United Empire

[2.0] "oh boy, where do i even begin. united empire in 2026, i really don't get it, like honestly, why do they still exist? 2021-early 2024 was united empire's peak at it's moment but now Gedo is heavily pushing the group and me personally I don't see the appeal to majority of its current members except Andrade and akira. Will's leadership was peak, but after he left njpw, thats when united empire disintegrated when TJP became the leader and the members couldn't accept it until later on. Under his leadership, he brought in Templario of CMLL and Jakob Austin Young from FSW, but TJP's leadership wouldn't last long as he decided to become a freelancer in 2025. 2025 was united empire's worst years in their stable history, HENARE was inactive the entirety of the year, Akira disappeared for half of the year, Jeff Cobb left (he ended up returning but as an unbound co member), TJP left, and Callum became the leader of united empire. the stable became heel at the end of 2025 as callum wanted revenge to finlay and the war dogs of them screwing up the empire and getting rid of will, with Andrade joining the stable in December and then in 2026, HENARE returned with a new look, and Andrade made his first wrestling return to njpw, and then Jake Lee of all people joined the group since Bullet Club: WAR DOGS was coming to an end, and Jake took the gimmick of the silent jester, a literal fucking jester clown, which of course downgraded of his previous nickname, the smart bastard. Then the next day, Akira returned to be a heel, and few weeks later, Young Lion Zane Jay would join the group. And oh lord do they suck- Put in context, Dangerous JAY isn't dangerous at all, he literally has no character nor has charisma, Jake Lee getting an IWGP Heavyweight title shot only to give yota tsuji possibly one of the worst matches in new japan's recent history and more so a carry job, Zane Jay is just there, and even when andrade was added and won the global heavyweight belt, he is more so focused in aew instead so i won't count him for that and didn't benefit anything at all, Francesco Akira is still the same either way, Callum Newman holding the IWGP gold which baffles because he definitely didn't look ready and even himself was thinking the same too but thank lord the gold went back to yota, and HENARE and O-khan winning the iwgp tag team belts from KOB was a shocker but a good match regardless (no it's not no more o khan is truly horrendous) oh and I really don't know what zane jay's character supposed to be (EDIT: he's a razor ramon wannabe), since he isn't a young lion no more, he's tryna be a wannabe scott hall since he is using a toothpick like scott did in WWF/E, WCW and early TNA."

[4.0] "You can't really convince me that United Empire is literally a wannabe bullet club and gedo is trying so hard to make this stable convinceable, but it's not really working if you're literally having members who are not only good, they're lacking what the stable represents- united."

[4.0] "For a group called the "United Empire, " the one thing really missing from this group is, well... unity. There's moments where the group comes together, like -THAT- cage match against the War Dogs, but most of the time it feels like this has been New Japan's dumping ground for gaijin (and O-Khan) that don't fit into one of the other stables, a trend that's only accelerated after its best talent left for AEW. There's good wrestlers here, doing what they can to maximize their minutes, but the sheer lack of chemistry is palpable."

[4.0] "I'm really bored by this faction right now, and expect with 1 or 2 members in it, I don't care about them. Newman is great as a leader, Akira is so cool, and HENARE is a good brawler, but the rest doesn't really interested me, and this faction is general don't have to be there anymore."

[7.0] "At first, United Empire was basically the punt that Ospreay needed to have his own path carved in 2020, which also enabled then Young Lion Tomoyuki Oka to return as The Great O-Khan, this mystical Mongolian ghost who somehow re-humanized himself as a public figure! Also, took frustrated big man Jeff Cobb, and then Ospreay's girlfriend Bea Priestley as this unholy outlawish gang that disrespected veterans like Kojima and Tenzan! In 2021, frustrated underdog Toa Henare joined the frame to add more muscle, but when it seemed that they were going big, Ospreay had kidney infection during his IWGP World title reign and was forced to forfeit the belt, and while O-Khan was slowly getting there and Aaron Henare was back in the US, all dollars were bet on Jeff Cobb, who had the biggest score of wins in G1 history! But after that, came Wrestle Kingdom in 2022, where O-Khan lost to SANADA, Cobb lost to Naito, and Ospreay lost to Okada, it all pointed to failure again! But also during that time, journeymen tag champs Aussie Open, little to nothing doer TJP and Kings Road student Francesco Akira joined the group, and with that gave it a new purpose in the New Japan rings! In 2022, with the pandemic rules abolished and gaijins allowed back, they culturally started to grow, having partnerships and collabs with jewelry companies, clothes brands and tremendous championship and tournament matches among them, with a brief participation of Lord Gideon Grey, who gave them a comic effect. Ospreay was the greatest US Champ since Kenny Omega, Catch 2x2 was a breath of fresh air for the Junior division, O-Khan got connections with famous sponsors for the group and Aussie Open dominated the Heavyweight tag division. Suddenly, 2023 kicked in, and the group started to slowly decline, since majority of them were interested in joining AEW, including Ospreay, but they still had some aura and popularity remaining to keep going at it after Fletcher and Davis left, and Dan Moloney briefly joined them just to find himself in a better place with the War Dogs. Then the big blow came with Ospreay announcing he would leave on February, and after he left, all purpose, power, aura and popularity the group had were gone with him. TJP tried his best to be a leader and make the group significantly interesting by bringing youngsters like Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young and even Templario, but noticing how hard it is to fill Ospreay's shoes, he bounced and Callum Newman took the role, just to not make things any better. In no time, Cobb called it quits, HENARE is out with an injury, Akira and TJP are nowhere to be seen, and Jakob, Newman, O-Khan and Templario are more lost than a colorblind person trying to solve a Rubik's Cube, and none of them actually accomplished anything impactful. In short, it should just end, just so we can remember how go it was. 2020--2023 were their best years, anything after that is just painful to look at."

[8.0] "The United Empire is such an amazing group packed full of super talented members. It hasn't been around long enough for it to be remembered fondly as a super historic and successful group, but everyone among their ranks have been incredibly successful and won a lot of championships, which is what a faction is for. Ospreay as the leader was the perfect choice and went to really show how much Ospreay has grown in Japan. He went from being some member of Chaos to leading his own impressive group. Now that Ospreay is gone, it seemed like the group was going to struggle. But I think TJP being made the new leader was the best choice and they have been on the run of a lifetime. Catch 2/2 are the best jr tag team around, Khan, Henare, and Cobb are all super dangerous threats who could get major victories or titles whenever they want, the newer aditions of Newman and Young look very promising, and anybody else they bring aboard will be incredible successful."

[7.0] "Feels kinda directionless at the moment without Ospreay right now. TJP is apparently the new leader of the group, I think great o khan should have been the guy to lead the group, but i guess it doesnt matter that much"

[8.0] "A rough start but eventually it get to a sweat spot. A wide diverse pool of wrestlers all around the world is a great concept and their individuality, especially GOK, Cobb, and Catch 22 shined really well. With Ospreay and Aussie Open gone, on top of the fast expansion, this faction at this moment in time might be entering a mini-crisis. Hopefully they get back on track soon."

[8.0] "A good stable with several great members, but Will Ospreay outshines all of them. Thats not to say theyre bad wrestlers, but it feels a little odd at times. He either needs to break away or pull them up with him, I feel."

[8.0] "Nice stable with a lot of talent but never really clicked as a New Japan top group. Ospreay is much bigger than the faction most of the times and there's some talents there but nothing really special that makes this group have a legendary run or moment. This feels like they just needed to give Ospreay his own thing and doesn't look remarkable right now."

[9.0] "Currently the 2nd best faction in NJPW after LIJ. Everyone adds something positive to the group. They really feel like a cohesive unit and a band of brothers who love each other and who would do anything for each other. Long live the Empire. Crowns Up."

[10.0] "It is weird to find a faction in which every single member is a favorite of mine, and the whole concept simultaneously add to each of the, but that's United Empire for me. From O'Khan and HENARE (both technical masters) to Catch-22 (saviors of the Jr. tag division) and Ospreay (best wrestler in the world), I think they are an awesome group, with lots of chemistry between them, and the whole concept of bad boys that refuse to cheat makes them even more menacing to my eyes."

[10.0] "I am a big fan of this concept when its done right. The only other stable i can think of with the each person from a different country gimmick is league of nations, and that was terrible. Who would have known that when you put a top 2 wrestler in the world (Ospreay) with a top 3 tag team (Aussie Open), an elite young junior heavyweight (Akira), a very talented veteran (TJP), an enigmatic personality (O-Khan), and an agile powerhouse (Cobb), you would get one of the best in ring factions ever? (Sorry Henare)"

[8.0] "Another good stable in NJPW. Ospreay stars and everyone in this group can go in the ring. Biggest issue is that the group outside of Ospreay nobody in the group has won a singles title in NJPW. Team titles have been where they have thrived."

[8.0] "The stars here are Ospreay and the tag teams. I would have rated this faction higher a year ago, just because I thought I'd see a bigger upside for the others involved. Unfortunately, O'Khan, Cobb and Henare don't ultimately bring much to the table besides a midcard presence to fill the numbers. Aussie Open has also recently signed with AEW, although they remain a part of UE, and this will obviously lessen their availability in NJPW."

[10.0] "7.68 is way too low for the united empire, this is probably the best faction in New Japan, they've been running things almost since they've started, every member is talented and charismatic, and all together it creats an amazing group of workers who have potential to be one of the best factions of all time in about 5 years"

[9.0] "They've largely overtaken Bullet Club as the premier heel foreigner group stable in NJPW, and most of the group has a lot of upsides and are very talented. Good stuff."

[10.0] "The rating now(7.42) is too low for them. United Empire has already become the most dominance and powerful stable in New Japan. They are the face, the central of New Japan foreigners, just like the Bullet Club in old time. United Empire will be bigger and bigger in the future, even maybe without Ospreay."

[10.0] "Possibly the most diverse factions in the world today. Ospreay is perhaps the best wrestler in the world, Great-O-Khan is an amazing muscle for the group, Jeff Cobb is a somehow better muscle for the group, Henare could possibly be the weakest member of the group but can have an amazing match with the right opponent, Aussie Open is a flawless team that finally claimed the IWGP Tag Team Titles, TJP is good when alone and great when teaming with Akira who is also good, and Gideon Grey is a good mouthpiece for the group, I love his over-the-top introductions. Overall, the United Empire is amazing and could be a candidate for the best faction in the world today. CROWNS UP"

[9.0] "Great factory after NJPW's stables stagnation. Before 2020 we had BC and CHAOS that stopped developing and started having no idea of their existing. Only Gun and Ingobernables had their goals and were interesting sometimes. But since 2021 from feud against Kojima and Tenzan UE was back on track. Following Ospreay winning NJC, kicking Bea out of the stable and conquest of the World title made them real power. In 2022 they really made competent solution adding Jr. Heavyweight to their ranks. Akira and Perkins made their division fresh and became the best Jr. Tag Champs since Bucks' time, but it's still going on, so for now it's just 9/10, but I hope they could become the greatest stable in NJPW of all time, because looking at them now they all looking very organically especially since Aussie Open joining them"

[10.0] "I love the united empire with all my hearth, every member Is One of his kind. Will Ospreay Is... Will Ospreay, GOK Is the strong man, TJP and Akira are the dominante tag team and the other's are good midcarders. My preferred stabile ever. *****"

[6.0] "The United Empire is a mixed bag. The presentation is fun and it's always nice to have new units but the members are where we run into a problem. You have certain members (Jeff Cobb, Francesco Akira, Great O-Khan, and Aussie Open) who rule. All previously mentioned are great fun and Im massive fans of. Then you run into problems. Will Ospreay is not my personal favorite worker by any means, despite the fact that I recognize how talented he is, and he has a bit too much suspect past actions for me to enjoy his work. Henare rubs me the wrong way for some reason and comes across as kinda generic in some regards. Then there's TJP. What a loser that guy is. A anti-vax conspiracy theorist weirdo who shouldn't be given the time of day. Over all I think it's a unit that has it's upsides and it's downsides"

[9.0] "Depuis l'arrivé des autres lutteurs dans le clan, ça a quand même plus de gueule. Gideon qui est un parfait ring annoncer, Will en position de leader, les autres membres en équipes dominent pas mal la division tag. Une année 2022 très solide pour le clan, à voir si Aussie Open gagne les World Tag League."

[9.0] "They just look more and more like a complete faction every show, really turning into a highlight of New Japan shows."

[8.0] "United Empire is EASILY one of the best factions to ever be created in NJPW history. Yes, better than BULLET CLUB, better than CHAOS, they are unique in their own way and don't need ref bumps, shenanigans and many other cliché BS to be great heels. At first, I didn't like the idea of the group, but now I'm so into it and I enjoy watching every single one of them, even Aaron Henare. God bless United Empire."

