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Hiroshi Tanahashi has never set foot in a WWE ring before, but one of his idols recently got inducted into the promotion's Hall of Fame. When asked about who trained him and who he admires the most, the Ace of NJPW named none other than Keji Muto, The Great Muta.
Muta has made numerous contributions to the pro wrestling industry over the years, and during the 90s he was one of the most popular Japanese stars. The veteran even once became a member of the nWo, alongside competing with tons of WWE legends.
During a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Bill Apter, Hiroshi Tanahashi shared his admiration for the WWE Hall of Famer.
"I used to [be a fan of Keiji Muto as a] young boy. When I was in high school? A huge [fan]! Then I [went] to New Japan, [became] a wrestler – you know, Japanese wrestling style? [I became Muta’s young boy]. I love [Tatsumi Fujinami]’s style, Muto-san's style. Very classic. I love Muto-san’s style too." [02.31 onward]
Check out the full interview below:
In light of his upcoming bout against MJF at Forbidden Door II, the Ace of NJPW boldly claimed that he wouldn't only dethrone Friedman, but also go on to headline the upcoming All In pay-per-view.
Missed out on this week's episode of AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Matt Cardona recently took a shot at Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tanahashi has naturally drawn a lot of attention for his work in AEW, with many names from top promotions like WWE and even those on the indie scene in the USA wanting to work with him.
Matt Cardona recently caught wind of Hiroshi Tanahashi's House of Glory Wrestling debut and took to social media to let the world know what he thinks.
"Who gives a sh*t?! He may be the Ace…but I’m the JOHNNY ACE!!!" Cardona tweeted.
Check out Matt Cardona's uncensored tweet via this link.
Could the "Indy God" clash with The Ace of NJPW during his debut in HOG? Since Tanahashi's debut is occurring in August of this year, could he show up in the promotion as the AEW World Champion?
If you use any quotes from the first half of this article, please embed the YouTube video and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.
