By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
NJPW “Academy Cup 2025”
March 22, 2025, in Los Angeles, California at the NJPW Dojo
Streamed on YouTube.com
This show was released last week on the NJPW YouTube page. I think this makes the fifth or sixth installment of shows featuring their trainees. Their top trainee, Zane Jay, had another really good match at Windy City Riot on Friday, and he’s been training in the dojo in Japan. Jordan Castle and Mark Warzecha provided commentary; I always say he’s like a young Don West, with his flair for flamboyance and energy.
* This was taped March 22, 2025, at their training center in southern California, and the crowd is maybe 50-80, with almost all of the fans on just one side of the ring.
1. Allan Breeze vs. Steven Stetson in a first-round Cup match. Stetson has been a regular in the New England area but he’s been training here for a while; this is his showcase debut. He’s a “New Jersey cowboy” with a wide black hat. He wasn’t heavy before, but it appears he’s slimmed down 10 pounds since I last saw him at Wrestling Open. With his hair tips dyed, Breeze reminds me of Justin Gabriel. Basic standing switches, then reversals on the mat. Stetson rolled to the floor to regroup at 5:00. In the ring, Stetson hit a hard clothesline. He hit a dropkick and was in charge. Breeze hit a clothesline and got a rollup for a nearfall at 12:00. Stetson applied a Boston Crab and dragged him into the center of the ring. Breeze hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Stetson missed a frog splash, and Breeze immediately hit a twisting neckbreaker for the pin.
Allan Breeze defeated Steven Stetson at 16:20 to advance.
2. Raymond Bright vs. Ray Rico. Bright is a young Black man and he was fired up; he has short hair that is a light blond and made me think of Shelton Benjamin when he briefly had that look. Rico wore an outfit to the ring that made me think of Slash from Guns N’ Roses; once he took the jacket off, he looks like Sammy Guevara with longer Juventud Guerrera-style hair, and he’s the heel. Basic reversals early on, and Bright hit a dropkick at 2:00. Rico snapped Bright’s arm over the top rope and he began working it over.
Rico hit a dropkick in the corner at 4:00. Rico hit a spin kick and a German Suplex for a nearfall, and they were both down at 6:30. Rico missed a 450 Splash, and Bright immediately hit a standing moonsault, and Bright was fired up. They traded punches. Bright hit a leaping neckbreaker for a believable nearfall at 9:00. They got up and traded forearm strikes and this has picked up nicely. Rico seemed to slip coming off the ropes but he still hit a stunner in the process for a nearfall. Bright hit a huracanrana and got the flash pin out of nowhere! I enjoyed that.
Raymond Bright defeated Ray Rico at 12:09 to advance.
* Rico attacked Bright after the bell and the crowd was livid! He snapped Bright’s left arm behind his back.
3. Danger Ross and Livewire Charlie vs. The DKC and Insane Dane. I’ve seen Ross and Charlie here before; both guys wore face paint that looks like the Ultimate Warrior’s look. Ross is white and wore orange-and-white; Charlie is Black and wore blue. They both have great physiques. This is Dane’s debut; he’s taller and has the sides of his head shaved. DKC and Charlie opened and they wrestled on the mat. DKC has been here a few years and is now a trainer. Dane and Ross entered at 3:00, and Dane is probably 6’3″ (or everyone else is much shorter than I’m estimating). Those two traded shoulder tackles. DKC leapt off the apron, but Ross caught him and slammed him to the mat for a nearfall at 6:30.
Danger and Livewire hit some slams and posed; they really are giving me WCW’s High Voltage vibes. Dane and Charlie tagged in at 8:30, with Dane hitting a suplex. Dane hit pump kicks in opposite corners on each opponent, then a bodyslam on Danger, then one on Charlie for a nearfall. Danger and Charlie hit a team spear at 10:00 on Dane. Ross hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall, but DKC made the save. Danger and DKC traded forearm strikes. DKC hit a top-rope flying leg lariat and pinned Danger Ross. Decent action. I think Danger and Livewire need to be more like the Outrunners and lean into their nostalgia gimmick and have fun with it.
