I don't typically upload post-2003 AJPW (after the sale), but these looked safe to upload becasue they were on PPVs for syndicated TV and home video. By the mid-to-late 2000s, I only really watched Japanese wrestling, and WWE for a short time from 2007 to 2008 for the Jeff Hardy, John Morrison and Boogeyman stuff.

At this time in Muto's career, who was still in a main-event spot in AJPW since April 2001, it was really nice to see him use his status to work with and help build up new talents, a number of which are regulars on TV today. That's how the business should work and Muto did a great job doing this. Use legends who still have gas in the tank left and have them wrestle as equals among and against new guys. If my "Scourge" gimmick were real, I'd do the same thing if I still had the wrestling ability in me by this point, hehe.

Matches:

0:00 Keiji Muto and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taiyo Kea and Toshiaki Kawada (03 01 2008 AJPW PPV)

Yes, that Tanahashi but 14 years younger, Vince Russo's favorite Japanese wrestler of the modern era. 😉 In his podcasts Russo has a weird obsession over his hair, jackets, and crazy bumps, bro. Tanahasi's segments were the only modern day NJPW segments that Russo watched. When Russo heard news that "Hiromu Takahashi" (a different guy), broke his neck, Russo's like, "No, not my boy with the cool hair, bro!" He mixed up Tanahashi with Takahashi. 😆

31:38
Keiji Muto vs. Taiyo Kea
(04 10 2008 AJPW PPV, taped 04 05 2008)

49:34
Keiji Muto vs. Satoshi Kojima
(04 10 2008 AJPW PPV, taped 04 06 2008)

1:08:08
Keiji Muto vs. Toshiyaki Kawada
(04 10 2008 AJPW PPV, taped 04 09 2008)

This was also Kawada's last AJPW match. After he got past his prime and went off the radar for the most part, when after he started making embarassing apperances on the indies in front of small crowds at shabby venues and places. My memory may be off but I think I recall Kawada looking like he was out of it, glassy-eyed/depressed looking from ageing hurt, and singing and dancing bizzarely in some weird skits. Compare with Scott Hall (I still miss him and it feels like he's still alive) or Greg "The Hammer" Valentine after they aged-out in their late 40s to early 50s, trying to cling onto whatever star power they had left.

I can't upload these other notable matches from 2008 below because the modern Gaora TV owns these and uploaded them, and they own the majority of the tape library of the post-2003 AJPW sale (the later "Pro Wrestling Love" era). These ones are also NJPW-related so I obviously can't upload them. You can watch these on their channel:

Keiji Muto vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
(04 10 2008 AJPW PPV, taped 04 06 2008)
[ Ссылка ]

Keiji Muto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura IWGP match, 2 minute YT clip
(04 27 2008 AJPW vs. NJPW PPV)
[ Ссылка ]

Keiji Muto and Akira Raijin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura and Hirooki Goto
(08 22 2008 AJPW TV)
[ Ссылка ]

Keiji Muto vs. Hirooki Goto IWGP match
(08 31 2008 AJPW vs. NJPW PPV)
[ Ссылка ]

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