Alex Coughlin says that New Japan always planned on expanding its brand in the United States, but sometimes you can’t plan for what else happens in life.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Alex Coughlin recently appeared on the Shining Wizards Podcast and discussed the company’s recent expansion into the United States. Coughlin said that New Japan always wanted to expand, but things like the pandemic got in the way of that happening sooner than later.
“Initially, we were getting reps in between Japanese tours with American tours and we would bring in guys like Tanahashi and a few other names, and they would be five- or six-show loops. I think the plan was always to expand in America, but you can never really plan for life. It would have been drastically different from what we have today if the pandemic and everything didn’t cause everything to shut down. We can’t go to Japan. Life gives you lemons. We started off with the little no-crowd tapings, me and Clark, still young lions, pre-mustache, back in the day, trying to make due with what we got. Wrestling in front of nobody is better than not wrestling, which is very different than what the company, I imagine, projected to happen at this point in time.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve been working with. I’m proud of what we’ve been doing. It’s growing very organically, just going with the times and going with the flow to a show that I’m very proud to actually be a part of. It’s really getting there. Now we just need more people to realize it.That’s the only thing. But I think it’s the best hour of wrestling on TV. Not just (being) biased, but that you can watch, not necessarily on tv, but weekly. It’s solid.”
Coughlin would then touch on the company’s Super J Cup and mentioned that while he didn’t participate in this year’s tournament, one of the favorite matches of his career took place in a past edition.
“That Super J-Cup card (2019), I think that was actually the first time I wrestled Jon Gresham, if I’m not mistaken. I just wrestled him not too long ago in Philadelphia in, I think that was November of 2020, and that was one of my favorite matches I’ve ever had. He still beat me, but I was a lot closer this time. So, you know, third time’s the charm. Next time I see him, I’m gonna kick his ass and it’s going to be fantastic. But that show meant a lot to me for a few reasons. It was a Super J-Cup. It’s prestigious. I didn’t participate in the Cup, but just to be a part of it was very cool.”
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