10 Modern Wrestling Moments That Gave You Chills
8. A Friend In His Corner
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata were born rivals.
Tanahashi was the loyal, scientific showman whose devotion to New Japan Pro Wrestling was reciprocated by the expanded fanbase in thrall to him. Shibata, in contrast, was the bone-crunching Strong Style throwback and traitor. His return from controversial, self-imposed exile ignited a war of ethos. Tanahashi genuinely loathed Shibata's none-too-real style. He felt it alienated the family audience. His own style, the perfection of wrestling illusion, was to him so popular that NJPW did not require Shibata's services. Shibata in response dismissed the Ace's protests, reinforcing his cool, renegade aura in the process.
All of this erupted in a phenomenal styles clash at Destruction In Kobe '14, after which, in a moving moment, the unflappable, stoic Shibata expressed both his love and gratitude for Tanahashi's stewardship of the once-ailing company.
United by pure respect, at last year's seminal G1 Climax final, Tanahashi faced Kota Ibushi, cornered by Golden Lover Kenny Omega. In a real goosebumps moment, Tana revealed that he, too, had an old friend by his side: The Wrestler.
Tana was right, incidentally: Shibata's psycho style had, a year earlier, ended his career. But pro wrestling, a rancid industry, really, in terms of its unbalanced power dynamic, is a brotherhood - and Tana, illustrating his immortal babyface aura, didn't leave his brother behind.