Prior to the pandemic and the launch of AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling was mounting a push into the United States market. NJPW and its parent company at the time sensed the same demand for an easily accessible, well-produced, more wrestling-focused, less PG-rated entertainment-based alternative to WWE that Tony Khan did. Neither circumstances nor timing worked out in New Japan’s favor.
It’s largest move into the U.S. was via a subsidiary, New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, and an academy or dojo that
it opened in Los Angeles. Earlier today, The_B shared that New Japan was closing and selling off the subsidiary.
It immediately led to questions about NJPW Academy/the LA Dojo, which were soon answered:
Due to the closure of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, NJPW ACADEMY will be closing its doors.
From 2018 to 2023, Katsuyori Shibata passed down the Strong Style traditions of Antonio Inoki to a new generation of the LA DOJO: Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Ren Narita, Kevin Knight, Yuya Uemura & The DKC.
The LA DOJO became NJPW ACADEMY in March 2023, creating an opportunity for established and aspiring wrestlers to learn the ways of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Under the tutelage of KUSHIDA, Fred Rosser, The DKC & Rocky Romero, NJPW ACADEMY graduates have gone on to perform in nearly every major promotion worldwide, highlighted by Zane Jay joining the full-time NJPW roster in 2025.
NJPW ACADEMY thanks all wrestlers, coaches, guests and fans who stepped through the doors here in Carson, CA over the past 8 years and hopes that you will continue to support New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Rosser’s departure — the former Darren Young recently returned to WWE for what he later revealed was a guest coaching stint at the Performance Center in Orlando — was a sign this move could be coming. It will also continue the ongoing discussion about the health of the independent wrestling business in general.
But while it’s never great to lose a well-funded resource like the LA Dojo briefly was, otherwise it’s not clear to me how this will change much of anything. New Japan will continue to run shows in the United States, and we’ll see its talent on AEW programming, and in CMLL and MLW. But it hasn’t had a television deal here since 2024 when its last AXS contract expired, or regularly booked smaller shows like it did with Strong in the early days of its American operation. So most of what the overall industry and scene lost here, it lost a while ago.
That’s just my slightly-educated opinion though. Give us your take below.
