Bobby Fish says his next match against Satoshi Kojima couldn’t come at a better time.
Fish spoke with WrestleZone ahead of his World Championship match against Satoshi Kojima at MLW Lucha Apocalypto on November 9. The title fight stands out on a card with a lot of storyline implications, and Fish loves being the “odd man out” once more. He says his whole career has been like that, but he’s going into a world title match against a Japanese legend, and it doesn’t get bigger than that.
“I love the idea of swimming upstream [on this card]. My whole career is an improbability. And I love to be told, ‘You can’t.’ Because that’s been the story since I was young. And if somebody said to me, ‘Hey, listen. You are going to make it to WWE. You’re going to do this. You are going to be this many times to Japan etc. The WWE thing’s gonna happen. You know, ‘You are 5’8”. And it’s not going to happen until you are 42 years old.’ I would’ve been like, ‘You’re out of your mind.’ But that’s exactly the way things played out. And things played out that way because I didn’t listen.”
Bobby Fish on DDP
Fish, who started training at the ‘late’ age of 25, credited Diamond Dallas Page as the best example he had set for him as far as ignoring your detractors. DDP started at 36 and became a legend in the business, and Fish believes talk is just talk and didn’t let it hold him back.
“Say what you will, but I don’t have to listen. Or more importantly, I don’t have to believe that your words are true,” Bobby Fish said. “So for me going into this and it being on the Lucha show, it’s actually perfect. Because A; We are going to stand out because we’re totally different than what the rest of the card is going to look like. And B; It’s a World Title match. I don’t care what company, what city, what opponent. That’s a World Title Match. That’s for everything that matters in that place where you are.”
Bobby Fish on Satoshi Kojima
Fish said that if that wasn’t big enough, he’s facing a man who is a legend in Japan. The country means a lot to Fish’s career, as it’s where he got his start and he still uses some of those teachings in his career now.
“Pro Wrestling NOAH was where I learned how to pro wrestle. I look back at things I learned during my time in Pro Wrestling NOAH where I was just getting beat up night after night. And I still lean on some of the things to this day. Because I had to learn to quote-unquote work because there was a language barrier. If you are early in your career and you are struggling to kind of put things together to begin with, introduce two different languages and then broken English and broken Japanese on either side, good luck. So, there’s that stuff,” Fish explained. “And on top of it, working for New Japan when I did, Kojima, he’s a legend. An absolute legend. And to be able to mix it up with him again, because I’ve had some opportunities when I was working for New Japan. But they were fewer and further… It just was not too many opportunities. Yeah, this couldn’t come at a better time. I gotta be honest man.”
Kojima and Fish have shared the ring before in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, as they had three tag team matches back in 2016. While this is the first singles match they’ve had, Fish said he considers it an honor, but he’ll also pay no honor once the bell rings.
“It’s Kojima. That’s an honor. It’s truly an honor,” Fish said. “However, I will pay him no honor in the way that I — pardon the language, but kick the sh*t out of him on that night.”
Watch our full interview with Bobby Fish below:
