Will Ospreay has already made it clear he wants United Empire in AEW, but that doesn’t mean the faction is about to invade Dynamite. As things currently stand, there’s no indication that a full United Empire move into AEW is imminent.
Sean Ross Sapp addressed the status of the group during the September 8 Fightful Select Q&A after Ospreay’s comments about bringing United Empire into AEW started raising questions about whether something was already in motion. Sapp said he knows what Ospreay has said publicly, but he hasn’t heard that AEW is preparing to make it happen anytime soon.
“So, I mean, I know that Will Ospreay said that he is bringing, like, United Empire to AEW, but I don’t know that that’s happening, like, imminently. I know that a lot of people have been asking about that, but Callum Newman is integral in New Japan, so I don’t know that they’re doing that anytime soon.”
That’s important because United Empire isn’t just some random faction Ospreay wants to revive for nostalgia. Ospreay created United Empire during the 2020 G1 Climax after turning on his longtime CHAOS ally Kazuchika Okada. Great-O-Khan’s interference helped Ospreay defeat Okada, planting the seeds for the faction that would become one of the biggest parts of Ospreay’s New Japan run. NJPW itself dates the formation of United Empire to the autumn of 2020.
The move completely changed Ospreay’s career. After forming United Empire, he won the 2021 New Japan Cup and then defeated Kota Ibushi to capture the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis. United Empire became attached to Ospreay’s rise from junior heavyweight star to one of NJPW’s top names.
Even after Ospreay eventually left New Japan to make AEW his home, United Empire didn’t disappear. The faction continued operating in NJPW without him and remains active there in 2026. That history is why Ospreay talking about United Empire in AEW immediately got people wondering whether he was about to rebuild his old faction around himself.
Sapp, however, pumped the brakes when United Empire came up again later in the Q&A. He said Ospreay’s comments may have been more about something he personally wants than an AEW plan that’s already locked in.
“A lot of people keep mentioning this, and I know Ospreay said he wanted to bring it to AEW. I just haven’t heard that happening imminently. Maybe it will, but I think his mention was more of a hope than anything. But I could be wrong.”
That leaves United Empire in a pretty interesting spot. Ospreay created the faction, built one of the biggest stretches of his career around it and now wants to bring that part of his history into AEW. The problem is there’s a big difference between Ospreay wanting United Empire and AEW actually pulling the trigger.
For now, United Empire coming to AEW isn’t dead—but it doesn’t sound like fans should expect an army standing behind Ospreay on Dynamite next week either. The idea is out there, Ospreay clearly wants it, but the Empire hasn’t packed its bags for AEW just yet.
Do you want to see Will Ospreay bring United Empire into AEW, or should that chapter of his career stay in New Japan? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
