Jeff Cobb is officially back in NJPW after just over a year away from the promotion. His return took place at the G1 Climax 36 final, held at Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo.
Cobb appeared after United Empire defeated Unbound Co. in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. Callum Newman scored the pinfall over Daiki Nagai and continued the attack after the match. Gedo stepped in and brought out Cobb, who refused to side with his former faction, dropped Newman, and officially aligned with Unbound Co.
Speaking backstage, the former JC Mateo explained his decision.
“Hey, I didn’t lie, Jeff Cobb didn’t leave NJPW, I was just on hiatus. I was on the beaches, relaxing, trying to remember what was going on.
I tuned in… I watched all the matches. I knew what was going on. I saw what happened with the United Empire. Callum, your attitude needs checking. In my mind, you’re still that young kid, ‘Hey Jeff, help me, help me!’
The reason why I took a little hiatus was because when (Will) Ospreay left, myself and Great-O-Khan, we tried to carry the United Empire into a new generation, into a new high. You guys let some hot topic manager almost kill the Empire.
When I spoke, all of you Empire members shut your mouth and just let that emo kid talk s**t to me. Well, no more.
I’m back here in NJPW, where the real wrestling is. I plan to join Unbound Co, because I’m not bound by anything anymore. I’m not bound by the knockout corporation, the only knockouts I need are the Knock Out Brothers.
The only thing that I need now is to take Callum to the woodshed, something your momma never did.”
The rivalry carries significant history. Cobb and Newman won the IWGP Tag Team Championship together on May 4, 2025, but the titles were vacated just nine days later when Cobb requested his release from NJPW. Weeks later, he debuted in WWE as JC Mateo, joining MFT.
His WWE run came to an end on February 5, 2026.
A match between the two is already set. NJPW has confirmed Cobb vs. Newman for Destruction in Kobe on September 27.