7 of the best NJPW feuds in recent memory

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hirooki Goto

Katsuyori Shibata is one of the most intense wrestlers to step into the squared circle since the year 2000, and his tenacity and never-say-die attitude make him one of the most beloved athletes in NJPW history.

While Shibata’s had a number of memorable rivalries in NJPW, his work with Hirooki Goto stands out.

Their rivalry began in 2013 after Goto and Yuji Nagata defeated Shibata and his “Laughter7” tag team partner Kazushi Sakuraba for their first tag team loss since Shibata’s NJPW return. That set in motion a hard-hitting feud which included a draw at Wrestling Dontaku 2013 and a massive, rivalry-ending victory for Goto at Wrestle Kingdom 8. In total, Shibata and Goto were 1-1 with two draws in their singles battles.

Goto and Shibata would then go on to form a tag team after WK8, defeating then-IWGP Tag Team Champions and Bullet Club stars Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson  in a non-title match. They’d beat Gallows and Anderson again in the 2014 World Tag League Final after beginning the tournament on a losing streak, before finally winning the titles at Wrestle Kingdom 9 – one year after the former high school classmates shared the ring at Wrestle Kingdom 8.