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>A "burning fighting spirit" brought the two together. On January 1, 2023, at NOAH's Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, the dream card of WWE's Shinsuke Nakamura (42) vs. the Great Muta, the "Dweller of the Demon World," has been decided, and the event has been receiving a great response. CyberFight director Narihiro Takeda, who was involved in the negotiations, revealed the circumstances that led to the realization of the event.
>Takeda prefaces his comment by saying, "Neither Great Muta nor Nakamura might think that at all, but..." He then cites Antonio Inoki (aged 79), who passed away on the 1st, as one of the factors that made the dream match a reality
>When Mutoh mentioned Nakamura's name as one of the players he wanted to fight on the retirement road, Takeda started negotiations with WWE at an early stage. However, as a matter of course, the barriers to participation in other organizations were high, and negotiations were repeatedly deadlocked.
>Then came the news of Mr. Inoki's death. "Many articles were distributed to the public asking what was the "Inoki-ism" that Mutoh, Nakamura, and their mutual mentor had carried out. I read various news and old articles, and I realized that pro wrestling, or entertainment, is about doing things that surprise and please the customers. There were twists and turns, but I decided to talk to WWE one more time. It strengthened my desire to make it happen," he recalls.
>"As a result, negotiations were concluded at the last minute, and a matchmaking that will go down in pro wrestling history was realized. Personally, I feel as if I am being guided by fate," he said, looking forward to the dream match with no strings attached.
