10 Best Wrestling Matches Of This Decade
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - G1 Climax 2015 Finals
Early in the 2000s, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Katsuyori Shibata were christened "The New Three Musketeers" - the men who would carry New Japan into the new century. While Shibata left (ultimately to return), Nakamura and Tanahashi spent the next decade-plus battling to see who would sit in the company's throne.
Their final battle was their greatest. Heading into the 2015 G1 Climax tournament, many thought that Nakamura would emerge victorious, then challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title in a match pitting the two stars of the CHAOS stable against one another. Nakamura won his block with a victory over Okada, but standing across from him in the finals was Tanahashi, who beat AJ Styles to earn his spot in the match.
What followed was 13 years of one-upsmanship coming to a head. Two men who had been associated for their entire adult lives, who had headlined at the Tokyo Dome against each other three times, went to work - Tanahashi trying to soften up Nakamura's knee, while "The King of Strong Style" worked "The High-Flying Star's" arm. Eventually, a pair of High Fly Flows gave Tanahashi the win and the tournament, ending a brilliant match.