Wheeler Yuta has never shied away from the physical side of professional wrestling, but one AEW Rampage match from 2022 has continued to follow him for a particularly memorable reason: the amount of blood involved.
Yuta’s battle with Jon Moxley became a lasting talking point among AEW viewers after the younger wrestler emerged covered in blood during the bout. The image was so striking that fans began joking about whether Yuta had done enough to become a new measuring stick for extreme blood loss in wrestling, playfully connecting his name to the long-running “Muta Scale” conversation.
For Yuta, the comparison is not something he dismisses. Speaking recently on In the Weeds, he said he is genuinely appreciative whenever his name is mentioned alongside The Great Muta, even when the subject is the famously gruesome visual from his meeting with Moxley.
“It’s incredibly flattering to be mentioned in the same breath as Muta for anything, even if it just bleeding everywhere,” Yuta said. “I think that I’m fortunate that our names rhyme; I think that certainly helped the meme a little bit.”
For more background on this topic, read AEW All Out 2026: Full Card, Title Matches and What Is at Stake in Chicago.
The comments capture the balance behind the ongoing joke. The Muta Scale is rooted in fans’ tendency to rank some of wrestling’s most dramatic bloody matches and images, with The Great Muta’s name becoming shorthand for an almost unbelievable amount of crimson. It is a piece of wrestling fan vocabulary that is often used with a mix of admiration, humor, and shock. Yuta understands exactly why supporters made the connection after Rampage.
Rather than attempting to downplay the moment, Yuta leaned into the reputation that the match has given him. He acknowledged that he has become known as someone who can produce a memorable visual when the stakes and the story call for it.
“Yeah, I’m a pretty good bleeder, so I think it’s deserved,” Yuta said. “I think I just about usurped him; it’s pretty close. Yeah, it does make me laugh every time I hear someone bring it up.”
A Rampage Match That Helped Define Yuta’s AEW Identity
The 2022 encounter with Moxley remains significant in Yuta’s AEW career because it reinforced the toughness he was trying to establish on a much bigger stage. A bloody match can become a novelty if there is no emotional or competitive foundation beneath it. In Yuta’s case, the lasting response came from the way the visual fit his broader presentation: a wrestler willing to absorb punishment, keep fighting, and prove he belongs in the ring with the most dangerous competitors around him.
Moxley has long been associated with a rugged, uncompromising style, so facing him represents a unique kind of test for any opponent. For Yuta, the Rampage bout was not merely remembered as an instance of bloodletting. It became one of those matches that fans cite when discussing his willingness to push through adversity and meet an opponent’s intensity head-on.
The humorous “Yuta Scale” idea also shows how certain wrestling moments take on a life beyond the match itself. Fans regularly create nicknames, comparisons, and exaggerated rankings around unforgettable spots or visuals. In this case, Yuta’s rhyming name made the comparison easy to repeat, and his own willingness to laugh about it has allowed the joke to endure.
That is not an insignificant detail. Wrestlers are often asked about the moments fans replay and turn into memes, especially when those moments involve pain, blood, or an especially punishing match. Yuta’s answer made clear that he sees the reference as an honor rather than a burden. Being compared in any capacity to a figure as influential and recognizable as The Great Muta is meaningful to him, even if the comparison began with an image of him bleeding heavily on television.
From a Defining Past Moment to a New All Out Test
Yuta heads into AEW All Out 2026 with another demanding assignment on his schedule. He is set to compete in the Tailgate Brawl, joining fellow Death Riders member Daniel Garcia and The Dogs, David Finlay and Clark Connors, against the Bang Bang Gang lineup of Jay White, Ace Austin, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn.
The match gives Yuta a chance to immediately return to the ring after a difficult result on AEW Collision last week, where he was defeated by Mike Bailey in singles action. A loss to Bailey is the latest obstacle for Yuta, but the All Out setting provides a major opportunity to regain momentum in a chaotic multi-man environment.
The Tailgate Brawl will feature eight wrestlers split between two groups with considerable familiarity with high-pressure competition. On one side, Yuta will be aligned with Garcia, Finlay, and Connors. On the other, Jay White leads a Bang Bang Gang contingent that also includes Ace Austin and The Gunns. With that many personalities involved, the match is positioned to be as much about cohesion as individual toughness.
Yuta’s history makes him a natural fit for a bout built around disorder and intensity. His recollection of the Moxley match underlines the image he has cultivated in AEW: he can take severe punishment, he can make an audience believe a fight has pushed him to his limit, and he is not likely to be rattled by a rough situation simply because it becomes uncomfortable.
Of course, recalling a celebrated bloody match and winning at All Out are two very different things. The Tailgate Brawl will not be decided by old memes or past displays of endurance. It will come down to execution between four-person teams, and Yuta’s side will need to navigate Jay White’s leadership, Ace Austin’s presence, and the collective experience of Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn.
Why the Muta Comparison Still Resonates
There are countless hard-fought matches every year, but only a small number become part of the informal language that fans use to discuss wrestling. The Muta Scale has endured because it represents something instantly understandable: an extraordinary visual that signals how far a match has gone. Yuta’s Rampage appearance with Moxley entered that conversation because the image was impossible to ignore.
His remarks also show an awareness of the way modern wrestling discussion works. Moments live on through clips, photos, audience reactions, and repeated references long after the bell rings. Yuta did not need to force the comparison; viewers made it themselves. His rhyming name gave the idea an additional punchline, but the visual was what made fans keep returning to it.
By saying that he may have “just about usurped” Muta, Yuta was clearly engaging with the playful nature of the debate. It is not a formal accolade, and he did not present it as one. The value of the reference is in the recognition it offers: fans remember the match, remember the intensity of it, and continue to associate Yuta with a performance that stood out.
That memory can be valuable for a wrestler still looking to make every appearance count. AEW’s roster is filled with athletes capable of putting on spectacular matches, and distinguishing oneself requires more than simply being talented. Yuta’s willingness to absorb punishment and make a struggle feel consequential has helped give him a distinct identity.
The fact that he laughs whenever the subject resurfaces suggests that he has made peace with being linked to one of wrestling’s bloodiest running jokes. More importantly, he recognizes the respect embedded in it. The Great Muta is an iconic name, and Yuta sees even a blood-based comparison as praise.
All Out Offers an Immediate Chance to Rebound
Tonight’s Tailgate Brawl is the next chapter, not a recreation of the 2022 Rampage match. Still, Yuta’s comments arrive at a fitting time. He is coming off a singles defeat to Mike Bailey, entering a high-profile All Out match, and standing alongside allies who will need every bit of resolve they can find against the Bang Bang Gang.
Whether the match produces another viral visual remains to be seen, and there is no need for Yuta to revisit the Moxley battle for its legacy to remain secure. That Rampage encounter already accomplished what memorable wrestling matches are supposed to accomplish: it gave audiences an image and a performance they have not forgotten.
For Yuta, the response is simple. He is flattered, he finds the joke amusing, and he believes he has earned his place in the discussion. At All Out, he will have the opportunity to add another important performance to a career that has repeatedly been defined by resilience, physical commitment, and a willingness to fight through whatever comes his way.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.