12 Wrestling Rivalries That Were Too Real To Be Fake

In the early to mid-2000s, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Katsuyori Shibata emerged as up-and-coming stars in New Japan. Dubbed "The New Musketeers", it was believed that the three twenty-somethings would help lead the company - and Japanese pro wrestling - into a new era.

Tanahashi and Nakamura both became superstars, but Shibata lost interest in wrestling. He left New Japan for smaller promotions, then quit wrestling altogether in favor of mixed martial arts. From 2007 to 2011, Shibata focused entirely on unscripted combat.

After retiring from MMA, Shibata returned to New Japan, but not everybody was happy to see him.

Tanahashi was legitimately angry that Shibata had left New Japan in the lurch years back, and Shibata's comments about wrestling "being fun again" upon his return only added fuel to the fire. The two were at odds, and it was played up as part of the wrestling drama.

Finally, in 2014, Shibata and Tanahashi faced off in a major singles contest. The bout, held at the Destruction in Kobe Pay-Per-View, was a classic match that saw both men let it all out in the ring.

It received a rare five-star rating from Dave Meltzer, and afterwards the two men shook hands, finally burying the hatchet.