Oz Academy

Oz Academy
AcronymOz
FoundedJune 21, 1998[1]
StyleJoshi puroresu
Hardcore wrestling
HeadquartersShinjuku, Tokyo[1]
Founder(s)Mayumi Ozaki[1]
Websiteoz-academy.com

Oz Academy (OZアカデミー, OZ Akademī) is a Japanese joshi puroresu or women's professional wrestling promotion founded by Mayumi Ozaki. The promotion's full official name is Oz Academy Women's Professional Wrestling (OZアカデミー女子プロレス, OZ Akademī Joshi Puroresu).[1] In addition to the contracted members of the roster, Oz Academy has also employed some of the top freelancers in all of joshi puroresu, including Ayumi Kurihara, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Manami Toyota and Tomoka Nakagawa. The promotion has a television deal with Gaora.[2]

History

Oz Academy founder Mayumi Ozaki

While working in the Gaea Japan promotion in mid-90s, Ozaki formed the villainous Oz Academy stable with Chikayo Nagashima, Rieko Amano and Sugar Sato, eventually opening a training school under the same name.[3] Oz Academy eventually started promoting sporadic independent events, featuring members of the stable and Ozaki's trainees, with the first event held on June 21, 1998.[1] Following the folding of Gaea Japan in 2005, Ozaki turned Oz Academy into a full promotion with a full schedule of approximately one to two events per month, while also recruiting veteran wrestlers Aja Kong, Dynamite Kansai and Sonoko Kato to serve as the backbone of the promotion.[1][4][5] Oz Academy remained without championships for nearly nine years, before introducing the Oz Academy Openweight Championship in March 2007 and the Oz Academy Tag Team Championship in July 2008.[6][7]

Mayumi Ozaki has always been a focal point of Oz Academy events and storylines, with different variations of her original Oz Academy stable trying to dominate and keep themselves on top of the promotion. The stable has gone under many different names, including D-Fix,[8] Ozaki-gun,[9] Ozaki-gundan,[10] and currently, Seikigun.[11] At the end of each year, Oz Academy allows its fans to vote on different awards, including MVP of the Year, Singles Match of the Year and Tag Team Match of the Year, which are then presented to the winners at the "Best Wizard" award ceremony.[12] Oz Academy is based in Shinjuku, Tokyo and holds most of its events in Shinjuku Face.[1][4] The promotion itself considers the formation of the stable in 1996 as its starting point and celebrated its 20th anniversary on November 13, 2016.[13]

Roster

Wrestlers

Ring name Real name Unit Notes
Akino[14] Mika Akino Mission K4
Hiroyo Matsumoto[15] Unknown Beast Friend Freelancer
Itsuki Aoki[16] Aika Aoki Unaffiliated
Jaguar Yokota Rimi Yokota Unaffiliated World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana
Oz Academy Pioneer 3-Way Champion
Kakeru Sekiguchi[17] Unknown Mission K4 Freelancer
Kaori Yoneyama[18] Kaori Yoneyama Beast Friend Freelancer
Owner of YMZ Pro Wrestling
Maya Yukihi[19] Unknown Seiki-gun Freelancer
Mayumi Ozaki[20] Mayumi Ozaki Seiki-gun Owner
Oz Academy Openweight Champion
Mayumi Ozaki[21] Mayumi Ozaki Seiki-gun Owner
Oz Academy Openweight Champion
Ram Kaicho[22] Ram Kaicho Unaffiliated
Rina Yamashita[23] Unknown Unaffiliated Freelancer
Ryo Mizunami[24] Ayane Mizumura Unaffiliated Freelancer
Saori Anou[25] Unknown Seiki-gun Freelancer
Sonoko Kato[26] Sonoko Kato Mission K4 Oz Academy Tag Team Champion
Tsubasa Kuragaki[27] Yasuko Kuragaki Unaffiliated Freelancer
Yuu[28] Unknown Beast Friend Freelancer

Other on-air personnel

Ring name Real name Notes
Police[29] Unknown Seiki-gun

Referees

See also: Referee (professional wrestling)
Ring name Real name Notes
Sachiko Ito Sachiko Ito[30] Referee
Mio[31] Unknown Referee
Affiliated with Seiki-gun

Broadcast team

Ring name Real name Notes
Dynamite Kansai[32] Chieko Suzuki Ring announcer
Hiroyuki Nakamura[33] Unknown Ring announcer

