Birth of Muta review

[TFHLarz]

Hey everybody! I'm Larz Richards from PWBTS.com and a host of other websites, lately I've been doing interviews but I used to do tape reviews and occasionaly still do now and again, so I thought I'd post this review I did of a Muta compilation put out by New Japan a few years ago, to bring up some Muta discussion! Anyway read it and enjoy, feel free to leave some feedback as well.

-We start off with a mini-movie as Muta arises from a pod in a cave some where and walks around looking for something, and finds one of those Evil Japanese Cave Monsters. And here you thought WCW’s mini-movies were bad!

-We get a highlight montage of The Great Muta

1. Hiroshi Hase Vs The Great Muta

This is actually a pretty famous match, but more so for the rematch it spawned rather than this actual match itself. Doesn’t really matter though, as both guys rule it so this’ll be good. They feel each other out to start, before Muta grabs a full-nelson and then forces Hase down into an arm-bar. Hase rolls out and gets one of his own, but Muta forces him into a corner causing Hase to break. Muta immediately dropkicks him and then gets a side headlock takeover. Hase gets back to his feet and shrugs Muta off into the ropes, but Muta shoulderblocks him down. Muta hits the ropes again and this time gets a karate thrust and then goes back to the headlock takeover. Hase gets back to his feet and powers out of Muta’s headlock and then clamps on one of this own. Muta shoves Hase off into the ropes, but Hase shoulderblocks him down and then slams him. Hase sends Muta into the ropes and hits a spinning roundhouse kick for 2. Rolling senton gets 2. Hase locks on a front face lock, but Muta forces him into the corner and shoulderblocks him. Muta whips Hase into another corner and hits a cartwheel elbow. Muta grabs a Bridging Indian Death Lock, but Hase makes it to the ropes. Muta fires away on Hase, but Hase fights back and whips Muta into the corner. Hase charges, but Muta puts him down with a spinkick. Muta tosses Hase to the outside and then rams him into the post causing Hase to pull out a sickening blade job that instantly leaves half of his face and his entire chest covered in blood. Now THAT’S a blade job! That actually becomes an important point to remember once we get to the rematch. Back in the ring, Muta drops an elbow for 2. Cradle piledriver gets 2. Muta unloads on Hase once again, but Hase no-sells it until Muta kicks him down. Muta locks on a sleeper and then falls back and hooks a body scissors to go along with it. That’s actually a brilliant move because the body scissors will force all of the air out of the lungs and the sleeper will cut off the oxygen to the brain and Hase is already lightheaded from the massive blood loss. It pays to learn your craft properly. Anyway, Hase makes it to the ropes, causing Muta to break. Muta however, hits a spinkick and goes back to the sleeper, but Hase escapes. Hase sends Muta into the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Muta hangs onto the ropes so Hase misses the dropkick. Muta whips Hase into the ropes and goes for a sleeper, but Hase turns inward and hits a belly-to-back suplex instead. Good simple counter there. Hase slams Muta down and then heads up top and comes off with a knee drop for 2. Hase hits the Northern Lights Suplex for 2. Hase clothesline Muta to the outside. They brawl outside for a little bit before heading back in. Hase sends Muta into the corner and follows in with a clothesline. Hase dumps Muta with a urinage. Hase goes up top, but as he dives off the top-rope Muta mist him. Muta hits a belly-to-back suplex and then grabs some metal rods from under the ring and goes nuts on everyone with them to draw the lame DQ. Awesome match until the finish though.