[8.0] "A fantastic all-rounder stable. Ospreay is of course the standout because he's one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, and he's used his position as leader of this group to really develop his character work a great deal, but then you also have Cobb as the great powerhouse beast, TJP and Akira as the slick and badass junior guys, Aussie Open as the mega work-rate heavyweight tag team, Henare as the somewhat promising mob boss striker, and... uh... at least O-Khan has a really, really unique character that I find oddly entertaining at times, I guess (I'm still waiting for him to get out of his own way and prove he can actually work the NJPW style instead of just being a typical sort of indy-style irony/meme wrestler). There's even Gideon Grey now as their manager/assistant, who is good for a few laughs as the comedy relief and pin-eater. Their whole coordinated aesthetic is fantastic, and I like how they mimic the Bullet Club so far as featuring a bunch of foreign wrestlers who are out to take over the division, except doing so without relying on non-stop interference and cheating, just by being genuinely great wrestlers. I admit I was worried when the group first formed with only a yet-unproven Cobb and a (even still relatively) mediocre O-Khan, but the member-additions and progress everyone has made has made United Empire easily the most exciting stable in NJPW."

[10.0] "My favourite stable in wrestling right now. Ospreay is the best wrestler in the world, Aussie Open is one of the best tag teams in the world, TJP & Akira added life to the Junior Tag Division, Jeff Cobb is incredible and O-Khan is pretty cool. Such an awesome group."

[9.0] "Great stable! And fresh for New Japan in that they are heels but neither a) have a ton of interference or shenanigans (Bullet Club) or b) use copious amounts of underhanded techniques (Suzuki-Gun). Ospreay is coming to his own as an arrogant lad-like heel, Cobb is a beast, O-Khan while being a hero of children is also very unique and gives off a killer vibe despite still growing into his role and Aussie Open are arguably the best tag team in the world at the moment. Only weakness is in their juniors...Akira & TJP are a good team and solid Junior Tag champs, but neither are faction junior ace level to go up against the likes of Hiromu, Ishimori, Desperado and Eagles...I do hope one of them can prove me wrong though! Bonus points for the UE members coming down as seconds when another member has a big match and not getting involved, reminds me of old days New Japan!"

[7.0] "This stable is growing now and imo is becoming good. Aussie Open is very good team and addition of them is very good idea. TJP will work as great Jr too. This is second gaijins stable in NJPW which I'm loving."

[8.0] "Ospreay is one of the best wrestlers in the world. There's a strong argument that he is the very best full stop. Cobb has realized his potential and developed into a truly great wrestler since 2020. His outstanding in-ring work since his mega push started in 2021 speaks for itself. O-Khan is one of the best personalities in all of wrestling. I haven't seen much of Henare but he's definitely improved from what I can tell. Aussie Open is one of the best tag teams in the world. I'm not big on TJP or Akira but they work as the Juniors for this stable. Overall this is shaping up to be one of the best stables in all of wrestling."

[7.0] "Ton of potential here. Ospreay is a powerful leader with great stroke and staying power as he continues to grow as a performer, and seems to have firm control and loyalty of this faction, which is often missing in stables. Aussie Open have looked great in ring, and I think Cobb and O-khan have potential too."

[8.0] "United Empire are one of the best stables going right now. Super over with the crowd, have great wrestlers and are booked well. Can't ask for much more."

[8.0] "they have a lot of potential to realise. at some point in time they could be considered on of the best."

[10.0] "It's a team with great potential. There's no doubt about Ospreay and Cobb's ability to compete. Now iwgp world heavyweight champion is added. Please don't take this team as a joke. Everyone has their own characteristics. Even o-khan and X gradually show their good side."

[8.0] "Whether the "smart marks" admit it or not, United Empire looks extremely promising and seems to be the perfect place to develop underappreciated talent like Cobb, TJP or Great-O-Kahn."

[8.0] "Now Ospreay' s stable looks quite interesting.I hope that next year will stand out he also notices in shows in Japan, not only through Strong."

[4.0] "Nothing interesting at all. Feels like Ospreay just got a bunch of NJPW talent to lead to make him look more credible as a champion. Only good part is Cobb, but even he doesn't really add anything to this stable really."

[8.0] "This faction is an excellent idea. 2 great wrestlers as Ospreay and Cobb are. 2 wrestlers in work as Henare and Khan are. We'll see but for me, that's all good."

[8.0] "At first, I didn't see how this faction could succeed - seemed a very random joining of forces, with no real connection - however, there have been extremely promising signs over the past couple of months. Each faction member is being given an opportunity to thrive, and some of the teamwork and co-ordination is starting to remind me of early LIJ. The combinations to lead into Jeff Cobb's powerhouse moves is great to watch, and Cobb himself you can see growing as a performer and starting to climb to his sky high potential. There is still some work to do, with a Junior Heavyweight, and perhaps one or two others reinforcing the group, but very encouraging progress. Every member has been elevated within this group, Henare and O-Khan in particular showing their talent that has previously not been seen."