Notable alumni

Ring name Real name Notes
Alex Lee Irena Janjic
Aoi Kizuki Aoi Kizuki
Ayumi Kurihara Ayumi Kurihara[34] Retired on August 4, 2013
Carlos Amano Rieko Amano[35] Retired on August 17, 2014
Cherry Unknown
Chikayo Nagashima Chikayo Nagashima[36] Resigned on August 23, 2015
Devil Masami Masami Yoshida[37] Retired on December 30, 2008
Dynamite Kansai Chieko Suzuki[38] Retired on December 11, 2016[39]
Kurumi Hiragi Kurumi
Hiren Yurie Kaneko[40] Retired on November 8, 2011
Kaori Nakayama Kaori Nakayama[41] Retired on October 23, 2002
Kaoru Kaoru Maeda[42]
Kaoru Ito Kaoru Ito
Manami Toyota Manami Toyota[43] Retired on November 3, 2017.[44][45]
Mika Nishio Mika Nishio[46] Retired from wrestling in April 2006, continued working as a manager until March 20, 2016, when she retired due to pregnancy[47][48]
Nao Komatsu Nao Komatsu[49] Injured on December 9, 2012
Ran Yu-Yu Tomoko Miyaguchi[50] Retired on December 9, 2012
Rie Rie Nakamura
Sakura Hirota Sakura Hirota
Sugar Sato Toshie Sato[51] Retired on June 26, 2005
Takako Inoue Takako Inoue[52]
Tomoka Nakagawa Tomoka Nakagawa[53] Retired on December 4, 2014

Notable guests

Championships

Championship Current champion(s) Reign Date won Days held Location Notes
Oz Academy Openweight Championship Ryo Mizunami 1 October 27, 2024 189+ Tokyo, Japan Defeated Mio Momono at OZ Academy Battle Big Bonus 2024 in a match also contested for Ozaki's AAAW Single Championship.
Oz Academy Tag Team Championship
Ryo Mizunami and Sonoko Kato 2
(2, 7) 		May 12, 2024 175+ Tokyo, Japan Defeated Age 115 (Jaguar Yokota and Mayumi Ozaki) at OZ Academy Paradise Lost.
Oz Academy Pioneer 3-Way Championship Jaguar Yokota 1 September 8, 2024 56+ Fukuoka, Japan Defeated Masked Hanahana and Unagi Sayaka at OZ Academy Battle Big Bonus 2024 Fukuoka.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Ozアカデミー女子プロレス". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  2. ^ "Ozアカデミー 女子プロレス". Gaora (in Japanese). Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  3. ^ "Ozアカデミー". Gaea Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 5, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Event". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 23, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  5. ^ アジャコング選手の電撃入団につきまして. Oz Academy (in Japanese). November 1, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  6. ^ "Ozベルト設立の理由について". Oz Academy (in Japanese). October 23, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  7. ^ "「～The Wizard of Oz～ Ozアカデミー認定タッグ選手権」トーナメントについて". Oz Academy (in Japanese). November 1, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  8. ^ "2007/08/16（木） Oz後楽園大会 18:30～". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  9. ^ "Oz大阪大会 17:30～ 「Good☆day@大阪」". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  10. ^ "2009/02/05 Oz新宿大会 対戦全カード". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  11. ^ "2011/09/23(金) 12:00～「Stand By My Woman」". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  12. ^ "2011年ファンが選んだ Best Wizard". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
  13. ^ "ＯＺ結成20周年記念興行 特別ゲストは久本雅美". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  14. ^ "AKINO(Mission K4)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  15. ^ "松本 浩代(獣友)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  16. ^ "松本 浩代(獣友)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  17. ^ "関口翔(Mission K4)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  18. ^ "米山 香織(獣友)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  19. ^ "雪妃 魔矢(正危軍)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  20. ^ "尾崎 魔弓(正危軍)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  21. ^ "尾崎 魔弓(正危軍)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  22. ^ "Ram Kaicho". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  23. ^ "山下 りな". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  24. ^ "Ryo Mizunami". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  25. ^ "安納サオリ(正危軍)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  26. ^ "加藤 園子(Mission K4)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  27. ^ "倉垣 翼". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  28. ^ "優宇(獣友)". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  29. ^ ポリス. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  30. ^ 伊東幸子. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  31. ^ 紫雷美央. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  32. ^ ダイナマイト関西. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  33. ^ "Hiroyuki Nakamura". Oz Academy (in Japanese).
  34. ^ 栗原あゆみ. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  35. ^ カルロス天野. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  36. ^ 永島千佳世. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  37. ^ "Devil Masami". Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  38. ^ ダイナマイト関西. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  39. ^ 【Ozアカデミー】尾崎からの卒業証書に涙 ダイナマイト関西が３０年のレスラー人生に幕. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  40. ^ 悲恋. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  41. ^ "Kaori Nakayama". Sherdog. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  42. ^ "Kaoru". Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 4, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  43. ^ 豊田真奈美. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  44. ^ さらば“飛翔天女”豊田真奈美５０人掛け引退試合完走！「どこも痛くない体に戻りたい」. Daily Sports Online (in Japanese). Kobe Shimbun. November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  45. ^ 豊田真奈美が５０人掛け引退マッチ 自身の“必殺技”に散る. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). November 3, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  46. ^ 西尾美香. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 7, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  47. ^ 西尾美香 マイバッハ谷口との結婚公表. Daily Sports Online (in Japanese). Kobe Shimbun. February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
  48. ^ 【Ozアカデミー後楽園】西尾美香 引退セレモニーで夫マイバッハにまさかの毒霧. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). March 20, 2016. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  49. ^ 小松奈央. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  50. ^ 輝優優. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  51. ^ シュガー佐藤. Gaea Japan (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 28, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  52. ^ 井上貴子. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 4, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  53. ^ 中川ともか. Oz Academy (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
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