Was The Great Muta Early WCW's Biggest Mistake?

To all those saying Muta was just here on loan from NJPW or that he was a bigger star there so was always going back are just incorrect. Muta actually came over to the US at the tail end of 1985 and stayed until 1990, only going back to Japan for awhile in 87.

Muta wrestled in Japan as Keiji Mutoh, not The Great Muta. He had some success but also lost alot, including to the likes of Tony St. Clair. Who, you ask? Exactly. In late 85 he came here and began wrestling in Florida as The White Ninja. He would wrestle at two of FCWs Battle of the Belts cards, first challenging Denny Brown for the NWA World JR Championship and later challenging Tim Horner for the US Jr Championship.

After 86 he did indeed go back to NJPW and got involved in storylines with Antonio Inoki.

In 87 he headed this way and went to WWC in Puerto Rico where he feuded with Miguel Perez Jr and Invader #1, closing a hair vs hair match to Perez and battling Invader in street fights and a cage match. From there he then briefly went to WCCW in Texas were he fueded with Kevin Von Erich over who had the best claw hold, Muta's Oriental Claw vs the Von Erich Iron Claw. During this time he was known as Super Black Ninja. It was after this that he went to the NWA as The Great Muta, 'son' of The Great Kabuki and managed by Gary Hart.

So, I think it is unfair to say that Muta was only here part time. From 85-90 he spend more time here then in Japan. He was less like Inoki and Baba, who only wrestled a few matches in the states and then went home, and more like Masa Saito, who stayed for years and worked in different territories.

Now, I don't know what the backstage scene was like in 89-90 NWA so I can't say what happened but I would bet, given his willingness to stay stateside that if the higher ups approached him with a realistic plan for his future he would have stayed longer. Here is what I would have done...

As much as I didn't care for it I would keep Starcade 89 the same. The NWA was basically looking for a way to turn Flair back heel so this set up the Flair vs Sting match and led to their 1990s feud. It also set up some matches we would not normally see such as heel Muta vs heel Lugar or face Steiners vs face Road Warriors. I would however give Muta a longer match with Flair. I would also have him still lose all three matches. He still loses to Lugar by DQ. And here the NWA and I part ways.

At the end of Starcade 89 Sting pins Flair with seconds left to win the singles tournament. Lugar then blamed Flair for getting pinned and costing him the tournament, as Lugar was poised to win if Flair and Sting went to a draw. I would instead have Lugar blame Muta for costing him the event by getting Dq'd. Lugar then goes on TV in the weeks following the PPV bad mouthing Muta. Hart battles back on behalf of Muta. At Muta's televised TV title match against Arn Anderson Lugar comes to ringside, interferes and costs Muta the title. Muta then is awarded a US title shot and Wrestle War 90, instead of Steve Williams.

Now, we all know the main event of Wrestle War 90 was supposed to be Sting vs Flair for the NWA Championship, but Sting got injured so they changed it to Lugar vs Flair. For those who don't know the match ended when Lugar let Flair out of the Torture Rack to save Sting from an attack from The Andersons. Lugar lost by countout. This then turned Lugar face. This was a stupid ending as Lugar was a heel who had attacked Sting in the recent past. Dumb.

My way would be to have Muta and Hart be pissed about losing their shot at the US title. This causes Muta to interefere in Lugar's match, costing him a chance to win the World title. This would then set up a series of US title matches, Muta vs Lugar, which would climax at Bash 90 with Muta winning the US title.

Now, we have Sting as World champ and Muta as US champ. Not only do you have a set up feud between these two but think of some of the matches you could still have. Muta vs Lugar, Sting, Anderson( claiming he beat him for one title he could do it again), Brian Pillman, Tom Zenk, Mike Rotundo, Paul Orndorf, Junkyard Dog, El Gigante, Terry Taylor, Bobby Eaton, Brad Armstrong and Dustin Rhodes.

Anyway, at that point the NWA would have to gauge how well Muta was working as champ, should he stay heel, should he hold the belt for a long time, a short time, and should he be World champ. Whatever the case I think my scenario would have worked and the possibilities of a US title run or a NWA title run would have kept Muta in the NWA.

Or I could be wrong.

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