiji Muto (The Great Muta) in 2001.

Prichard told the story of when he and Pat Patterson visited a WCW house in Connecticut and saw Muta backstage. Prichard said when he and Patterson walked up to Muta, former WCCW booker Gary Hart jetted over to where they were.

“There were discussions. I mean, there were definitely discussions but, I think first of all, one of the stumbling blocks was Muta couldn’t cut a promo. He needed a manager, and he needed someone to kind of handle him, and travel with him and help him along the way. I think Muta was an extraordinary talent. I thought he was absolutely amazing back in the day and I remember going to a house show in New Haven, Connecticut, and it was a WCW house show and Pat (Patterson) and I went down to say hello to folks and Muta was there, and I walked up to Muta. Muta was running the steps in the back and he had stopped and he was resting and he was just standing, catching his breath and walked up and just introduced myself, and as soon as I got close to him, Gary Hart came running. I mean, immediately. Saw me talking to him, and he saw Pat walking towards him to say hello and Gary was on top of him. Muta was very protected. I think that at that time, probably the best chance of getting him where we would have wanted him because I think he still had a few years left in the tank. But New Japan, I truly believe that New Japan was kinda — and the folks in Japan in general — were putting all of this out there to make him more valuable at home. So he is an incredible talent. Yeah, we were talking to him during this time.”

In April 2023, The Great Muta was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit Something to Wrestle with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.