# NJPW Academy in Carson, Calif., Closing After 8 Years Label: CONFIRMED Promotion: NJPW By WrestlingNews.com Staff Published Nov. 6, 2026, 5:04 PM ET URL: https://wrestlingnews.com/story/njpw-academy-in-carson-closing-after-eight-years/ > NJPW Academy, the former LA Dojo in Carson, California, said on Nov. 6 it is closing because NJPW of America is shutting down. The school opened in 2018. NJPW has not said what happens to coaches or students. ## The quick version - NJPW Academy in Carson, California, announced on Nov. 6 that it is closing its doors. - The school ties the closure to the shutdown of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, announced the same day. - The statement does not say what happens to current students, coaches or the building. NJPW Academy, the training school in Carson, California, will close. The announcement came on Friday, Nov. 6, hours after New Japan Pro-Wrestling said its U.S. subsidiary will cease operations and enter liquidation. POST Wrestling (John Pollock) printed the school's statement in full, and SEScoops (Mike Reichlin) says the school posted it on Instagram. ## What the statement says The Academy says: "Due to the closure of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, NJPW ACADEMY will be closing its doors." It thanks "all wrestlers, coaches, guests and fans" who came through the Carson building over eight years and asks them to keep supporting New Japan. ## The history it recalls - The school began as the LA Dojo in 2018. The statement says Katsuyori Shibata ran it from 2018 to 2023. - It lists these LA Dojo graduates: Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors, Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Ren Narita, Kevin Knight, Yuya Uemura and The DKC. - It became NJPW Academy in March 2023 and opened to established and aspiring wrestlers. The statement names KUSHIDA, Fred Rosser, The DKC and Rocky Romero as its trainers. - It says graduates have worked in nearly every major promotion worldwide. Its headline example is Zane Jay, who joined NJPW's full-time roster in 2025. ## What is not said Neither the Academy nor NJPW says what happens to the coaches, the current students or the Carson facility. NJPW's own notice, posted earlier on Nov. 6, said North American events will continue "with the full backing and resources of the TV Asahi group." POST says no shows are currently listed. SEScoops says the last NJPW of America event was Resurgence in Ontario, California, in May 2025. We have not contacted NJPW or the Academy. Our earlier story covers the subsidiary closure: [NJPW to Close Its U.S. Subsidiary and Enter Liquidation](https://wrestlingnews.com/story/njpw-of-america-to-close-and-enter-liquidation/). ## What to watch Whether NJPW names a new U.S. training base, and whether it announces a North American show date. **How we know.** Source: NJPW Academy's statement as printed by POST Wrestling, with SEScoops for the Instagram posting and the last U.S. show. Nothing in this story is a rumor. ## Sources - NJPW Academy statement, "Due to the closure of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America, NJPW ACADEMY will be closing its doors," Nov. 6, 2026. No link: we read it as printed by POST Wrestling and SEScoops; we did not open the Instagram post. - POST Wrestling (John Pollock), "Closure of L.A. Dojo follows New Japan folding its American subsidiary", Nov. 6, 2026. https://www.postwrestling.com/2026/11/06/closure-of-l-a-dojo-follows-new-japan-folding-its-american-subsidiary/ - SEScoops (Mike Reichlin), "NJPW Academy In Carson Closing Its Doors After Eight Years", Nov. 6, 2026. https://www.sescoops.com/article/njpw-academy-carson-closing-doors-eight-years - F4W Online (Rosanne Raphael), "NJPW shuts down American subsidiary after seven years", Nov. 6, 2026 (for NJPW's notice and the TV Asahi quote). https://www.f4wonline.com/news/new-japan/njpw-shuts-down-american-subsidiary-after-seven-years/ - WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read the statement as printed by two outlets and compared the details. We have not contacted NJPW or the Academy. How we credit sources: [Editorial standards](https://wrestlingnews.com/editorial-standards/).