10 Incredible Links Between Wrestlers You'd Never Expect

9. The Muta Family Tree

CM Punk Ultimate Warrior
WWE

Wrestling's craziest kayfabe family tree draws together two completely different promotions and is rooted in the supernatural.

The Great Kabuki was a highly influential "act" without being a great worker; the first to pioneer spraying mist in wrestling, the Great Muta borrowed from his act but also invented offence so dazzling in the 1980s that it still draws gigantic pops in 2023. Muta, wrestling royalty, was every kind of a hybrid wrestler, fusing together theatrical spectacle and in-ring artistry - and junior and heavyweight working styles - to become an all-time great. He was introduced to North American audiences in 1989 as the storyline son of Kabuki in NWA World Championship Wrestling.

This makes the Great Kabuki the storyline grandfather of Akebono of WWE WrestleMania 21 fame.

That is because, in 2007, Akebono was introduced as Muta's son. Muta blew mist into the vagina of Yinling the Erotic Terrorist, and Akebono hatched from the resultant egg. There is an age gap here between Muta (60 at time of writing) and Akebono (53) of just seven years.

Shockingly, this angle was booked not by a BritWres promotion but rather HUSTLE.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!