Jeff Cobb made a surprise return to New Japan Pro Wrestling on Sunday, joining Unbound Co. and confronting former tag partner Callum Newman.
Cobb appeared during the G1 Climax 36 final at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, almost 16 months after finishing his previous run with the promotion.
The angle followed a six-man tag in which Newman, Great-O-Khan and HENARE defeated Yuto-Ice, OSKAR and Daiki Nagai. Newman pinned Nagai and continued attacking him after the bell.
When Newman produced his sword and cornered Nagai, Gedo intervened and said he knew someone who could address the United Empire leader’s attitude.
Cobb then emerged and confronted his former stablemate. Newman gave Cobb an opportunity to reaffirm his allegiance to United Empire, but Cobb refused and knocked him down with a shoulder tackle before siding with Gedo and Unbound Co.
Cobb and Newman won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi at Sakura Genesis on April 5, 2025. Nine days later, NJPW announced that Cobb was leaving at his request, forcing them to vacate the championships.
Cobb concluded his eight-year run with New Japan on April 19, 2025, losing to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Korakuen Hall. He received a farewell from the crowd and his United Empire teammates afterward.
Three weeks later, Cobb debuted for WWE at Backlash, helping Jacob Fatu retain the United States Championship and aligning with Solo Sikoa. WWE subsequently renamed him JC Mateo, and he became part of the group later known as MFT.
His WWE tenure lasted just under a year. In May, Mateo was released by the company.
