Alex Coughlin on Facing His Former Teacher Katsuyori Shibata in ROH

– During a recent interview on Fightful Overbooked, wrestler Alex Coughlin discussed his upcoming ROH Pure Championship match against Katsuyori Shibata scheduled for June 1. Coughlin previously trained under Shibata at the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles. Below are some highlights:

Alex Coughlin on never expecting he would one day wrestle Shibata: “Early on, it never crossed my mind. I never thought of it. It’s been five years since, overnight, my life changed from living in New York to moving to LA and training and living with this legendary trainer. A whirlwind, a flash. Every now and then, I stop and think just how weird my life is. A few years ago, ‘you’re going to live with a 40-year-old Japanese pro wrestler and train with him and drive him places.’ Oh, I don’t know how much I believe that. Just who he is and what he’s done, and the circumstances that led him to be a trainer. He was soft-retired at the time, I didn’t think too much of him getting back in the ring, I was focused on not dying during the training I was currently doing. Looking back, and seeing where I am now, it’s very cool that I had the opportunity to do both and be on both sides of the ring with him. We wrestled in Rhode Island, where we teamed up, and very much looking forward to June 1st when I get to smack him in the face. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to do that for the last five years.”

On his relationship with Shibata: “That part wasn’t lost on me either, when I heard I was going to be wrestling him. That was a very cool feeling. I’ve lived with the guy for years. We’re very close, not just a student-teacher relationship, but I’d say friends. It’s an amazing opportunity. How many matches has he had since he’s comeback? Being involved in any of them, let alone two of them, one being his first-ever tag match outside of Japan or first tag partner in America, out of his whole career, that’s already an interesting feather. Having a singles match with the man who changed my life overnight, it’s an end to a big chapter.”

The title match will air on June 1 on ROH HonorClub TV.