NJPW Shuts Its U.S. Subsidiary, Keeps North American Events

New Japan Pro-Wrestling is closing New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America Inc., the U.S. company it set up to expand its product globally. The parent promotion says events in North America will continue.

The Los Angeles academy closes too

The shutdown reaches beyond the company itself. NJPW will also close its Academy in Los Angeles, California. That detail was confirmed after the first report.

A promotion's academy is where it trains new wrestlers. The report does not say how many students the Los Angeles school had or where they go next.

Seven years, then liquidation

The subsidiary was founded in 2019. A subsidiary is a company owned by a parent, here the Tokyo promotion, which lets the parent run a regional business through a separate legal entity. Liquidation is the last step for such a company: it stops trading, and its affairs are wound up.

NJPW posted the statement on Instagram on Friday morning. It says the subsidiary will cease operations and enter liquidation. The reason given is the need to "optimize allocation of management resources in a rapidly changing business environment."

The same statement promises that events in North America will go on. They will have the full backing and resources of the TV Asahi group. NJPW calls this "a new chapter in NJPW's ongoing global expansion."

A busy card in Tokyo

The closure arrives just after NJPW finished its Power Struggle 2026 event. Following it, the promotion revealed the 2027 card for Wrestle Kingdom 21, its annual first-of-the-year show. It is set for January 4 at the Tokyo Dome.

Several AEW names with NJPW history are on that card: Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, AEW World Champion Will Ospreay and MJF. Omega is going after the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, which Yota Tsuji currently holds.

The statement does not say what the new setup for North America looks like.

Source: Wrestling Inc.