New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s training presence in Carson, California is coming to an end. NJPW has announced that NJPW Academy will close its doors following the shutdown and liquidation process of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America.
The news was shared on November 6, only hours after it was revealed that NJPW America would cease operations. The closure ends an eight-year history for the facility, which began life as the LA Dojo and became a key developmental destination for wrestlers looking to learn within New Japan’s system in the United States.
While the academy’s final date of operation was not specified in the announcement, NJPW made clear that the decision is directly connected to the closure of its American branch. The company used its statement to recognize the wrestlers, coaches, guests, and fans who were part of the Carson facility during its run.
View the referenced post on Instagram
“Due to the closure of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, NJPW ACADEMY will be closing its doors.”
For more background on this topic, read NJPW to Close New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America Inc., North American Events to Continue.
From LA Dojo to NJPW Academy
The Carson school originally operated as the LA Dojo from 2018 through 2023. During that period, it was led by Katsuyori Shibata, one of the defining figures in New Japan’s modern developmental system.
Shibata’s work with the LA Dojo placed a major emphasis on the disciplined “Strong Style” approach associated with Antonio Inoki and the history of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The training environment produced several wrestlers who went on to become visible names in NJPW and beyond, while also giving the promotion a meaningful base for talent development outside Japan.
NJPW specifically credited Shibata with passing along Inoki’s traditions to a generation of LA Dojo trainees that included Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Ren Narita, Kevin Knight, Yuya Uemura, and The DKC.
“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.”
That list illustrates the reach of the dojo system. Its graduates did not follow identical paths, but the school helped create an avenue for wrestlers to develop under the New Japan banner in North America before moving into larger roles, whether in Japan, on NJPW’s U.S.-based events, or elsewhere in the industry.
Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, Ren Narita, Kevin Knight, and Yuya Uemura have all been closely associated with New Japan’s roster and its wider developmental pipeline. The LA Dojo also became an important part of the progression for talent working across the company’s international footprint, particularly as NJPW continued to build more regular activity in the United States.
The Academy Era Began in 2023
In March 2023, the LA Dojo was rebranded as NJPW Academy. The change expanded the facility’s stated purpose, positioning it as a place where both aspiring wrestlers and more established performers could study the New Japan approach.
The academy format was overseen by KUSHIDA, Fred Rosser, The DKC, and Rocky Romero. Each brought a different perspective to the training structure, with their combined experience covering New Japan, the U.S. independent scene, international wrestling, and television-level competition.
KUSHIDA’s involvement connected the academy to a wrestler with extensive experience in New Japan’s junior heavyweight division and in training talent. Rocky Romero has long been a familiar representative of NJPW’s international operations, while Fred Rosser and The DKC each had direct ties to the company’s American-based wrestling scene. Together, the coaching group reflected the academy’s attempt to serve as an accessible New Japan training environment in California.
NJPW stated that academy graduates have gone on to work in nearly every major promotion around the world. The company highlighted Zane Jay’s move to the full-time NJPW roster in 2025 as a notable success story from the NJPW Academy era.
“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.”
A Significant Change for NJPW’s U.S. Development System
The closing of NJPW Academy is significant because the Carson location was more than a conventional wrestling school. From its LA Dojo origins, the facility represented a direct extension of New Japan’s developmental identity in the United States.
Historically, New Japan’s dojo structure has been central to the company’s culture. Young wrestlers are shaped through intense training, conditioning, ring education, and experience before taking larger steps in their careers. The LA Dojo offered a version of that philosophy in Southern California, allowing New Japan to identify and develop talent without requiring every prospect to begin their journey in Japan.
The school’s location also made sense within NJPW’s broader presence in the region. California has long been an important market for Japanese wrestling and for New Japan’s U.S. expansion. Carson became a practical home for an operation that combined training with the company’s growing visibility in North America.
With NJPW America ceasing operations and entering liquidation, the academy closure removes that dedicated physical training hub from the company’s American landscape. NJPW’s statement did not announce a replacement academy, an alternate U.S. training location, or any specific plan for future developmental operations outside Japan.
As a result, the immediate focus is on the end of the Carson facility rather than what comes next. The announcement offered gratitude and a message of appreciation, but did not provide additional details about current students, upcoming classes, or the status of training programs that may have been underway at the time of the closure.
Remembering the People Who Passed Through Carson
In its closing message, NJPW thanked the broad community that helped make the school function over the past eight years. That includes the trainees who entered the program, the coaches who guided them, guests who contributed to the learning environment, and the fans who supported the facility.
“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.”
The wording reflects the dual legacy of the location. As the LA Dojo, it was known for a focused, demanding developmental system under Shibata. As NJPW Academy, it widened that role by offering an educational setting for wrestlers at different points in their careers. Both versions of the school were tied together by the goal of teaching the style and standards associated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
For the wrestlers named in NJPW’s announcement, the facility will remain part of their professional foundation. For the later academy graduates, it served as a route into a wrestling environment built around New Japan’s methodology. And for fans in Southern California, it was a rare opportunity to see a major Japanese promotion establish a more direct and sustained training presence in the region.
The closure is therefore not simply the loss of a building or a class schedule. It marks the conclusion of an experiment that connected New Japan’s established dojo tradition to a new generation of North American-based talent. Over eight years, the Carson school evolved, changed leadership, produced graduates, and maintained a visible place in the company’s efforts to cultivate wrestlers outside its home country.
NJPW Academy’s final legacy will be measured through the careers of those who trained there, from the LA Dojo class assembled under Shibata to the performers who developed during the academy’s later years. As the New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America chapter closes, the Carson facility stands as one of the most tangible symbols of that period.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.