The DKC and Insane Dane defeated Danger Ross and Livewire Charlie at 12:08.
4. CJ Tino and Matt Vandagriff vs. Fred Rosser and Rocky Romero. I described Tino as a 5’8″ version of Duke Hudson and I’m sticking to that. Vandagriff is a top guy from Las Vegas-based Future Stars of Wrestling. Rosser is so chiseled right now. Romero and Tino locked up to open and they appear to be roughly the same height and weight; they traded good reversals, and Rocky tied him in a bow-and-arrow. Vandagriff finally got in at 7:00 and tied up Rocky’s left arm on the mat. (How long is this match going to go if this was our first tag?) Rosser tagged in at 9:00 and he traded chops with Matt, and Fred hit a back suplex.
Rosser and Romero hit a team shoulder block on Tino at 10:30. The students began working over Rocky in their corner. Tino stayed focused on the left arm. The rookies bent Rocky backward in the corner at 14:00. Vandagriff was twisting Rocky’s leg, but he shoved aside Tino! Uh-oh! Rocky hit a rewind kick on Matt, and he made the hot tag to Fred. Rosser hit a series of chops on Tino in a corner. Fred clotheslined Vandagriff over the top rope to the floor at 17:00, and he got a nearfall on Tino. Tino hit an enzuigiri on Rosser.
Tino hit a Chaos Theory (rolling German Suplex) on Romero. Vandagriff tagged back in at 19:30 and he hit a modified 619 on Rocky, then a dive through the ropes onto Fred. Matt then hit a top-rope frog splash on Romero for a believable nearfall. Tino hit a German Suplex on Rocky for a nearfall. Rocky hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Tino for a nearfall at 22:00. Vandagriff hit a spear on the apron. Fred and Tino traded chops; Rosser is bigger and they looked more vicious. Vandagriff rolled up Rosser with his feet on the ropes for added leverage and the tainted pin. Solid match; they turned what should have been a 12-minute match into a 23-minute match.
Matt Vandagriff and CJ Tino defeated Rocky Romero and Fred Rosser at 23:08.
5. Raymond Bright vs. Allan Breeze for the Academy Cup. They stood toe-to-toe, but they shook hands and hugged before locking up. Good reversals on the mat and a standoff. Bright hit a dropkick at 2:00, then a second-rope dropkick, and he laid in some European Uppercuts. Breeze fired up and hit his own series of chops. They traded rollups. Breeze targeted the left arm, with Bright rolling to the floor in pain. In the ring, Allan locked in a crossarm breaker at 8:30. Pretty basic action as Breeze continued to twist the left arm and he stayed in control.
They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Bright hit a flying forearm at 14:30 and was fired up. He hit a standing neckbreaker but sold the pain in his left arm as he got a nearfall. Breeze flipped him to the mat from the corner and got a nearfall, and he hit some hammerlock bodyslams, then a hammerlock Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 16:30. Bright went for a frog splash, but Breeze caught him in his legs and applied a hammerlock. Bright tried to get to the ropes but eventually tapped out. Good match but they stretched out what should have been a shorter match.
Allan Breeze defeated Raymond Bright at 18:57 to win the NJPW Academy Cup.
* Breeze was presented with the Academy Cup and he spoke on the mic to close the show.
Final Thoughts: An okay show. I didn’t see anyone here who really turned my head, like Zane Jay has in the past. Bright looked good. The last two matches were just too long; not enough action happened in either one to warrant that length. I guess it’s good for them to show they have the cardio to go that long, but sometimes a shorter, faster-paced match is just the better option. I definitely wish there had been a women’s match here, too. This show is on YouTube and my cautionary advice is a reminder that a lot of these guys are rookies with very few matches under their belt.
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