Winner: Hiroshi Hase via DQ
Rating: ****3/4

2. The Great Muta Vs Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

Oh this will do quite nicely. Muta fires off a dropkick to start and then chokes Ricky with a streamer. Muta fires away on Steamboat, but Steamboat makes a comeback and works over the arm for a while. Eventually Muta breaks free and works over Steamboat’s leg, prompting Ricky’s usually great selling to surface. A chop fest surfaces and Steamboat wins it enough to go for a slam, but his leg can’t take it so he collapses with Muta on top for 2. Muta locks on a leglock, but eventually breaks and kicks Steamboat’s leg out from under him. Muta drops an elbow for 2. Muta hits a backbreaker and goes up top, but Steamboat dropkicks him and then hits a belly-to-back superplex. Steamboat shoulderblocks Muta down for 2. Pair of chops gets 2. Small package gets 2. Steamboat takes Muta down and rolls over into a cradle for 2. Muta hits the ropes and hits a body press that sends both he and Steamboat to the outside. Back in, Steamboat goes up top and hits a karate chop. Steamboat goes up top again, but Muta mist him as he dives off, hits a backbreaker and then a moonsault for the pin. Good match, but it would’ve been better if Steamboat’s working on the arm went somewhere.

Winner: The Great Muta
Rating: ***3/4

3. The Great Muta Vs Sting

Hey it’s Sting when he was actually cool and gave a **** and everything. Muta attacks Sting right away to start and then whips him into the corner and hits a cartwheel elbow. Muta hits a backbreaker and goes for the moonsault, but Sting rolls out of the way. Muta kicks Sting to the outside and hits a pescado. Sting rolls back in and Muta goes up top, but dives right into Sting’s knee. Sting whips Muta into the ropes and press slams him to the floor. Sting hits a pescado of his own. Back in, Sting gets a front face lock, but Muta forces him into the corner and works him over. Muta grabs a headlock, but Sting shoves him off into the ropes, but Muta shoulderblocks him down. Muta hits the ropes, but Sting monkey flips him and then goes back to the front face lock until Muta reaches the ropes. Muta rakes Sting’s eyes and then whips him into the ropes, but Sting kicks him and hits a face buster. Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but Muta reaches the ropes. Muta hits a spinkick and drops an elbow for 2. Muta locks on a chinlock. There is way too much resting here. Sting gets sent to the corner and Muta goes for his cartwheel elbow, but misses. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash, but misses that as well. Muta gets a backbreaker and goes for the moonsault, but Sting gets the knees up. Sting goes for a press slam, but Muta shifts his weight and falls on top for 2. Muta goes for the moonsault again, but Sting dropkicks him and hits a belly-to-back superplex for 2. Sting goes up top, but misses a splash. They clothesline each other and then go for a dropkick at the same time. Sting gets sent into the ropes, he blocks a hiptoss and then gets a backslide for 2. Sting goes for a slam, but Muta rolls him up for 2. Sting goes the Scorpion Death Lock again, but Muta reaches the ropes once more. Muta gets sent into the corner and Sting goes for the Stinger Splash, but gets misted and a springboard body press puts him away. Bad match for these two.

Winner: The Great Muta
Rating: *3/4

-Sting beats up Muta after the match.

4. Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki Vs The Great Muta and TNT

This is not the rematch I alluded to in the earlier Hase/Muta recap. TNT is Savio Vega doing pretty much the exact same gimmick as Muta so I guess that’s why they’re teaming. TNT and Sasaki lock-up to start. Sasaki gets a headlock, but TNT shoves him off and hits a spinkick. TNT tags Muta in and Muta drops an elbow so Sasaki tags Hase in. Muta dropkicks Hase and tags TNT back in. TNT unloads on Hase and gets a suplex for 2. TNT chokes Hase and then tags Muta in. Muta sends Hase into the corner and then hits a cartwheel elbow followed up by a TNT spinkick. Muta tosses Hase outside and then follows him out. Everyone brawls on the outside and Hase opens up another gusher in the confusion. Hase must love to bleed because in 90% of the matches I’ve seen him in, he opens up a gusher during the course of the match. Back in the ring, Muta uses the bell hammer on Hase and then tags TNT in. TNT locks on a sleeper and then whips Hase into the ropes and hits him with a roundhouse. TNT clotheslines Hase, but he falls right back into Sasaki’s outstretched arm for the tag. Sasaki dropkicks TNT who tags Muta in. Sasaki clotheslines Muta and then hits a powerslam for 2. Sasaki goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but Muta reaches the ropes. Sasaki tags Hase in and he dropkicks Muta and goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but TNT breaks it up. Hase goes for it again, but Muta mist him and tags TNT in. TNT hits a belly-to-back suplex for 2 and then a pumphandle slam for 2. I hate that move. Savate kick gets 2. TNT hits another spinkick, but Hase is able to make the tag. Sasaki clotheslines TNT and then bulldogs him, so Muta comes in, but he takes a dropkick, but TNT clocks Sasaki with a savate kick. TNT charges at Sasaki, but ends up getting powerslammed for the pin. Ugh leave it to Savio Vega to blow the match.

