United Empire has officially made its way to All Elite Wrestling.
Will Ospreay, who originally formed and led the faction during his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling, has now brought the United Empire name to AEW.
The development has raised some questions about how Ospreay is able to use the name in AEW, particularly given what happened with Bullet Club Gold. That group eventually transitioned to the Bang Bang Gang name, with NJPW owning the Bullet Club trademark.
The situation with United Empire is different.
Ospreay himself filed to trademark the “United Empire” name in April 2026 with assistance from trademark attorney Michael Dockins. Ospreay owns the name and therefore has the freedom to use the United Empire branding outside of NJPW, including in AEW.
The United Empire name has recently become part of Ospreay’s presentation in AEW as the faction expands its presence in the promotion.
Last week on AEW Dynamite, the AEW World Champion invited ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey to join his new United Empire faction.
"Do you have anything in green?"
AEW World Champion @WillOspreay and @SpeedballBailey are very, very aligned heading into their tag team match tonight!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/tuI5sMDxhm
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 24, 2026
(H/T: Fightful Select)
