Last month, Keiji Muto wrestled his last match as The Great Muta by teaming with Sting & Darby Allin to defeat AKIRA, Hakushi & Naomichi Marufuji in a six-man tag team match. Post-match, he had to be helped to the backstage area.
While speaking at the K-1 MMA Awards (via Tokyo Sports), Muto revealed that he tore a thigh muscle in the bout.
“I’m going to have a good match [final match against Tetsuya Naito], but I had a match 10 days ago and tore a muscle in my thigh. I’m in a pinch, but I’ll do my best. Actually, I was in bad shape before I went in that day [Great Muta Bye Bye]. I had back pain. I don’t know what triggered it, but I was out of shape. Knee pain and such is chronic pain and I’m used to it, but muscles hurt like hell. I think I put extra strain on my knee and hip joints by protecting them. I feel like I’ve been given a test by the wrestling Gods. I don’t know what to do. I train only my upper body, but it’s really hard to do that too. It’s stressing me out,” he said.
Muto is set to face Naito in his retirement match on February 21. The reason for his retirement tour is due to him needing a hip replacement and he won’t be able to wrestle after getting the surgery.