NJPW “Academy Showcase 5” results: Vetter’s review of Fred Rosser and Kushida vs. The DKC and Zane Jay, Tommy Mars vs. Iseah Bronson, Angie Savage vs. Leila Grey

By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)

New Japan Pro Wrestling “Academy Showcase 5”
November 23, 2024 in Carson, California at the NJPW Dojo
Streamed on the New Japan YouTube Page

The show was recently released for free on Youtube. This was filmed at their dojo in Carson, California. Marc Warzecha and Jordan Castle provided commentary. I’ve enjoyed these events despite not knowing most of the wrestlers. This is a small room so most of the 80 or so fans are on just one side of the ring.

1. Selvatico vs. Raymond Bright. Selvatico is from Costa Rica and he wore a mask that makes me think of Tiger Mask. Bright is a Black man, similar to Man Like DeReiss, with short hair. Bright competed at Showcase 4, while this is Selvatico’s debut. Google tells me that Selvatico means “untamed.” They both have good physiques. Bright hit some roundhouse kicks to the head and a flying Superman’s Punch at 5:00. Selvatico hit an Angle Slam and a springboard senton for a nearfall. Bright hit an impressive frogsplash for the pin. Good action.

Raymond Bright defeated Selvatico at 7:16.

2. Angie Savage vs. Leila Grey. Savage lost at Showcase 4, and she’s a babyface. Grey was introduced as an AEW star. They appear to essentially be the same height and size as they traded standing switches. Leila kept her grounded early on. Leila applied a modified Figure Four at 4:00; they wound up both rolling to the floor to separate from the leg lock. In the ring, Grey hit a Blockbuster for a nearfall at 7:30. Savage fired up and hit some punches and a snap suplex and a bodyslam. She jumped on Grey’s back and applied a sleeper, but Grey fell backward into the turnbuckles to escape. Grey hit a “Baddie Bomb” (Angels Wings faceplant) for the pin. Solid.

Leila Grey defeated Angie Savage at 10:38.

3. Danger Ross and Livewire Charlie vs. Luke Kurtis and Dante Griffith. Charlie and Ross wore high school letterman jackets and one carried a football; Charlie is Black and wore blue, while Ross is white and wore orange. I’ve seen Kurtis in OVW; he wears a flowing robe like Ric Flair or Bobby Roode. Griffith is scrawny and looks like he could be Jay White’s 21-year-old brother. Kurtis opened against Charlie. Ross and Griffith locked up at 1:30. Danger and Livewire worked over Griffith. Kurtis stomped on Ross; my guess is Luke has more matches than these other three combined. Charlie hit some loud chops on Kurtis and a double-underhook suplex for a nearfall at 7:00. Griffith hit a reverse Angle Slam, and he tied up Charlie’s legs, but Ross made the save. Kurtis hit a release Suplex on Ross, then a Shining Wizard for a nearfall, but Charlie made the save. Griffith and Kurtis hit superkicks, but Ross and Charlie hit spears. Ross hit a powerslam, and they both piled on Kurtis for the pin. Good action.

Danger Ross and Livewire Charlie defeated Luke Kurtis and Dante Griffith at 11:10.

4. Tommy Mars vs. Iseah Bronson. Mars is a white man, a rocker and he has good size; I believe I’ve seen him before on California indy shows, but this is his Showcase debut. Bronson is Black with long dreadlocks and he’s listed at 6’3″ so he’s about five inches taller than Mars. Basic standing switches early on and Mars applied an ankle lock, with Bronson reaching the ropes at 2:00. Bronson hit some knee-lifts to the gut. Mars hit some European Uppercuts and a bodyslam for a nearfall at 6:30. Bronson hit a suplex for a nearfall, and he switched to a cross-armbreaker. Mars hit a basement dropkick in the corner, then a jackknife cover, for the pin.

Tommy Mars defeated Iseah Bronson at 9:26.

5. Fred Rosser and Kushida vs. The DKC and Zane Jay. Jay is now bald and he’s not wearing his necklace. (Good, I hate that.) I’ve been very impressed with Zane; he wrestled at the NJPW event in Chicago I attended in April. Rosser and Kushida are the head trainers here (I didn’t know Kushida had that title.) DKC and Kushida opened; Marc noted how both of them recently returned from a Japan tour. Zane traded mat holds with Kushida, and the commentators talked about Zane shaving his head and taking on a more serious persona. Rosser entered at 7:00 and hit some loud chops on Zane, and the trainers kept Zane grounded. Zane suplexed Rosser and they were both down.

DKC got the hot tag at 11:30 and hit a Northern Lights Suplex on Kushida for a nearfall. He bent Kushida backwards and hit his knife-edge chops to the chest. Kushida flipped DKC off the top rope to the mat. DKC hit a flip senton for a nearfall on Rosser at 14:00. Zane hit a bodyslam on Kushida. Rosser nailed a decapitating clothesline on Zane for a nearfall, and he applied a Chickenwing Crossface on the mat. Rosser and Zane traded forearm strikes. Zane put Rosser in a Boston Crab! He dragged Fred back to the middle of the ring, but Rosser powered out. They traded rollups, and Fred got the pin. Good match.

Fred Rosser and Kushida defeated DKC and Zane Jay at 17:58.

* Matt Vandagriff rolled into the ring and attacked Zane! They will have a match this weekend on the NJPW show in Long Beach, Calif.!

Final Thoughts: I see plenty of wrestlers who are clearly in their first few matches. Many are scrawny and have a deer-in-headlights look. Their movements are stiff and you can tell their in-ring flaws. With all that said, it is truly amazing how polished these wrestlers all are. The guys all have good physiques and are clearly trained well in the basics. Sure, I’ve seen Zane here a few times now, plus Kurtis and Grey are OVW regulars, but the other trainees don’t feel like new wrestlers; they just feel ‘new to me.’ A lot to like here. I’ve said it before, but I love Jordan Castle’s youthful enthusiasm in calling the action; he has a young Don West vibe to him, and that is certainly meant as a compliment. This is a quick watch, coming in at just 80 minutes.