The Great Muta enters the WWE Hall of Fame 2023: How are non-WWE stars included?

The Great Muta is the latest inductee for this year's WWE Hall of Fame 2023 event. He recently retired this year after collecting a number of accomplishments, and it has now been ensured that his legacy won't be forgotten.

For those wondering, The Great Muta never wrestled inside a WWE ring. Some of the promotions he wrestled with were WCW, NOAH, NJPW, and more. He shared the ring with the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Sting and Ric Flair.

Despite not being part of the Stamford-based promotion, The Great Muta is still a deserving candidate for the Hall of Fame. He made a significant impact in the professional wrestling world through his years of action, whether that may be in Japan or outside of the country.

From the looks of it, the Stamford-based promotion is looking to honor more wrestling legends in the sport, even if they haven't wrestled for the company. The Great Muta is definitely a wise option to include in this unique list of Hall of Famers.

Aside from the Japanese legend, multiple non-superstars and even non-wrestlers also made it to the company's Hall of Fame. As noted, the HOF also has a celebrity wing, which includes multiple celebrities who have had impactful and longtime associations with WWE. Some of the names present on the celebrity wing include Snoop Dogg, Mike Tyson, Ozzy Osbourne, and more.

Possible details regarding The Great Muta's induction to the WWE Hall of Fame

The 60-year-old wrestler has definitely inspired and accomplished a lot in the sport to be worthy of being inducted. However, it looks like a special and interesting deal was first made to make this a reality.

Real-name Keiji Muto, the Japanese star went on a retirement tour this year. In one of his matches, he faced current WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura at the NOAH The New Year show.

It was then reported that in exchange for Shinsuke's participation in the special retirement match, the 60-year-old Japanese star was going to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Muta's final full match of his career took place on February 21 at the Keiji Muto Grand Final Pro-Wrestling "Last Love" event against Tetsuya Naito, who came out as the victor. The wrestling legend was then challenged by Masahiro Chono in an impromptu match, who also took home the victory.

It may be unusual for the Stamford-based promotion to welcome a wrestler to their Hall of Fame who has never wrestled for them, but The Great Muta is definitely a well-deserved exception.