AEW Rampage: United Empire makes their in-ring debut

A couple weeks ago, members of United Empire made a surprise appearance on Dynamite. Former NJPW IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Jeff Cobb and Great O’Khan attacked FTR and Roppongi Vice during their match. Prior to the match, both teams expressed interest in Cobb and O’Khan’s former titles.

On this week’s Dynamite, the group’s leader, Will Ospreay, along with Aaron Henare and Aussie Open infiltrated AEW. Trent Beretta was in the ring lamenting that it was Best Friends Day, but he was without his. He called FTR to the ring to challenge them to a rematch for their ROH World Tag Team titles. While Dax Harwood was reminding Beretta that he should be angry with United Empire, Ospreay and company showed up and then cleared the ring.

On Rampage, Beretta and FTR sought revenge on Ospreay and Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis). These six men (with Henare on the outside) put on a great, hard-hitting match. It was a great debut for United Empire, but it wasn’t enough. Beretta hit the Strong Zero to pick up the win.

With a little more than two weeks to go to Forbidden Door, it appears that members of United Empire will be featured on the show and in the weeks leading up to it. Several members of the faction have matches this Sunday at NJPW Dominion. Ospreay will be facing SANADA to determine the next IWGP US Heavyweight Champion.

Cobb and O’Khan have a rematch for their aforementioned titles against Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens. It’s possible that there will be gold on the line at Forbidden Door if Cobb and O’Khan are successful. Or perhaps, they’ll have their sights on FTR’s ROH Tag Team Championships.

Dominion will be key to Forbidden Door’s biggest match. Hiroshi Tanahashi will face Hiroki Goto to determine who advances to face Jon Moxley to become the interim AEW World Champion. The next few weeks will see more crossover with NJPW as the card fills out for the big Forbidden Door show.