As real as it gets.

Japanese pro wrestling has always been treated as more sport and competition than spectacle. They take it more serious in Japan. They hit harder and work stiff, in what has become known as 'Japanese strong-style' when it is referred to here in the states. Imagine if  WWE decided to mimic MMA more in it's in-ring presentation.
The blows get no stiffer and harder though, than what transpired in May of the past year. Yoshikazu Taru, who goes by the name TARU in the ring, seems to have had a beef with one of his 'Voodoo Murderers' stable mates after a match. TARU's character is that of a mad man who loses his cool and loses his matches by DQ frequently. Well, it seems as if performance really does mirror reality. TARU assaulted on-stage partner Nobukazi Hirai, who is known by the names 'Hate' and 'Super Hate', backstage after a match they had been involved in. Apparently, TARU just flipped the hell out and went ape-shit on Hirai, Chris Beniot style, well, bad analogy, but you get it. The attack apparently caused Hirai to have a stroke and it left him with an acute hematoma, and in a coma. One in which he has just recently awoken from. Hirai however, still remains in the hospital due to he memory loss and remaining health concerns.
This all happened under the watch of Keiji Mutoh, the President of All-Japan Pro Wrestling. Mutoh, is better known to fans in the U.S. as 'Great Muta'. AJPW suspended TARU, along with all the other members of the stable for not stepping in and stopping the assault on Hirai. Keiji Mutoh also resigned from his post as president. In June, AJPW upheld the suspension of TARU indefinitely, however it did allow the other members of the Voodoo Murderers to return to action. Those members included KONO, MAZADA, and Minoru. However, the stable it's self was disbanded by the company, and is no longer in use.

And, if you feel inclined to do so, you can actually vote for TARU in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's annual year-end awards for Most Hated Wrestler. His qualifications for the award actual list his attack on Hirai as his prime reason to be voted as such.

So what we have learned here is that Japan is a lot like West Virginia, being how both places seem to take wrestling way more serious than the rest of the world.