Winners: Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki via pinfall
Rating: ****

-Muta and TNT beat everyone down before leaving. You have to wonder who TNT ****ed off to go from headlining New Japan shows to headlining in front of 50 people at W*ING shows.

[TFHLarz]

5. The Great Muta Vs Super Strong Machine

Now I don’t know about you, but when I read “Super Strong Machine” on the match list I expected some guy who looked like say Lex Luger or Rick Rude to come out, but instead some guy who looks closer to Jerry Lawler wearing a green mask comes out, so I’m not sure what the deal is here. Machine attacks Muta to start us off. Muta get sent into the ropes and takes a clothesline. Machine hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. Machine hits a dropkick, but Muta rakes the eyes to comeback. Muta spinkicks him down and goes for his mask. Muta tosses him to the outside and they brawl out there. Back in, Muta works him over and then drops an elbow and hits a belly-to-back suplex. Muta goes up top, but Machine catches him and hits a butterfly superplex. Machine clotheslines Muta and then whips Muta into the corner and follows in with a clothesline. Machine hits a suplex and goes up top, but Muta mist him as he dives off. Muta pulls off the mask earning a DQ. I totally forgot about that rule. Bad match + lame finish= angry Larz!

Winner: Super Strong Machine via DQ
Rating: 3/4 *

6. The Great Muta Vs Tatsumi Fujinami

Fujinami attacks to start. Fujinami backdrops Muta and then dropkicks him out and hits a tope suicida. Muta takes of the turnbunkle pad and starts to climb back into the ring, but Fujinami rams him into the exposed corner. Muta makes it back in, but Fujinami slaps on the chinlock, but Muta escapes by dropping him on the exposed corner. Muta tosses Fujinami and they brawl on the outside. Back in, Muta gets a suplex for 2. Muta hits a spinkick and bust out some karate thrust. Muta stomps Fujinami to the outside and they brawl out there again, but this time Fujinami gets busted open. Back in, Muta drops an elbow for 2 and then hits a piledriver for 2. They fight to the outside again. Back in, Muta bites Fujinami and kicks away, until Fujinami catches the leg and hits a Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Fujinami goes for the Scorpion Death Lock, but Muta punches him in the face to break. Nothing beats the old punch to the head says I. A pair of belly-to-back suplexes gets 2. Cradle piledriver gets 2. Muta goes up top and comes off with a karate chop. Muta sends Fujinami to the corner and Muta goes for the cartwheel elbow, but misses. Fujinami hits a belly-to-backbreaker! ****, I’ve never seen that one before. Fujinami goes for the Dragon Sleeper, but Muta makes it to the ropes. Fujinami pounds on Muta, who attempts to mist Fujinami, but instead hits the ref. Fujinami hits a pair of belly-to-back suplexes and then a German Suplex, but no ref. Muta low blows Fujinami and then hits him with a foreign object. Muta revives the ref and then hits the moonsault for the pin. Good enough, but they kept breaking the flow of the match by going outside too often.

