Members:
Karl Fredericks
Clark Connors
Alex Coughlin
Gabe Kidd
Kevin Knight
The DKC
Overall Achievements:
1x Strong, 1x Strong Tag, 3x IWGP Jr Tag, 1x Young Lion's Cup
Star Student: Gabe Kidd
Best Team/faction: Bullet Club War Dogs (Kidd, Coughlin, Connors)
Best rivalry: Connors vs Knight
Best match: Connors vs Knight All Star Junior Festival USA 2023
Best Excursion: Gabe Kidd (Revpro)
In 2018 NJPW reopened the LA Dojo with Shibata at the helm. They recruited young wrestlers early into their career with a great athletic base.
In 2019, Shibata returned unleashing Connors and Frederick into the NJPW universe. They would compete in tags during the G1. Compared to the Noge Dojo these guys were physical specimens, aggressive and had more cohesion instead of squabbling against one another. This instantly started a natural Noge vs LA Dojo rivalry across the G1 under card and for the rest of 2019.
With Coughlin also being added they had enough numbers to have a Young Lion's Cup. It ultimately came down to the most senior student in each Dojo Umino vs Fredericks, with the American emerging in top. Connors competed in the SJTL that year alongside TJP and picked up points against Uemura's team. Fredericks teamed with Goto and picked up 6 points.
The Dojo kept recruiting with Brits Gabe Kidd and Bailey Matthews (who never debuted) then later with Kevin Knight and the DKC. For the most part after the pandemic the LA Dojo boys were left to be backbone of NJPW strong except for Kidd who stayed in Japan for 18 months. For a while they just seemed to be aimlessly killing time on Strong with little involvement in Japan. Occasionally, buffing tournament numbers. Fredericks, the top student chose to leave for WWE in this period.
Also, they didn't really have much in the way of an excursion but as the majority of their experience was outside of Japan, their ventures in Japan was their excursion.
Their stature grew significantly in 2023 as they mostly got integrated into the main product. Coughlin, Kidd and Connors all got added to the Bullet Club War Dogs and won gold. Arguably the best thing in NJPW right now. The Knight joined forces with Kushida and also won gold. Whilst the DKC has floundered with little hope to become a significant star.
Now whilst they aren't expected to be main eventers like their Noge counterparts. They have outperformed them thus far. Also, I debated whether I should have split these guys into two classes but I think that would be unnecessary.
by shecanbromehard