Winner: The Great Muta
Rating: ***

7. The Great Muta and Sting Vs The Steiner Brothers

Wow all four guys are actually good here! Man 10 years really does make a difference I guess. Scott and Muta start out and they feel each other out. Muta gets sent into the ropes, but he ducks Scott’s clothesline and hits a spinkick and then a dropkick. Muta whips Scott into the ropes and goes for a dropkick, but Scott hangs onto the ropes and Muta misses the dropkick. Rick and Sting get tagged in. Rick sends Sting into the ropes and hiptosses him. Rick clotheslines Sting and then hits a bulldog off the top-rope for 2. Sting gets sent into the corner and Rick charges, but Sting clotheslines him. Sting hits a face buster and then picks Rick up in a shoulder breaker, but rams him into the corner instead. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash, but misses so Rick tags Scott in. Scott hits a butterfly suplex and then a tilt-a-whirl slam for 2. Scott goes for a Tombstone, but Sting reverses it into one of his own. Sting drops an elbow for 2. Muta gets tagged in and he drops an elbow and goes for an arm-bar, but Scott floats over and picks him up and hits a T-bone suplex. Rick gets tagged back in and he puts Muta on the top-rope and then gives him a belly-to-belly superplex. Rick hits a German Suplex for 2. Scott tags back in and hits a pumphandle slam for 2 and then takes Muta up top and hits a Super Samoan Drop. Scott used to be so awesome. Anyway, Scott locks on a Dragon Sleeper, but Muta makes it to the ropes. Scott tags Rick and they hit a powerbomb/top-rope elbow combo for 2. Rick rams Muta into the corner for 2. Rick tags Scott who hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Scott whips Muta into the ropes, but Muta ducks his clothesline and hits a belly-to-back suplex. Sting and Rick are tagged in and Sting unloads on Rick. Sting sends Rick to the corner and hits the Stinger Splash. Sting tags Muta in and he goes for the cartwheel elbow, but Rick catches him and hits a German Suplex for 2. Scott gets tagged back in, but Sting comes in and he and Muta hit a double face buster. Sting press slams Muta into Rick to send them over the top. Sting dives off the top-rope onto Rick. Scott and Muta head back into the ring to celebrate, but when they turn around they take a pair of shoulderblocks off the top from the Steiners. Scott goes for a tilt-a-whirl slam on Sting, but Sting reverses it into a roll up at the same time that Rick hits a belly-to-belly on Muta. Double pin, but the ref rules that Sting was the legal man so his pin counts. Finish came out of no where, but other than that this was better than I remembered it.

Winners: Sting and The Great Muta
Rating: ***3/4

-It’s mini-movie time again as Muta and The Evil Japanese Cave Demon fight it out. The Evil Cave Demon ends up killing Muta. Much like Muta's booking is now killing All Japan.

Overall: I think this was the best of the 4 part Muta set that was put out. Muta used to be one of my favorite wrestlers to watch, and he still put on some good stuff during the New Japan/All Japan feud, but injuries really took their toll on him.

[Madplex85]

Good review man, I really enjoyed reading it. Super Strong Machine could be Ax of Demolition since he wrestled under that name in the WWE. The best match on that tape seems to be Muta/Sting vs. The Steiners. I have that match and is one of my favorites. Rick looked liked he was really having fun out there. Ahh the good 'ol days when The Steiners weren't a bunch of no selling, lumbering jerks.

[villano619]

Thanks for that review. I agree about that Sting match from Starrcade at Toyo Dome. It was a big dissapointment. Slow pace. It was pretty cool though when Muta changed the colors of his mist. And this not the same Machines as in the WWF.

[KING LEO IV]

Yeah, I've seen most of these matches, and I agree with your ratings for the most part. The Sting/Muta match was inexcusably slow and sloppy for those two. Sting actually comes close to breaking Muta's neck with a botched monkey flip.
As for the tag match with the Steiners, I thought it was really good, but it had the potential to be truly great had they been given about 10 more minutes. Check out the classic Sting/Luger vs. Steiners match from Superbrawl I to see what I mean.

[Luds]

Yeah, I have that tape.

Really good stuff.

Great to see Muta vs. hase at their best.

[Kaiju]

Cave Monster kills Muta?.....uhh...how..and why?